Some questions for you chaps and chapesses.

I have some lovely Win 2000 Servers, and some PC's

We're probably going to be going completey macintosh in our Toronto office, but our database is in MS Access, which MS does not provide for the mac. So I need some way to access it.

I could use Virtual PC, which would solve the problem, but, it's emulation software, and it's not too quick

Someone suggested that I could use TS or RDS on the Windows server (where the database is located, though it's not hosted by anything).

Can someone remind me, or point me at the info on installing Terminal Services, or Remote Desktop Services. I have done TS before, but can't remember how, never done RDS though, so some advice about it, and if it's better than TS would be handy.

My other concern is that the database is not actually hosted by anything on the server, so I am guessing I'd need to TS into the server from a Mac (which I DO have the software for) and then run a copy of Access that is also on the server.

Thing is, if many people need to access the database, then would I need a seperate copy of access for each of them on the server?

Thanks for any info on this.

Nothing to it just bung in the 2000 CD choose and windows components/terminal services and it asks if you want it for remote management or for applications. Just choose the remote one and that's it.

markus,

if its just to get at the data can you not use ODBC/iODBC on the mac to simply connect to it?

Gary

I should mention that we have thought of some other form of Mac compatible database and importing the data from Access into it. We've got the resources to code our own database, so we could do it that way. we do NOT want to use Filemaker pro, simply as we don't feel it's really up to the job.

If the VPC or RDC/TS solution works then great. At the moment we're looking at options.

thanks for the advice

Just one install of Access for all users. Depending on the version you may need to run a transform script with the install. You also need to install using 'add remove programs' in control panel rather than just from the CD (to put the server in install mode - copies the Current User settings from the registry so multiple copies can run). Best to search MSKB if you need to know how the transform script works ('cos I haven't done it for a while and never for just Access).

You'll also need to install TS in Application mode if you want more than two connections at a time, then you'll need to license it to make it work. If you have money available you may want to run Citrix over the top to get a more efficient connection plus extra functionality.

Remember each simultaneous connection will require memory roughly equivalent to the minimum for the Access version you use plus a couple of Mb for TS overhead, plus what the server needs to run. Basically, bang some more RAM in it.

Fen

I'm a bit ignorant about W2K TS as opposed to NT TSE. In the days of NT TSE, the Microsoft TS client was only available for Intel platforms (DOS and Windows).

So, is there a Microsoft TS Client for Mac? If not, you'll need to run Citrix Metaframe on the TS and install the Citrix ICA Client on each Mac.

G

Or use Access to SQL Server Migration Tool and rewrite as web app?

G

There is now a RDS client for Mac OS X, which is what we will be running, thus I can login into the servers from a Mac. I'm testing things out at the moment, so will report back with what I find.

I'm also going to be trying Virtual PC 6 and see if that offers a better solution