Database applications change and grow over time. Many factors impact needs and performance including the number of concurrent users, the network environment, throughput, latency, the size of the database, peak usage times, and expected growth rates. In short, for your database solution to be successful it needs to evolve. Fortunately, Access has an evolutionary path, from simple to advanced, that you can take over time to effectively scale your solution.

Enviro Data uses both front-end and back-end client relational database files with many tables, forms, modules and other objects. Both of the front-end files (Editor and Viewer) are Access databases that attach to a back-end database file where the actual data is stored. There are also settings for the front-end options that are stored in a Settings file that is also an Access database and linked to the front-end clients., the Editor and a Viewer. The back end can be in Access, Microsoft SQL Server, Azure SQL or Oracle. Where the backend database is in the Access format, specific considerations must be made as to how it can be shared and where it can be stored. This is not an issue with SQL or other Enterprise storage options. 

For an overview on sharing a single back-end Enviro Data database locally or a remote desktop, on OneDrive/SharePoint (not recommended), or on a sever, please see Ways to share an Access desktop database. 

Although you can store an Access database file to OneDrive or a SharePoint document library, both Geotech and Microsoft strongly recommend that you avoid sharing an Access database from these locations. The file may be downloaded locally to work on and then uploaded back to OneDrive or SharePoint once you have finished work on. However, if more than one person opens the Access database from OneDrive, SharePoint or DropBox, multiple copies of the database may get created and some unexpected behaviors may occur like corrupting the database. This recommendation applies to all types of Access files including the Enviro Data Editor, Viewer, Settings files, a single database, and any other files with the .mdb, .accdb, .accdc, .accde, and .accdr extensions. While SharePoint shares some features with databases and is a great tool for document management, it is not designed to be used as a database, and it falls short in supporting all common database functions. For more information on deploying Access, again please see Ways to share an Access desktop database. 

Additionally, if you are using a VM or Azure Virtual Desktop where multiple users be using the same Enviro Data program files-- Editor, Viewer, Settings and a few others -- concurrently, these files must be located where only a single user can access them. Contact Geotec support for more information on these types of shared setups. 

Another factor to be considered is that you cannot create a new database with a path or file name that contains a space in it.  Once the database has been created, this restriction is no longer an issue. However, when updating an Enviro Data database to a new version in some cases a new file may be created and the issue with spaces applies. There is also a restriction on how long the path to the file is.