Concurrent database access on shared network drive

Question

I'm part of a small team that currently uses an Access database for scheduling a larger team's availability. This has presented some issues with corruption of the Access database. Additionally, I want to implement additional functionality over time.

I've set out to create an application for the 4-5 of us to use that will solve the concurrent database issue, as well as give the team more functionality.

Since this is a shared network drive, I won't have access to SQL Server (from my guess). I thought maybe a web service would be the way to go, but I don't really want to front the bill for this. Additionally, when I eventually leave the team I don't want to maintain this.

Some ideas I've come up with is an application written in C# that acts as the front-end with SQLite embedded as the back-end. However, I've spent days trying to get the Entity Framework to work with SQLite and am at the point of giving up.

I'm trying to decide what else I can do to solve this issue. Is there another technology I can use?

Answer 1

As was said, it sounds like you try to reinvent the DMBS wheel.

If you have a Database that multiple clients can use at the same time, "sharing a access file on a network share" will simply not cut it. You need a proper DBMS. You have simply outgrown the scale Access was designed for. propably even the scale it was intended for.

You said cost might be an issue, but it is not really: There are dozens of DBMS out there, with a number being Freeware. MySQL is a shining example of a free DBMS. Conver that whole Access thing into a MySQL Database. Write a frontend for the MySQL Database. Done.

If you already have a computer providing the share across the network, that same computer can provide the MySQL Server. Setting up a DBMS with 1+ instances can be a bit more involved then just enabling a share, but not much more then programming a WebService.