in reply to How can I connect/access an MS access database from solaris?

How can I connect/access an MS access database from solaris?

Access isn't a database server in the same way that Oracle, MySQL, et al. are. There are no client libraries that connect via socket to an Access server. Access to Access is typically via ODBC or OLE to the JET engine, which is packaged as a set of DLLs. JET manipulates the disk directly.

If you want to get at Access from Solaris, you'll need to set up some sort of proxy server on Win32, and connect to the proxy server from Solaris. Look into DBI's proxy mechanism, DBD::Proxy and DBI::ProxyServer. Using these, you would set up a proxy server on Win32 that would talk to Access via DBD::ODBC, and access that proxy server from Solaris via DBD::Proxy. I've seen such a setup work for access other databases.

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Re: Re: How can I connect/access an MS access database from solaris?
by Anonymous Monk on Sep 10, 2002 at 18:26 UTC

    In talking with a DBA friend of mine, we've both confirmed that I won't be able to connect to the DSN/ODBC for the MS Access database file.

    While your suggestion of a proxy is a good one, I don't have control over the server that file will be on - in the manner of installing a proxy.

    I may need to consider the option of using a SQL Server, or having some ASP code that I POST my record info, and the ASP page inserts it to the local Access database file.

[reply]
      If you can connect to the access database using ASP, then you should be able to run a CGI script. And, if you can run a CGI script you may be able to run the CGI as a SOAP service.

      Your service could take your data as parameter(s) and store them in Access on the remote box. Take a look at Soap::Lite for Perl, there are some ASP examples there too.

      --
      hiseldl
      "Act better than you feel" --inner prophet

[reply]

        ASP would be on the WinNT/IIS box. Perl CGI is being used on the Solaris/Apache box. Perl is not on the WinNT box.

        I'll take a look at the SOAP stuff. Though, wouldn't I need a web-service running on the WinNT box, waiting to hear the remote SOAP call from the Solaris box?

[reply]
      FYI

      MSDE 2000 is a free Microsoft baby brother to SQL 2000. It runs on the desktop but it limits the number of connections. I don’t know if it will run on as a server for Internet connections. But for local database applications under Windows, it can be valuable since it is royalty free and you can include it with your application.

      Richard

      There are three types of people in this world, those that can count and those that cannot. Anon

[reply]

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