database synchronization

here's my situation, sad but true. I work at a recreation center and all of our members have id cards. the software we use to make the cards is polaroid id card maker. this program is essentially an access database that runs with the msaccess runtime. what i am trying to do is install or link to the database from multiple computers so that we can use it for more things then simply keeping track of id cards. i originally just made shortcuts on all the computers pointing to the database over the network, but the problem there is that if someone is using the db on one computer no one else can access it. what would be the easiest way to allow 3 computers to access and make changes to the database simultaneously?? one idea i had was to copy it to each computer and then find a program that would synchronize all three databases to say the same thing. do you think this would work? any ideas are welcome. thanks!

What about just building a web interface to access the DB? Unless of course the Access frontend cost you a bundle

freeturkeys,

You should try using NineSYNC (www.ninesync.com or www.jence.com ) for all type of data sync solutions. This is a web service, against which you may develop software and call the web service to synchronize databases for you. NineSYNC client can be downloaded for free and can also be used for free. It can even synchronize MS Access databases.

Jence Incorporated (NineSTEP) developed this software, and its amazing how efficiently this software works. You will notice that when you synchronize two databases, it will only synchronize the rows that has changed. It somehow detects that the row has changed.

You can also call Jence to find out how to connect to the web service using their API. Last time I contacted them, they said that they will release the api pretty soon. You can also download the NineSYNC server part and play around with it.

I think, NineSYNC pretty much solve the complex task of synchronizing databases. It is also one of the first Data Synchronization Web Service out there.

Wien