Microsoft Access 2010 Chapter 10 Administering a Database System AC 602 to AC 666

Microsoft Access 2010 Chapter 10 Administering a Database System AC 602 to AC 666

Read and work through Project 10, starting on page AC 602 and work through AC 672
Save the Client-Trainer Query, p. AC 616

Project – Administering a Database System
Camashaly Design realizes the importance of database administration, that is, the importance of administering its database system properly. Making a database available on the Web (Figure 10 – 1) is part of this activity. Another important activity in administering databases is the creation of custom templates, application parts, and data type parts. Application parts and data type parts are templates that you can add to your database to extend its functionality. Clicking an application part adds to your database a predetermined collection of objects such as tables, queries, forms, reports, and/or macros. Clicking a data type part adds a predetermined collection of felds to a table.

Camashaly management realizes that database administration encompasses a wide variety of activities (Figure 10 – 2). Database administration can include conversion of an Access database to an earlier version of Access. Database administration usually includes such activities as analyzing tables for potential problems, analyzing performance to see if changes are warranted to make the system perform more effciently, and documenting the various objects in the database. It can include creating custom categories and groups in the Navigation Pane as well as changing table and database properties. It also can include the use of feld properties in such tasks as creating a custom input mask and allowing zero-length strings. It can include the creation of indexes to speed up retrieval. The inclusion of automatic error checking is part of the administration of a database system. Understanding the purpose of digital certifcates and the Trust Center is critical to the database administration function.
Another important area of database administration is the protection of the database. This protection includes locking the database through the creation of an ACCDE file to prevent unauthorized changes from being made to the VBA source code or to the design of forms and reports. Splitting the database into a front-end and a back-end database is another way to protect the functionality and effciency of a database.