Posted by Erland Sommarskog on 10/01/07 21:55

Sue (sea_099@hotmail.com) writes:
> Q.1. What is the best way to do this - should we host the database on
> the same IIS server where the website is hosted, or would it be better
> to put the database on a server on it's own, separate from the IIS
> server?

Install on a separate box if you can. Else IIS and SQL Server will
compete for memory. There is also a security aspect.

> Q.2. Also what is the best way for clients to connect to the database
> for querying purposes - will I be able to install client versions of
> sql server on their machines so they can connect for querying purposes
> only, (cannot create tables etc), or will it be better if the clients
> have sql server express installed locally and connect to the server
> sql through odbc?

What clients? Didn't you say this was for a web site? Then I would
assume that client connect over the web.

It's difficult to answer this question, without knowing what the
requirements are.

> Q.3. When connecting to a sql server database through odbc, using ms
> access or sql server express, what happens when queries are run or
> updates are made - does the original database on the server get
> updated or only the local copy on the client? Also will the client
> always have the most recent data?

If they update the local database, they update the local database. If
they update the central database, they update the central database. You
can set up replication, to distribute updates, but again, without
knowing what the requirements are for your possible, it's impossible to
give a useful answer.

--
Erland Sommarskog, SQL Server MVP, esquel@sommarskog.se

Books Online for SQL Server 2005 at
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/2005/downloads/books.mspx
Books Online for SQL Server 2000 at
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinfo/previousversions/books.mspx

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