MS Access & Excel installed on DEV server

  • My net admin is preparing a server for our dba and DEV use and the dba is requesting MS Access and MS Excel to be installed on the DEV SQL server.  DEV is used to store DEV dbs and server as the back end for "not yet ready for QA builds" of our SW product.  I think this is unnecessary. 

     

    The DBA wants to:

    export data/import to and from without having to use MS Access and MS Excel apps on her PC;

    troubleshoot import/exports and etc and see rows of the db without moving a to a new machine or copying files elsewhere; 

    do all of the above remotely.

    Part of her other reason is our remote management solution is not the best.  She must VPN through  a PIX, then TS to the SQL server for remote management.  Copying files from another machine to the SQL box becomes a waste of time and SLOW....

    I suggest that the solution is a different remote management solution and no MS Access or Excel on the server.  I am concerned about a slippery slope of installling client apps on the server.  I can be convinced it does not matter on a dev server, but would then require slower restore.

    Any thoughts?

  • We have these applications on all our database DEV machines. It helps not to have to go through WANs or VPN connections when copying/analyzing/moving large data sets outside the SQL Servers. Can't imagine a client copy of Access or Excel would be useful at all if you have to go through VPN, and even too slow going over most WAN connections. Of course, it depends how much memory your DEV machine has and how many people will be using remote desktop connections to it.

  • Tim,

    Your dba has excellent reasons for her requests.  I have followed the same path for years for the same reasons.  In my humble opinion - you should back off quickly before you make yourself look bad

  • But what happens when it's time to move the solution into Production?  Unless you allow Access and Excel (and whatever else they end up wanting on the DEV box) onto the QA and Production servers they'll have to rewrite when they move the solution.

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    Normal chaos will be resumed as soon as possible. :crazy:

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