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About meManager at Avanade13 years of experience in developmentLast seven years SharePoint and development for SharePointStarted career with Access applicationsBorrowed some slides from SPC 2014
Presentation ObjectivesKnowledge objectives• Background and purpose• Architecture• Highlights and limitations
Practical objectives• Create and update Access apps• Integration with SharePoint• Packaging• Add additional value to the Access app
Access Apps The Story
Access overviewDesktop Access Apps• Used by millions today• 20 years old• Data stored in a local file• Requires Access software• VBA• Supported in SP2013
Access 2013 Web Apps• Brings Access DB’s to the Web• Data stored in SQL• Accessible everywhere• Easy sharing – No code
What kind of app is an Access app?
“Add-ins” of functionality for some Office programsPlaced within the document or in the task paneAccess apps can contain Apps for Office
Apps for Office
Fully functioning apps that run on the web within SharePointHosted on SharePoint sites in the cloudAccess apps are SharePoint AppsApps for
SharePoint
S
Target groups
Access Services 2013
“NAPA”
SharePoint Apps
Visual Studio
Office Apps
Power User Pro Dev
Pro’s to SharePoint WebApps• You can build them directly in Access
2013• No coding required• Support for relational data• The backend is SQL Server 2012• Easy security• Data table templates• Ease of use in designer tools• You can package and sell• You can use SQL Server Reporting
Services, excel or other tools to generate reports
DEMO
What about the con’s• Records cannot trigger or be part of
Access workflows• Security setup is basic and somewhat
limited• The apps own the database• The only supported SP object is the List
object and can only be added in readonly mode• Scope is the site collection you are in• You cannot write any VBA code for the
app
Architecture
Architecture
SharePoint on premises
SharePoint on Office 365
Creates
Consumes
Web Browser
Access Client
Access Services
Tables & Data
SQL DB
Azure
2012+
Access Services
SearchSearch is leveraging the full-text search capabilities within SQL 2012
The search server in SharePoint is not aware of the content that is hosted within Access Services
What about security?• Many people can work at the same app
at once• No additional security needed to the DB• No need to authenticate when using the
app• Permissions are handled by adding
people to SP groups (and/or AD groups) in the site that hosts the app
What cannot be done in security?• A user cannot own records• There is no way of separating who can
add vs. Who can edit records• No way of applying edit vs. readonly
permissions to specific tables within the app
Updating your app
DEMO
What happens during upgrade?• Current database (V1) read-only and
copy created(V2)• Applies schema changes in DACPAC to
V2• If there runs on-deploy macro
What happens during upgrade?If Success then
Deletes V1Renames V2 to the same name as V1
ElseMarks V1 back to read/writeDeletes V2
Locking a tableMarkes the table readonlyAll data in a Locked table is packed for deploymentEven locked in development modeUsed for sample data, informational tables etc.
Packaging
Packaging and deployingSave as app packageInstall on another SharePoint sitePublish to the SharePoint store
Add value
DEMO
Wrap-up
Related linksOn-premise installation:http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30445Access for developers:http://msdn.microsoft.com/accessDownload SPC 2014 presentations from channel 9:http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/PowerShell-Script-to-all-04e92a63
THANK YOU
