Microsoft Access is a popular data management application that allows you to store information in tables that it manages directly from the local disk. You can also use Access as a front end, that is, as an interface to information that is located elsewhere and handled by another storage management system. In this case, Access acts as a client that connects to a server that provides the data. The MySQL database system is one such storage manager; if you install the MyODBC driver, Access can make ODBC connections to MySQL database servers over the network. You can still use the contents of your tables through Access, but the tables themselves are hosted by the MySQL server.

Access has its strengths, such as an easy to use interface. Access also has its limitations—it’s generally used as a personal or single-user application, typically for managing limited amounts of data. (Access is not commonly used for databases hundreds of megabytes in size, for example.) Because of its storage management limitations, you may be considering how to retain the Access interface but migrate your information to a storage manager with greater capabilities. Or you may even be considering a move away from Access entirely. This article outlines some benefits that you stand to gain by using the MySQL database to manage your data, and provides some guidelines to help you migrate locally stored Access tables to MySQL. The final section of the article lists links to locations where you can find the tools discussed here.

Reasons to Migrate from Microsoft Access to the MySQL database
The use of the MySQL database as a storage manager for Access offers several benefits. One is that you can use your information in additional ways when it’s not locked into Access. Other differences pertain more specifically to the case where you intend to continue using Access as the user interface to your information.

Deployment of information. When your information resides in MySQL, you’re free to continue using it from Access if you wish, but a number of other possibilities open up as well. Any kind of MySQL database client can use the information, not just Access. This allows your data to be exploited more fully in more contexts, and by more people. For example, other people can use…

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