How to: Creating multi-user access db (1 Viewer)

[typhoonikan]

Hello guys. I am new here and find all the posts very informative.
I was hoping to get some direct feedback from my question though.

Background:
I am learning access. I have created a rather small three table database which holds employee info, office info, and production info.
Employees belong to an office and employees bring in production.

Very small and simple.

My question is, with four offices and two business owners totalling 6 people at most, what would the easiest and most cost-effective way be to allow these people access to add and update records?

Could the use of dropbox/google drive work? The db file is getting large, 10-20mb. I need to go through and fix some data types and field sizes, which will help, but If a secretary adds a record in office A and has to upload the file to dropbox/googledrive so that office B sees it, that isn't very instantaneous. Though, if it only uploads the records(not the whole file) then that would be a viable solution wouldn't it?

I'm trying to avoid setting up local servers and such as I Have no experience with them.

If the cloud storage isn't a solution, then how about sharepoint? Wouldn't that also require a local server?

I'm just needing some guidance here. I have learned an enormous amount of information regarding Access in the last Month and would like to see how best to implement it in this way.

Thanks in advance for any insight!

 

[typhoonikan]

After reading a little more, I stumpled upon the splitting of a database to front and back ends.

After doing this, what would I do with the back end aspect? Could I set this up through a single PC at one of the 4 offices and have the other offices connect to a shared folder via it's static IP?

Also, how does security play into this? Doesn't that open your PC to attacks?

 

[IAmNotABot]

I am also learning access, so allow me to share what I know.

My db is all stored on one computer, along with an excel file that I use for import/export. I copied it to another computer, moved the excel file to my server and simulated a multi-user. I found that if User1 is in the db, it will lock the excel file for anyone else. As a logical guess, I would say that it has to do with preventing changes from User1 not being changed for User2.

I believe that the front end would be what A user would see, whereas a back end would be what ALL users can see. Im visioning a walmart (for analogy) that the main area where shoppers are is the front end, and the warehouse (storeroom in same building) would be like the back end. The shoppers would only see a portion of what is available, but there is more in the back.