Ms access online back end / via internet .... without affecting performance

[Pat Hartman]

So no one has any prices or links. If you've done it, what are you paying for each piece? Which pieces are required?

 

[Isaac]

So far, Dataverse has not gained a lot of transaction for Access. Who knows what will happen with Power Platform applications? It seems like something of an open question there.

Oh I'm sorry I should have clarified, I was exclusively referring to the context of Power Apps since that is primarily what it's for.

In power apps you can make two types of apps. Model apps, and canvas apps. Canvas apps allow people to do pretty much anything they feel like and although not every canvas app is bad or sloppy, the reverse is true, most bad or sloppy apps will be canvas apps. Model apps are different, in that they essentially enforce referential integrity on the back end. And they use dataverse. That is kind of what I was thinking about when I mentioned data verse being the mature disciplined component in the mix. People who make canvas apps are less likely to use data verse then people who use model apps.

I guess there is this whole other sidebar conversation going on about dataverse for access, which is not really what it's for and will probably always be quite limited.

 

[GPGeorge]

Oh I'm sorry I should have clarified, I was exclusively referring to the context of Power Apps since that is primarily what it's for.

In power apps you can make two types of apps. Model apps, and canvas apps. Canvas apps allow people to do pretty much anything they feel like and although not every canvas app is bad or sloppy, the reverse is true, most bad or sloppy apps will be canvas apps. Model apps are different, in that they essentially enforce referential integrity on the back end. And they use dataverse. That is kind of what I was thinking about when I mentioned data verse being the mature disciplined component in the mix. People who make canvas apps are less likely to use data verse then people who use model apps.

I guess there is this whole other sidebar conversation going on about dataverse for access, which is not really what it's for and will probably always be quite limited.

I didn't realize that Model apps exclusively use Dataverse. Or is that the intent of the statement. "And [model apps] use Dataverse."? Isn't it possible to create one from SharePoint lists, or even SQL Server? That's an area I know only a little about, though.

BTW, I finally did figure out the mystery of the dataverse connector in my Access 2019 Pro. It turns out that I also have an MS 365 account, through which MS Access is available. However, I had to reinstall Access and specify that MS 365 version to be used. Then I could sign in with that 365 Account and get the full Dataverse experience working as it should.

Not yet impressed by Dataverse, though.

With regard to Pat's question about costs, this LinkedIn discussion sort of sheds some light on that. The gist of it is that licensing is not transparent.

 

[Isaac]

I didn't realize that Model apps exclusively use Dataverse. Or is that the intent of the statement. "And [model apps] use Dataverse."? Isn't it possible to create one from SharePoint lists, or even SQL Server? That's an area I know only a little about, though.

BTW, I finally did figure out the mystery of the dataverse connector in my Access 2019 Pro. It turns out that I also have an MS 365 account, through which MS Access is available. However, I had to reinstall Access and specify that MS 365 version to be used. Then I could sign in with that 365 Account and get the full Dataverse experience working as it should.

Not yet impressed by Dataverse, though.

With regard to Pat's question about costs, this LinkedIn discussion sort of sheds some light on that. The gist of it is that licensing is not transparent.

Yes model apps have to use dataverse and good relational database modeling principles are enforced. That's why I feel like dataverse is member of a good club so to speak.

As far as them trying to make data verse talk to other things like access, which isn't really the primary reason for its existence, I can't defend any of that because I don't know much about it.

It is the canvas apps that are allowed to use anything and everything.

 

[GPGeorge]

Thanks for the information. I wonder what proportion of PowerApps are built as Model Apps and as Canvas Apps and by whom. Probably not something for which statistics are available, though.

What else differentiates Model Apps from Canvas Apps? Is the only difference the requirement for the data source? Or are there other restrictions?

 

[GPGeorge]

Spoiler: etc

Yes model apps have to use dataverse and good relational database modeling principles are enforced. That's why I feel like dataverse is member of a good club so to speak.

As far as them trying to make data verse talk to other things like access, which isn't really the primary reason for its existence, I can't defend any of that because I don't know much about it.

It is the canvas apps that are allowed to use anything and everything.

I even created my own custom PowerApps connector using a Google Books API. I recently saw a claim that there are now almost 740 official connectors for PowerApps.

 

[Isaac]

Thanks for the information. I wonder what proportion of PowerApps are built as Model Apps and as Canvas Apps and by whom. Probably not something for which statistics are available, though.

What else differentiates Model Apps from Canvas Apps? Is the only difference the requirement for the data source? Or are there other restrictions?

Good question.
I'm pretty sure that's the big primary distinction but not knowledgeable enough to go any further on it.