Auto FE Updater

Enterprise Edition - Log - SQL Server options

SQL Server Name, Instance (optional) , Port (if not 1433 and optional) are specified by your IT administrators.

Database name - If database name not present or a key table not found then the Auto FE Updater will ask to create the database.

Authentication - Windows authentication is vastly preferred as otherwise the password has to be stored, encrypted, within the master Auto FE Updater  configuration files.  The password is also present on the Auto FE Updater Log Viewer Access database linked table connection string and, therefore,  is not encrypted.      While the password is not visible when you hover over the linked table entry within Access VBA code can read the complete connection string including the password.   Your corporation IT policies may also prohibit storing passwords in non authorized applications.

Using the sa account is a really bad idea.

Clicking on Save and Test SQL Server Settings will prompt you to create the AutoFEUpdater Log schema if the database isn't found or the tables aren't found in the database.

Remarks

A form displaying the messages 'Checking SQL Server connection to server…' or similar is displayed to you and the users whenever the AutoFEUpdater is run and this option is being used.  If all the parameters are correct and the SQL Server is on a relatively fast connection then this form is very briefly displayed.  Some users may report a flicker.  

 However if a setting is wrong or the SQL Server is unavailable then the form can be displayed for up to thirty or sixty seconds during network timeouts.   These timeouts are completely out of my control..  I felt that having some flicker is better than having the Auto FE Updater appear to be doing nothing for up to a minute.
 
All date/time values are those of the local PC and not that of the SQL Server system.
 
SQL Azure is not currently supported but email me.  I haven't done much research in this area yet and haven't yet purchased a SQL Azure subscription.   But I need an excuse.   Other databases can be supported if desired so long as a developers edition of the database is available for my testing purposes.

Under an unusual combination of settings you may see an error message and the below screen.

If so determine the problem and correct the SQL Server setting.  This particular screen is displayed by the Windows ODBC SQL Server driver when it encounters a problem and it assumes you want to use an ODBC DSN.  All the code present uses DSN less connections so Cancel out of this screen.

Upsizing existing AutoFEUpdater Log Access database to SQL Server

If you are going to upsize the existing Log database tables yourself then ensure you run the Auto FE Updater at least once from a Master User account before upsizing so that the Access database file schema is updated and is SQL Server ready.   There were a few warning messages which have now been cleared up.   You can verify this by ensuring the BEMDBVersion field in the BEMDBVersion table is 1.04.

If doing an upgrade of your current Auto FE Updater Log Access MDB database via SSMA or other similar utility ensure you change all datetime2(0) data types to datetime data type.   The datetime data type is much more compatible with Access, Visual Basic 6, ODBC and ADO.   Truly obscure errors could, and will likely, happen in various Log subroutines.

You will also need to create an empty Auto FE Updater Log database using the Auto FE Updater and copy the created stored procedures to the upsized SQL Server database.