Database Publishing

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While web browsers remain widely used, modern enterprises increasingly rely on progressive web apps (PWAs), hybrid mobile apps, and cloud-native applications to deliver internal and external systems. Many companies also leverage low-code or no-code platforms (such as Microsoft Power Apps or Retool) for internal tools, reducing development time and maintenance overhead compared with traditional web apps.

These approaches provide similar benefits to classic web applications—users can access systems without installing software, reducing rollout and upgrade costs—while offering richer functionality, offline support, and cross-platform compatibility.

Before starting a project, two key questions remain critical:

• Is the data intended for internal use (Intranet) or external access (Internet)?
• Does the company want to expose selected information or convert the entire system to a web/cloud-native solution?

The answers help determine the size, complexity, and technology stack for the project, whether it involves PWAs, hybrid apps, low-code solutions, or full custom cloud-native applications.

In principle, displaying data on a web page isn’t difficult – modern web platforms integrate seamlessly with cloud-hosted databases. The key requirement is ensuring that the application can securely access the data in real time, whether it’s running on an internal system or a public-facing website.

There are a number of solutions to achieve this:

• Use a cloud-hosted database service (DBaaS): Platforms like AWS RDS, Azure SQL Database, Google Cloud SQL, or MongoDB Atlas provide managed databases with built-in scalability, high availability, and secure access over the internet.
• Leverage serverless backends: Services such as AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, Vercel, or Cloudflare Workers connect directly to cloud databases, reducing the need for traditional server management.
• Adopt low-code/no-code platforms: Tools like Microsoft Power Apps, Retool, or Airtable allow rapid development of internal apps that connect directly to cloud databases without requiring heavy custom coding.
• Utilize edge and CDN-based architectures: Solutions like Netlify Edge Functions or Cloudflare Workers KV make data available closer to end-users, improving performance for global audiences.

These approaches eliminate the technical complexity of older hosting models and provide a secure, scalable way for businesses to make their data available online — whether for employees, partners, or customers.

For many companies, it’s useful to present a summary or subset of database information on an internal web page or customer-facing portal. This is straightforward to achieve with today’s technologies: a modern web server or cloud platform hosts the application, which connects securely to a database and displays the required data.

There are a number of ways to do this:

• Modern web servers and platforms: Instead of older IIS or Apache setups, companies now use Windows Server 2022 with IIS, Nginx, Cloudflare, or Caddy, often deployed in containers (Docker/Kubernetes) for scalability.
• API-driven applications: Data is typically exposed via REST APIs or GraphQL endpoints, making it easy to share subsets of data across web, mobile, or internal systems.
• Modern front-end frameworks: Technologies like React, Vue.js, Svelte, or Next.js allow companies to build fast, interactive dashboards that display database information clearly and securely.
• Serverless and edge computing: Platforms such as Cloudflare Workers, AWS Lambda, and Vercel enable lightweight apps that can fetch and render data close to users, improving reliability and performance.

These approaches make it easy to share selected data while ensuring scalability, security, and high performance. For mission-critical systems, companies typically rely on cloud-hosted or enterprise-grade databases rather than desktop tools, ensuring the solution can grow with business needs. See Choosing a Database Server.

Moving an Access application to a web-based system no longer means starting completely from scratch. While there isn’t a single “one-click” conversion, modern tools and platforms have made the process faster, more reliable, and more cost-effective than in the past.

Several approaches now exist:

• Low-code/no-code migration platforms: Solutions like Microsoft Power Apps, Mendix, and OutSystems can automate parts of the transition, helping turn Access tables and forms into functional web or mobile apps with minimal custom coding.
• Cloud database migration tools: Services such as Azure SQL Migration Assistant make it straightforward to move Access data into scalable databases like Azure SQL, PostgreSQL, or Cosmos DB, ensuring performance and long-term viability.
• AI-assisted development: Tools like GitHub Copilot, Amazon CodeWhisperer, and OpenAI Codex accelerate rewriting or modernizing business logic, reducing development time and improving code quality.
• Modern web frameworks: Instead of relying on legacy ASP.NET Web Forms, today’s developers use React, Angular, Vue, Blazor, or Next.js to build fast, responsive web applications connected to cloud or on-premise databases.

By combining these technologies, companies can transform legacy Access applications into modern, scalable systems that integrate seamlessly with cloud platforms, mobile devices, and enterprise workflows—without the prohibitive costs that used to accompany a full rebuild.

See Also:​

• Choosing a Database Server
• Database Corruption & Repair
• How Upsizing Works