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Beyond 2 GB: When Access reaches its limits

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Anastasia Schmuck
Project Manager

+41.. Show number +41 55 253 00 53

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Anyone using Access beyond 2 GB risks downtime. Migrating Access to modern databases keeps the company operational.

What you should know:

Problem: Access is not designed for large amounts of data and multi-user operation.
Solution: Migration to SQL Server, PostgreSQL, or Azure.
Procedure: Gradual replacement prevents downtime and ensures continued operation.

Criterion	MS Access	SQL Server / PostgreSQL	Azure SQL Database
Max. data volume	2 GB	500 GB to several TB	Unlimited
Multi-user support	Limited	Complete, transaction-safe	Global
Backups	Manual, error-prone	Automated	Automated
Perfomance	Decreases above 1.5 GB	Optimized for large amounts of data	Extremely scalable
Cost	Inexpensive for small apps	Depending on license / open source	pay-as-you-go

Why Access fails with large databases

Access databases do not reach their limit at 2 GB by chance, but because the architecture dictates it.

File-based: Access stores everything in a single ACCDB or MDB file. As the size increases, so does the susceptibility to corruption.
Multi-user operation: Access was never designed for parallel access. More users lead to locking problems and data loss.
Backups: A simple file backup is not sufficient for consistent backups.
Performance: From approx. 1.5 GB, queries become significantly slower and reports become unreliable.

These weaknesses often cannot be resolved with patches. If you want long-term stability, you need alternatives.

Robert Schmuck, CTO soxes AG

Access databases often reach their limits precisely when they are most critical—namely, when they are used for productive processes. In our projects, we regularly see that timely migration not only prevents data loss, but also creates the basis for more efficient processes and a secure future.

First steps you can take

Before a company migrates, short-term steps and an Access specialist such as soxes can help:

Normalize the database and remove redundancies.
Archive historical data or move it to separate files.
Split Access (front end/back end).

These measures postpone the problem but do not solve it. As soon as the data grows, Access becomes unreliable.

The sustainable solution: Access Migration

The path almost always involves migrating to a scalable database. There are three main options:

1. Combine Access with SQL Server

Tables are moved to SQL Server.
Access remains as the front end.
Advantages: quick implementation, low training costs.
Disadvantages: Access remains a bottleneck, limited in the long term.

2. Complete replacement with a modern application

Migration of data to SQL Server or PostgreSQL
Development of a new front end (e.g., Angular, React, .NET)
Advantages: unlimited scalability, modern security, cloud-ready
Typical for companies where Access is business-critical

3. Cloud-first strategy

Migration to Azure SQL Database or AWS RDS
Advantages: automatic backups, reliability, scalability on demand
Can be combined with PowerApps or individually developed applications

Ready for the cloud? Our consulting package shows you how!

What does soxes mean by Microsoft re-engineering?

soxes uses Microsoft re-engineering to modernize systems such as Access databases, Excel workbooks, and VB/VBA scripts. Depending on your needs, we can optimize existing applications or supplement and replace them with .NET and SQL Server solutions. The result: systems that grow with your business, are easier to integrate, and offer long-term investment security.

Migration from Access to SQL: Real-time digital ratings

1 Project Overview

Inrate is an independent rating agency that assesses the environmental and social sustainability of companies, institutions, and countries worldwide. Together with soxes, a modern web solution was developed that generates ratings digitally and makes them available to customers via a web account.
2 Challenge

The existing MS Access database reached its limits as data volumes increased and requirements became more complex. Analysts needed to be able to expand the rating model independently, without IT support, and processing needed to be efficient even across distributed locations.
3 Solution

soxes migrated the old Access database to a scalable MS SQL database with an Angular/KendoUI front end. The data is regularly synchronized with financial providers such as MSCI and Thomson Reuters via interfaces, enabling precise management and flexible extensions.
4 Result

Since 2020, the new customer portal has offered real-time access to sustainability ratings and seamlessly supports data feeds for core banking systems such as Avaloq. Inrate benefits from greater efficiency, better data quality, and more autonomy for analysts, while soxes ensures operation and further development.

A successful migration follows a structured process

1

Analysis

Which tables, relations, and queries are critical?
2

Proof of Concept

Test migration to SQL Server or cloud environment
3

Develop new front end

Replace old forms and reports with modern alternatives
4

Establish operational infrastructure

CI/CD, monitoring, test automation
5

Handover & training

Get users and administrators up to speed
6

Optimization

Ongoing updates and performance checks ensure stability.

Modernization goes beyond just access

Anyone replacing Access should consider whether other systems should also be modernized. Many projects show that Access is just one component in an outdated landscape. Examples:

.NET Framework 4.8 to .NET Core 9: better performance, platform independence
Delphi to .NET or Java: eliminate know-how dependencies
LabVIEW to Python: better integration into data science and automation
Oracle to PostgreSQL or MySQL: cost reduction and openness
On-premise to Azure Cloud: lower maintenance costs, high availability

This often makes Access modernization part of an overall strategic modernization.

Access database too large? We have the solution

Migration to SQL, PostgreSQL, or Azure
Ensure long-term performance, stability, and security

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+41 55 253 00 53

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Anastasia Schmuck
Project Manager

+41.. Show number +41 55 253 00 53

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Expert knowledge for your project

Anastasia Schmuck is a project manager at soxes with a double master’s degree in marketing and logistics. She manages complex IT projects, ensures clear communication between customers and development, and supports companies as a reliable partner in digitalization and efficient project management.