There are countless everyday databases that we use to manage our data, but only a few are are suitable to be leveraged from the web. For example, MS Access is not a suitable web database because it has limitations on the number of concurrent users. It should never be used if you anticipate more than a dozen concurrent users. (MS Access 2000 however, is somewhat suitable for limited web use as it has a completely rewritten database engine). If you are planning on having a dynamic site, carefully investigate which database and hardware that you will need before going into development. Here is a list of the most popular enterprise level databases that are widely used in web development. Enterprise Level Web Databases: SQL-Server (Microsoft) Windows Database of choice when developing with ASP. Oracle (Oracle) Unix, Windows object-relational mySQL Unix (all) freeware You may want to hire a Database Administrator consultant to assist you in making your choice. Before you make the call however, write down all of your requirements such as your platform choice, current hardware, sofware, etc. Also try to prototype your database on paper or in the database that you use whithin your business. Often, a Database Administrator can port your existing data from your existing database over to an enterprise database. Even with complicated sites requiring database sizes of more than 5 gigabytes of data, I have prototyped a database in Access and had a Unix DBA convert the table structure and logic to Oracle for future development. *We can assist you in prototyping and or creating a database.
	Note: this site was originally created circa 1997. Page updated on October 1 2023