Member Avatar for Amiet_1

Hey Guys hiee,
I am new to VB.net. I am making an application which should run on mutiple pc. In that application there are two main accounts 1) Admin Account and 2) Other User Account. I want multiple "Other User Account" user to connect/access application simultaneously.

And tell me one other thing, if I install my application on Server in LAN environment, could Other User access that application simultaneously?

Thanks in advance.

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For : yes — many users can use the same VB.NET app at once, but how you architect it decides how reliable and secure that multi-user access will be. ’s “run from a central folder” approach can work on a small LAN, but for two offices over a VPN you should centralize shared data and/or business logic rather than sharing application binaries.

Recommended approaches (short pros/cons)

  • Central database server (recommended for simple setups): host SQL Server / MySQL / PostgreSQL on the server; each client app connects with a connection string. Pros: simple, minimal server code; cons: more traffic over WAN/VPN and you must harden DB and open ports.
  • Server-side web service (recommended for multi-site): expose your business logic as HTTPS APIs (IIS / Web API). Clients call APIs; DB stays behind the server firewall. Pros: better security, easier versioning, less fragile across high-latency links.
  • Remote Desktop / RemoteApp: run the app on the server and users connect via RDP. Pros: single install, low client requirements; cons: licensing and server load.
  • Avoid file-based DBs (MS Access, SQLite) on network shares for concurrent remote users.

Simple VB.NET pattern for DB work (use parameterized commands, Using blocks and store the connection string in config):

Public Sub SaveEmployee(employeeName As String, department As String)
    Dim connString = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("MyDb").ConnectionString
    Using cn As New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection(connString)
        cn.Open()
        Using cmd As New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand(
            "INSERT INTO Employees (Name,Dept) VALUES (@Name,@Dept)", cn)
            cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("@Name", employeeName)
            cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("@Dept", department)
            cmd.ExecuteNonQuery()
        End Using
    End Using
End Sub

Quick checklist and cautions: keep credentials out of plain text (use Integrated Security or encrypted config), enable only required DB ports, test connectivity from remote sites, use transactions/optimistic concurrency (rowversion) to avoid conflicts, and prefer HTTPS APIs over opening DB to the Internet. Next steps: choose DB vs. API architecture, implement role-based authentication, and pick a deployment/update method (ClickOnce/MSI or RemoteApp) that fits your offices and bandwidth.

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Member Avatar for Reverend Jim

The short (and not very useful) answer is "it depends". For vb.net apps that I write for my own use, I do not bother to create an installer. I just copy the the entire project folder to an "apps" folder and run the app directly from the bin\release folder. This only works because I already have all of the components that I need due to having Visual Studio installed. As an added benefit, the apps folder also serves as a repository for production code. I can continue to modify the original project files while keeping the production code intact.

If all of the computers that will be running the application have all the required components installed then you might be able to do the same. One way to tell is to copy the files to the server and try running the app from the target computers.

If this works then you have the added advantage of only having to update one set of files when you make changes. The downside is that you can't do the update if anyone is running the application.

Member Avatar for Amiet_1

Yes "Reverend Jim" I got your point. But consider following scenario, suppose there are two offices in two different cities which are connected through VPN.

Now if both of these offices wants to use my same application. How can I make this happen?

Just take an example of simple Employee info Management system. Please help me to proceed further, If both offices wants to use the same application for managing their Employees, how can i code this?

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