Microsoft SQL Server on a VPS for hosting multiple client databases - Is this the right way to go?

Good morning,

I have found that many of my customers have MS Access already installed on their PCs. Although Access is very limited as a data s开发者_StackOverflow社区tore, I have found that it is great for deploying low-cost front-ends for entry level customers.

I want to start renting a VPS, so I can host customer databases using Microsoft SQL Server 2008, which they can access using a locally stored Access front-end. I do have a few questions though:

In order to access the remotely hosted databases, and use the security features, would the VPS need to be set up as a domain controller, using AD DS? If I am hosting multiple customer databases, this is not an option.

What I envisage is being able to set up a simple MS Access front end, to access a MS SQL Server database on my VPS. For security, I would want the database to use the Windows account on the client machine to authenticate, and also to provide basic data change tracking.

Is this possible? Or, will I need to set up a server for each client and have it configured as a domain controller, etc?

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You can have many databases on the same server, so for each client you d not need to setup a separate domain controller. Only the connection strings will be different. You can use SSL for establishing connection with the remote server to make the process more secure. You can also make a few web services to play with the data (CRUD operations), this would also make things more manageable. take care :)