Question How to access my windows form application database via the internet

[Godis]

I have developed a windows form application database using visual studio 2013 and SQL server 2016 enterprise edition, sitting in my desktop computer with Windows 10 operating system.

I want to use my laptop to work in the database wherever I am, away from the desktop computer via the internet.

In fact, I have no idea of how to make it work. I would appreciate your help to make it possible for me.
Thanks

 

[jmcilhinney]

The WinForms app isn't really all that relevant. The database and the application are separate entities. Your question is basically how to connect to a database over the internet.

It is possible to make a SQL Server instance directly accessible over the internet but that's generally not advised. It creates a significant security risk. It would also be an option to setup a VPN on the network the database lives in and then you can connect to that VPN and access resources on that network as you would locally.

Another option would be to create a web service on the same network as the database and have hosted on a public web server. Your app would then connect to the web service instead of directly to the database. In VS, you would probably use Web API to create web service, although I'm not sure that VB is supported, so you might have to use C#. The alternative would be use an older technology, like WCF.

 

[cjard]

Genuinely the simplest approach would be to use an app like VNC, Remote Desktop, TeamViewer, GoToMyPC (those are in rough order of ease of use from hard to easy) etc that just shows you a window with the contents of your computer, over the internet, and remote control the computer to click buttons on the app's window