gk-
w/ virtualization, i meant testing out things before rolling things out for real.
as for other issues, i'll try to answer what i know. ac4 installer installs .net 2.0 as well as ms sql express server, and ac as a client connects to the express server (which i think jon is saying isn't tieable to a full regular ms sql server). as for speed, i think jon is referring to sql (ac4) vs access (ac3) connection speeds, rather than how ac4 is deployed. i run ac4 on a server that's also a client too (i know, bad practice), along w/ several other clients and have noticed better speeds using ac4 throughout all computers. if you're comfortable backing up and restoring ac (which i haven't had to do on our production area, btw), i would give ac4 a try, if not for the benefits you describe above.
