I'm researching the best way to set up something like this: I have a client who wants to be able to kick off a data import/processing/export routine remotely -- from home, from his smartphone, whatever. He basically needs a couple of buttons and some way of telling if the process was successful and if not, why not. Nothing more complex than that.
The server where this process will run is Windows based.
The two approaches I'm considering are, first, to have IIS running and a Web page, possibly with .Net stuff on it, which will kick off the process. Or, second, to have the client Remote Desktop to the server and run a standalone application, maybe in .Net or in MS Access.
I'm concerned about securing IIS considering it will require being world accessible. On the other hand, of course Remote Desktop will have to be world accessible, too, and I don't anything about how secure that is. I suppose a VPN might be the right thing, but then I'm well outside my area of expertise.
Am I overthinking this?