--- In ib-support@yahoogroups.com, "Alan McDonald" <alan@m...> wrote:

> I remember that the first win3.11 network setup I used maintained

one copy

> of win3.11 on the server and all users would run this single copy

(less

> client configs on the client side). So the setup is not impossible.

But I

> agree it is not my norm nor is it the norm recommended to me.
> When I did my first C/S application, cached updates were the only

way to go,

> everyone saying that it was imperative to keep network traffic to a

minimum.

> On the other hand we have Jason Wharton (IBObjects components for

IB) who

> has always, in my memory, argued that cached updates are not good
> architecture especially where a decent LAN infrastructure is

available

> because there is a far more important need to keep transaction

turning over

> and work constantly committing. I agree with this philosophy and

use his

> components to this end.
>
> If the application were parcelled up into small modules and the

initial

> exectuable were small and use of other modules was infrequent, then

I might

> (only might) be tempted into this setup. A 6.5Mb exectuable is, as

you say,

> quite large to have to transfer everytime someon starts their

application.

> If they close and reopen thru the day, then the LAN will suffer as

well as

> each user from unwarranted traffic. Remember a trasnfer of this

type is not

> throttled so the LAN would need to be faultlessly 100Mbits/s to

perform

> without frustration in the first instance. On the other hand, it

may make

> updating the application easier and faster for the developer.
>
> Bottom line: I would question the setup you have been given, and

listen to

> the arguments presented for it, then test the application startup

and any

> impact on your network as a result.
>
> Alan
>

Thank you, Alan.

As you correctly point out, the app will have to load across the wire
every time it is loaded. The problem I have with that is our target
environment: a mix of 100 MBps, 10 Mbps and WAN. The WAN can be as
slow as dial-up. So loading the app across the WAN will simply not be
a workable solution. There may be a few Gigabit backbones in the mix
too, but those are by far the exception. The norm is a simple
Workgroup LAN, built on less than top-of-the-line PCs, with one of
the PCs acting as a server. We simply have no control over that
hopeless situation, so I must insist that it be redesigned to keep
the binaries on the local machines.

Helen Borrie had some excellent clarification to my simplistic
understanding of InterBase implementations in a multi-teer design and
configuration. All of this information will be taken back to our
developers for their evaluation and comment. Of course, I will not
use anyone's name ... I don't want to start a war between our
developers and this very helpful group, I just want to get the
doggone thing fixed before our customers see it. :-)

Thanks again! Very helpful insight...

-Gary