Client/server computing and why you should care
With the introduction and deployment of Delta Internet Data Server (Delta IDS) the Delta product suite was brought to a new level of performance and stability owing primarily to the principle of client/server computing. While technically this was a great achievement for us, there are many practical reasons why you as a technology consumer should understand the practical benefits client/server computing brings to your enterprise.
Access the Delta ISN database anywhere
Delta IDS is a true client/server implementation that uses the TCP/IP protocol to communicate with client applications. Whether the client application is connected via a local LAN, over a corporate WAN or over the Internet makes no difference. It's all the same to Delta IDS, and it's a superior way to handle multiple connections to a single database. So, whether you want to make your Delta ISN data available over the Internet or not, Delta IDS brings you the practical benefits of client/server computing.
Client/server versus file server
A popular misconception is that multiuser is the same as client/server. This is not the case and the difference is an important one. Our Delta client applications today are multiuser, but they use file server technology, not client/server. In a file server environment, the client software connects to common database files over a LAN. While this approach works and has been a popular methodology for years, its downfall is in the multiple network transactions that are required to update a database over a network. If a client computer fails in the middle of a database update, it leaves the database in an unknown and possibly corrupted state.
Client/server—an all-or-nothing technology
On the other hand, client/server computing is an all-or-nothing technology. The client simply sends commands to the server and the server returns the results. The command either gets to the server intact or it doesn't. Nothing gets done half way. About the only thing that can cause database corruption is the server itself going down. In addition to improved database protection, talking over the network at the network protocol level is much faster than file sharing.
Client/server—everybody wins
Delta IDS puts us all in a win-win situation. Our applications run faster, our database is more bulletproof and you get Internet connectivity along with it.