[Sussex] Why is a web based solution better than using a client/server approach?

Paul Turner pturner at rentokil.com
Thu Sep 22 13:57:28 UTC 2005


Brendan Whelan wrote:

> Hello,
>
> A general question - Why is a web based solution better than using a 
> client/server approach?
>
It's not necessarily, it depends on what your application does :-)  A 
more advanced UI can be developed far easier with a desktop application, 
and it can also integrate with other applications more seamlessly, but 
for a lot of database applications this is not required.

> We have an application for use primarily in Hospitals labs but other 
> users in the Hospital, and possible GPs on the NHSnet, will also want 
> to access the information. We are very happy with using Linux, Apache, 
> MySQL and PHP and have shown the approach to be both practical and 
> cost effective. I have been asked, by a company we work with, how can 
> we convince prospective customers that the web approach is better than 
> using client/server systems.
>
> I have though of the following drawbacks to client/server:
>   Each PC needs to have the application installed by the supplier or 
> the Hospital's IT department.
>   Upgrades need to be done to each PC by the supplier or the IT 
> department.
>   More processing power is needed in each PC.
>   Proprietary operating systems are expensive and upgrades need to be 
> installed periodically.
>   There will be more network traffic hence slowing down the response time.
>

Also the database server will probably need to more powerful as 
traditional client/server applications involve a permanent database 
connection,  whereas the web based solution only has a database 
connection for the length of each request, and the number of concurrent 
users on the database is usually far less.  We have a 120+ user system 
here that rarely peaks at more than 10 concurrent connections.

If most of the users screen are idle a lot of the time then a web based 
solution is far more cost/network effiecient.

> In favour of web technology:
>   Only basic PCs, with Internet Explorer, are needed.
>   Should their own PC fail then users can move to another one anywhere 
> on the network
>   No special network or cabling is needed.
>   Web technology is advancing more rapidly than client/server.
>   Updates are only needed on the central server.
>
> Any suggestions and links to report will be welcomed.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Brendan
>
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>


-- 

*/Paul Turner/*
Applications Team Leader
*Rentokil Initial* Corporate IT


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