A big difference is the amount of network traffic.
Think of it this way: in a desktop database, you can have your data on a
server, but there are no smarts up there. Suppose you wanted the average
amount of column X from a table. You would be downloading everything from
that table to your local workstation, and then calculating the average.
In the client server model, you tell the server you need that average, and
the calculation is done at the server, and one number (the result) is sent
down. Hence, much less network traffic is involved.
>>C/S is like shopping with HomeGrocer/Webvan where one places an order and
>> simply waits for the goods.
>>It's up to the server to package and deliver.
The C/S part of the analogy is very good.
I think the non-C/S part of the analogy is worse than originally pictured:
for non-client server, you'd have to send a lot of big trucks down to the
store, bring every single thing they sell home, and then pick out what you
want.
Best regards,
Paul Ravina
-----Original Message-----
From: William Mason [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2001 1:12 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: BASE Web Front End
The biggest difference between file-based and client server would be in who
does the work. In C/S the server received the queries from the client,
processes it (created the requested dataset) and returns it to the client.
In file-based systems (like R:Base) the client does all the work and the
server simply provides a location for the shared data. C/S allows for the
power to be located at the server, so high performance servers (or
distributed servers) can utilize the "smart" database engine and return the
requested data quickly. File-based systems rely on the power of the
individual workstations and the ability of the network to handle the high
volume of network traffic that results.
The best analogy I can think of at the moment is C/S is like shopping with
HomeGrocer/Webvan where one places an order and simply waits for the goods.
It's up to the server to package and deliver. File-based is like jumping
into your car and driving to the grocery store, pushing the cart and
bringing the goods home. The grocery store is just a repository where many
shoppers (clients) concurrently retrieve their own goods at their own pace,
and a faster car means you get the job done faster, but there are more cars
on the road (and you don't necessarily get all of your shopping done in one
trip to the store/server).
wm
----- Original Message -----
From: "DanielW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2001 3:51 AM
Subject: Re: BASE Web Front End
> I thought RBase was client server. What is the exact definition of this
type
> of system? One where the program resides on the workstations and the
> database on the server? Or is it more complicated than that?
>
> Dan
>
