Text Book Questions

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Mini Case

Week-1

Assignment-2

By Muhammad Ali Khan

D01405532

muhammadali.khan@live.com

* IS-589 – Networking Concepts and Applications

Professor Robert Short

Keller Graduate School of Management

May 5, 2012

a. Classify the two alternatives in terms of what type of application architecture they use.

Both the architectures are essentially client-server architectures however the difference lies in classification as the first is a Thick-Client while the second solution is a Thin-Client. We know that in Thick-Clients majority of the application logic is transferred to the Client from the server leaving the data access logic and data storage to reside on the server and processing on the Clients computer. The Thin-Client solution approach places little or no application logic on the client. All three logics of Application, Data access and Data storage would remain with the server meaning calculations are performed on the server only leaving the client computer to view only.

b. Outline the pros and cons of the two alternatives and make a recommendation to Fred about which is better.

Thick-Client

Pros: This will relieve the server from performing calculations and focus on maintaining the data even if multiple clients are using DRUB’s services.

Cons: Difficult to maintain as any changes would have to be incorporated on client computers.

Thin-Client

Pros: Thin clients are much easier to manage. If an application changes, only the server with the application logic needs to be updated.

Cons: Would add processing load on the server and system would have to contain robust programming in order to maintain multiple users.

Fitzgerald. Business Data Communications and Networking, 10th Edition. John Wiley & Sons.