Client Server Architecture - Essay Example

Q 1: Do you think the problems faced by Hures are unique to them? Why or Why not? In the given scenario we know that the company has grown and downsized and there are also many departments in the company. With the downsizing and expansion there is also a change is database. The entire technology requirement is also changing with time and they need to alter the infrastructure in order to cope with new trends. With the extension in database, there is need of data retrieval in no time. As the lot of users are working and getting the same information so there must be a system that maintain the data consistency and make availability of consistent data to every desktop. In the given scenario we easily can observe that there are many users who are accessing the company data at the spot. Now when lot of people will access to the same server for the same information, off course there will be delay in server’s response due to load of requests on server. Server will be slow because all the data resides on the same disk. There is also an important issue that if some one modifies the data such as add something, delete something or alter something in database it should show the updated data to all. There may be many causes of this problem. There is insufficient memory, poor data designing, old machines and old version software which cause them inefficiency of performing their tasks. Company is facing subjected problem can occur any where in the same situation. Since with the time, there is a continuous change in requirements, large database and also in technology but they are still attached to the old network system. In order to solve this problem they should redesign their Client/Server modules and data accordingly. There is a need of appropriate partition of data so that every one could only use the data which relates to him only and also there should be installation of powerful desktop machines and software. This will not only solve the problem of delay in server response but also it will increase the efficiency in performing jobs, data privacy and easy to access all the related information. Jennifer (1998, pp 207-213) Q2: Suggest an alternative technology that could be used to overcome the problems faced by Hures with its client/server technology? Intranet is a network system that is source to access the company’s private document and for software distribution so that all the employees with in the company may access the document and required data instantly. Intranet takes all the internet tool and technologies but it is used only with in the company. It could as small as a HTTP file linked on a LAN system and may be a large sophisticated system with dedicated servers. Intranet is an alternative technology that would be used to overcome this problem. Along with reconstruction of their Client/Server modules and data, they should use Intranet. As Intranet is best option when your business is performing multifarious tasks and information is large enough and there are lot of people who need to access the same information at same time. When you need to centralized the data in a way that it is easy to access you must deploy Intranet. Here in given scenario company has downsized and there is constant change is requirements. Also efficiency of performing jobs, data privacy and consistency matters, so in my opinion Intranet is best alternative approach to solve this problem. Jennifer (1998, pp 217-235) Q 3: One of the suggestions made by Hures IS department is the use of Intranet Webs. Examine the pros and cons of such an idea. Of course using Intranet as an alternate approach toward problem solving will favor the company but we must consider all the merits and demerits of using Intranet in the given scenario. Pros of Intranet: Information accessing will be easy. Intranet enables group scheduling. Member in the company can share the documents and information instantly by Intranet. It gives easy access to company’s database. Employees can easily communicate to each other. All the information about supplier and product data is available to all employees. Only authorized person within the company can access to particular information. Only authorized person can alter the data. A person can only access the data which relates to him only. All the information is centralized. Efficiency will increase in performing task. Performance of employee will be enhanced. Company will maintain an excellent getup. Data integration is easy. Data searching is fast. Cons of Intranet: However Intranet is not suitable in most of the cases. When you don’t have local area network system. When your company use older version of network operation system that does not allow the internet communication standards When you do not need to centralize all the information. When many of your employees do manual tasks and do need computer. When there is no computerized data base in the company. When there is not any professional to manage the intranet. When you are modest size and use internal communication, then there is no need of Intranet. When you does not have enough finances to meet the Intranet needs. When you want to share all the information but do not want to administrator different versions of different softwares. Mellanie (2008, pp 5-25). Q 4: Do you think the popularity of intranets and the Internet pose threats to traditional Client/Server systems? Traditional Client/Server System: Server can be defined as a machine where we keep our data and client machine is the machine which requests for a particular data to the server. Server in response entertains the request of the client. Today it is not all. We need to communicate not only inside the company but also to the rest of world. We are also privacy conscious. Unfortunately old traditional client/server system maintains the privacy but if does not fulfill all the requirement of today. Popularity of Internet: The fantasy of Internet is evolving very rapidly. Through it information is exchanged via email all over the world instantly. The Internet plays a significant role in keeping communication process on going. It performs as an efficient and dedicated network for thousand of people in the world. It is a cheap source of communication. People who want to start a new business can search for products, customers and services. They can also search services being offered by the target market in the world. They can find new customers from any where in the world in no time. There are many new business opportunities just a click away over Internet. Internet in very easy to use and navigate. There are search engine available which serve us in what we are looking for. Companies today can communicate with their clients which is not only inexpensive but also convenient too. Companies can also utilize it for promotion of their products and services. You do not need to leave your office for communication purpose or to promote yourself. Company today can launch a web site so that any one in the world could browse to their web to know about their services and email them or can have live video and voice chat for communication purpose. People today use internet for shopping purpose too. Popularity of Intranet: Even there are many uses of Internet but still there is an issue of privacy of data. There are also found fake companies and false information over the internet. Company use internet if they want communication process to be cheap and convenient. If company is also wiling to keep the company’s document and database private and confidential then, what to do? For this purpose company uses Intranet. Intranet is the Internet inside the company. It keeps all the database and company’s policy manuals confidential and no one can access to those information but only authorized employee of the company. Conclusion: This is the era of globalization. People have to communicate with different clients from different region. They need a communication medium that in inexpensive and also brings immediate response. That is why today most of the people use internet to communicate with outside world and Intranet to communicate inside the company. So in my opinion Intranet and Internet are the great challenge and pose threats to traditional client/server system. Jennifer (1998, pp 235-256) Reference Jennifer Stone Gonzalez, 1998, ‘The 21st Century Intranet’, vol. 1, pp 207-256. Mellanie Hills, 2008, ‘Intranet As Groupware’, vol. 1, pp 5-25, John Wiley & Sons, NY. Read More