Client-server computing and its benefits
There is little disagreement that implementing client/server computing can result in current and future savings, but this new technology generally cannot be justified on cost/benefit analysis alone. The other important benefits are intangible and difficult to quantify.
Dollar savings:
Mainframe environments are expensive to maintain: The hardware, software, and personnel required to maintain and develop applications are very expensive. Fewer staff are required to maintain client/server platforms, and maintenance contracts are moderately costly. Significant cost savings can be identified in hardware and network expenses relative to mainframe-based environments. When more power is required from a server, it can be easily expanded rather than replaced, as is often necessary in mainframe-based environments.
Client/server technology allows organizations to protect current investments through the use of existing equipment and protect future investments through the use of scalable and extensible products. Client/server applications are typically developed on the client machine, and these applications can be developed in less time than mainframe-based applications.
Increased productivity:
Both users and developers are more productive using client/server tools. Users are more involved in the development process and in control of the application once it is operational. They have transparent access to the data they need to do their jobs and have a standard, easy-to-use interface to that data.
End User Productivity:
Flexible data access for end users was first provided by fourth-generation languages, although early versions only provided access to their own proprietary databases. Later versions also included transparent access to other data sources. But the interface was command line driven. The user had to know the commands and their arguments. Although the languages were not procedural, they did have an inherent degree of syntax.
Developer Productivity:
Developers can be more productive using client/server development tools. Applications can be designed, deployed, and tested in a client/server environment much faster than in a mainframe environment. Most client/server development tools use object-oriented technology. Most user objects, including those controlled by windows, can be customized and used in multiple applications.
The development platform is the desktop machine. All phases of application development—design, code, test, run, and maintain—can be done from the desktop machine.
Flexibility and scalability:
By segmenting application tasks, an organization can easily migrate to new technologies or enhance existing technologies with little or no disruption. There is no need to redesign an application to use new interface software or port it to a new platform. An upgrade to a server should have little impact on the applications themselves.
For client/server computing to be effective, multiple environments must be supported. When applications are properly sized, it is important that there is connectivity between platform components.