Architecture Question

[Max A. Bündchen]

Hello people!

A little question about architeture.

We have today a large Visual FoxPro application like ERP that is used for a
much large client base.

However now we would to rewrite this system into .NET (C#) and we would like
to design a very integrated application with benefits as web mobility and so
on.

A consultant enterprise has sugest to us dev. using a webservice
infrasctructure for all of the application, making in the server the data
layer and the bussiness layer (below a IIS) and working in the clients only
a winform interface (smart client) to access the system - the webform is
much poor for some task in our kind of system. With that, the web mobility
is ok, and the deploy of the system is short simple.

I would like some advices about this kind of architecture, specialy
potential problems like acquital.

Thanks,

Max

 

[Stephen Russell]

A consultant enterprise has sugest to us dev. using a webservice
infrasctructure for all of the application, making in the server the data
layer and the bussiness layer (below a IIS) and working in the clients only
a winform interface (smart client) to access the system - the webform is
much poor for some task in our kind of system. With that, the web mobility
is ok, and the deploy of the system is short simple.

How about a project that is just for the data/business aspect of your
application. All calls for data run through this BizObject as well as
writes. You then can make all the code calls into a factory. At that point
you can add a GUI for these processes. So you make a Web project and a
WinForm one. Add the BizProject to BOTH of them.

WebServices sound nice but they are the weakest link in reality to a robust
system. They are GREAT for working between systems, but a poor choice when
it's your conncetion layer within your own system.

This is comming from another FoxPro developer that does C# now. This is
best way to leverage between presentaion layers IMO.

Your statements from your consultant sound off also. Maybe it's the
translation, or it could be poor advice?

HTH

__Stephen
S.R. & Associates
Memphis TN
901.246-0159

 

[Radek Cerny]

Great idea. Its always good to have an abstraction layer between your
business layer/persistence and your presentation layer.
Thats exactly what we do, with great success -abstract business objects
behind a webservice, accessible by rich windows clients as easily as browser
clients. Most users of our ERP system are 'back-office' people, who should
use a friendly rich Windows client, while a handful of mobile people use it
through a browser or even a connected PDA (compact framework forms - not
PIE).

Here's a whitepaper describing some of that (plenty of topology diagrams as
well):
http://www.asplications.com.au/GenieWhitePaper.pdf.

The upcoming Indigo stuff from MS is quite similar. It assumes the
framework / CLR exists both server and client, but that business rules and
persistence lives on server, and presentation rules are on client, with Web
Services in between.

Good luck.

Radek

 

[Max A. Bündchen]

Well, I think WS is really great for inter applications, but I have much
clients that need access the application in real time in many plataforms
(since a simple laptop until a padfone and so on)...

If the process work in the server (like a asp.net) and the client have the
chance to work fine with a rich client, i think the overhead of XML in the
Webservice traffic volume and interpretation is not so poor.

In other hand, I have up to 50 industries as client, each one with your
proprietary infrastructure, but a webserver like IIS is a commom place in
each one.

Thinking in that, the WS is not so poor as a integration layer. What about
that?