Can we use Unix as the server?

[Guest]

Hi there,

We are to make the decision on whether to choose .Net or J2EE. One of the questions my clients asked is that, can we use Unix like Solaris as the application server, and Unix database on server side, while the client application is still in .Net?

Thanks

Jonatha

 

[Deepak Kashyap]

Jonathan,
You server can be on UNIX which will implement a J2EE based app, and
have .NET as client. There are quite a lot of bridging tools available, like
Ja.NET and Janeva (www.borland.com)

Deepak

Hi there,

We are to make the decision on whether to choose .Net or J2EE. One of the

questions my clients asked is that, can we use Unix like Solaris as the
application server, and Unix database on server side, while the client
application is still in .Net?

 

[Jonathan Li]

Hi Deepak,

Thanks.

So basically you mean that I should have J2EE on Unix side and .Net on
client side in order to implement my application?

That would drive my teams crazy, as well as my costs. People would ask
why would we use .Net at all?

My intention is to use C#.Net to develop client side application and
ASP.Net to develop server side. But my customers want the Unix as the
server. Is there any solution for that except J2EE?

By the way, I could not find the entrance of the forum. Could you tell
me the path?

Thanks.

Jonathan

 

[Luigi]

My intention is to use C#.Net to develop client side application and

ASP.Net to develop server side. But my customers want the Unix as the
server. Is there any solution for that except J2EE?

You can have the DB in unix but the web server has to be IIS and so Windows.
The alternative way should be to use mono (a free, linux implementation of
..net)
for the server side but I honestrly don't know if it is stable.

 

[Deepak Kashyap]

Jonathan,
As Luigi states you can still run your .NET app on the server using MONO.
But i feel it is still in the beta stage. The DB can still be there in the
UNIX server. But running a .NET app on UNIX is not feasable as of today as
MONO is not completed tested.

Deepak

 

[Jonathan Li]

Hi there,

Thanks for your feedback.

I am myself a J2EE fan and have been using Unix/C/C++ environment in the
last 20 years or so since 1984 and J2EE since 1990s. After these many
years sticking onto Unix/J2EE path, I am now tired of the beautiful
concepts of J2EE whilst rubish products of it. The so called 'develop
once and run everywhere' is a dream, a dead dream,. a dream that will
drive projects go crazy!

I do not want to argue the negatives of J2EE. What I want to highlight
is that I want to switch to .Net in hope of utilizing the natural
integration of Windows environment, reducing the development costs (you
know the high price of Java gurus) and the implmentation costs (you know
the price of J2EE environments and the expertise needed to make it
work), and the IPR of my work (those java de-compilers are so
powerful!).

That is the background for my creating the discussion thread on .Net and
J2EE. Now, based on the feedback I have received, I am getting in doubt
of whether I can achieve what I wanted to. I am confused and actually I
am thinking that should I use VB or Delphi to develop my second
generation application packages that were developed under J2EE couple of
years ago. Here is the rational. Please let me know what is wrong here.

My conclusion is that, 1) J2EE is pile of rubish in terms of software
production; 2) .Net is another pile of rubish in terms of software
production.

Here is the rational.

1) To enable application developer to have a good and powerful
environment for software development. For such purpose, I can choose
JBuilder, Delphi, VB, C#, and so on.

2) To make use of accumulated history libraries for software
development. For such purpose, I can choose Delphi, VB or C#. I have to
let JBuilder out because there is not enough accumulation for Java yet,
especially when Java is slow, difficult to integrate with MS and Windows
stuff.

3) To utilize the stability of Unix. My choice for the server is Unix
and Unix based database. For such purpose, I have to give up .Net
because Bill Gates does not like Unix but my clients do.

4) Now, what do I have in my hands? VB and Delphi, plus Unix server.....
My god, what a joke!!! The only choice I have is the technology of 15
years ago!

I don't know what we (so called computer professionals) have been doing
in the last 15 years!

Any advice?

Jonathan

 

[Greg Low \(MVP\)]

Hi Jonathan,

I'm puzzled why you think a move to .NET necessitates a move away from a
Unix server/database server. You certainly can build .NET based client apps
that talk to these servers, if you feel you need Unix servers for some
reason.

Regards,

 

[Jonathan Li]

Greg,

Thanks for your response. Actually I do not have much hands-on
experience of .Net at the moment. That's why I dropped my question
asking for advice.

Based on the feedbacks I have received, the conclusion is that I have to
move away from Unix because the server side of .Net does not work under
Unix environment. Please refer to the earlier discussion on this thread.

You may argue that, I can use Unix server as the database server (but
not the application server), i.e. to have the combination of VB.Net as
the clinet development environment + Unix as the database server + ODBC
connection. As for the application server, sorry I have no choice. If
that is so, I have utilized 0.1% of the power of .Net. Am I right?

My plan was, to develop components at server side (something like EJBs).
For data entry and operation application functions, I can use C#.Net.
For reporting and enquiry functions, I can use ASP.Net. You may aware
that these two packages have a lot in common. Under J2EE environment, I
know how to it through EJBs the 'shared components'. Under .Net, what
should I do? Can I have the environment of C#.Net + ASP.Net + Unix
server (as database server as well as deployment server)?

Best regards,

Jonathan

 

[Angel Saenz-Badillos[MS]]

Jonathan,
I think everybody is on the same page here, so let me highlight the main
points:

Can you use Unix as the server? Yes, definitely. Ado.net is just a database
access lawyer and it can access data from any database for which an
available oledb or odbc provider is available.

Can your UNIX server be the application server? Not if you are using
Microsoft's version of .net, you would need a client machine running windows
to be your app server. When developing a web site for example you would use
windows 2003 server as the web server and use ado.net to connect to your
UNIX based server.

"the server side of .Net does not work under Unix" This just confuses the
issue needlessly. Most people don't run applications on database servers so
you should not be running into any issues related to this. You will have
..net running on the client or application server and use the Unix server
just to store data. You do not need any additional logic on the server.

Thanks,

 

[Jonathan Li]

Angel,

Thanks.

I guess I need to rephrase my requirement.

1. The server must be Unix
When I say 'server' means 1) database server; 2) if possible also the
application server.

One asked why Unix instead of Windows. Well, it is written in the
bidding document to use Unix. Actually most of my clients and myself
believe that Unix is for enterprise server and Windows is for personal
use.

If I can use Windows as the server, there is no question at all. So
please no need to discuss on this point.

2. I want to make use of the Windows/.Net powers on client side.
The application on client has two packages, one is in C/S mode. The
other is B/S mode. So, I would like to use C#.Net or VB.Net to develop
the C/S package and ASP.Net to develop B/S package.

3. Because the C/S package is operating on the same data set as of the
B/S package, there are a lot functions (or components) in common for
these two packages. Actually, I want the two packages share the
components as much as possible.
Under J2EE, we can have EJBs to have that. Under .Net, what should I do
because ASP.Net cannot work under Unix.

Thanks.

Jonathan

 

[Angel Saenz-Badillos[MS]]

Jonathan,
I am sorry, I am not at all sure that I understand your question, you seem
to want to know if you can use .net to work with a UNIX database and the
answer to that is an unqualified yes, it does not matter what OS your
database is running, the only thing you need is to use Windows on the
machine where you are going to use .net. Makes sense?

To your questions:

1. The server must be Unix

Not a problem.

When I say 'server' means 1) database server;

Not a problem

2) if possible also the application server.

(?) Are you saying that you are going to be using this machine as a web
server? If so then problem since .net was developed for windows (mono
project aside). If you are not going to use this as a web server what other
type of app server functions do you want it to do? you seem to indicate
later in the post that you would like to use c# /asp.net on the client

2. I want to make use of the Windows/.Net powers on client side.

Perfect, on the Windows client machine you would use ado.net to connect to
the UNIX database directly. It does not matter that it is running under
Unix, all you need are the oledb or odbc drivers for your application.