In Conclusion

With today s emphasis on the Internet, intranets, extranets, and Web-related tools, the bulk of the workload falls on the server. Java and ActiveX technologies that are downloaded to local devices and run via a browser can help balance client/server processing loads either on the Internet or in an intranet. However, a significant amount of data still needs to be transmitted to the client machine which makes bandwidth an issue and some of the computing power must come from the browser. Browsers are slow, and so is the connection (via networks or modems) that many users have to their data. On the other hand, you can further leverage your investments in servers and networking infrastruc-ture with the thin-client/server architectures built on multiuser technologies.

Regardless of vendor technology visions, you need to design your computing infrastructure based on the work your users need to conduct, rather than on some religious computing issue. Chapter 1 provided an overview of the thin-client/server computing model and its relationship to different types of users. This chapter discussed the relationship of the thin-client/server architecture to network operating systems, distributed computing architectures, and Web-based computing. It also discussed the applications and architectures that are being positioned as competing technologies. Ultimately, based on the planned growth of your company, the user requirements to sustain that growth, and the available resources, you ll build a computing infrastructure that leverages existing resources, takes advantage of technologies that converge with your needs, and extends your infrastructure so that you can respond rapidly to any change.