The Focus of This Book

This book examines the architecture and best practices that lead to performance, security, and scalability in distributed applications. As part of this strategy, it's vital to explain not just how to use .NET technologies but also when each one is appropriate and how to integrate them together in a real-world solution.

You've probably already heard the marketing hype about .NET features such as disconnected data and XML Web services. Although these technologies are remarkable, they each have individual strengths and weaknesses. Using them wisely involves understanding when they are best suited and when they will only lead to additional headaches.

This book also takes a critical look at application architecture issues. It considers the real gains and losses incurred when moving from two-tier to n-tier architecture and shows you how to tailor your designs for the problem or project at hand. Distributed application design sometimes involves compromises, such as balancing scalability against complexity and performance against standardization. This book covers the strategies for determining the best mix.