We want a ClickOnce deployment to users that would access data via web service.  This means that users don’t need to install via MSI or CD but install from the web (usng ClickOnce) the first time & then updates happen automatically.  Plus the data is shared via web service.  Is this possible out of the box in StrataGrame Framework?

This really has nothing to do with StrataFrame and is more related to how you decide to distribute your application.  We have a number of users who use ClickOnce deployment.  We found the ClickOnce somewhat limiting in larger environments and chose to write our own server for our medical software which hands out the installation to the clients...using MSI so we could create a more robust installation.  However, if ClickOnce meets your needs then StrataFrame will definitely work within that environment.

Hi Kiran;



You brought up two questions and I thought I share some info with you on the second one. One of the new features of SF, is that, it offers a Server Enterprise that will allow your remote users share the same data as your local users. Read about it from StrataFrame Website. You can write one application that can work with local database or remote one. If you download the trail version, there is a sample that you run against your local SQL server or can change to server in TX or Brazil.



Note: You don't want to write your own Web service server, it's not fun!

..ßen

LOL...thanks, Ben.  I was answering questions from the house and my little girl was asking me to go outside and play with here and so I got a bit distracted.  Thanks for catching that

Yeah, Ben is right, Kiran.  That is why we created the Enterprise Server.  It allows you, with just a few lines of code, have a remote server (using web services) as your data source.  And as Ben mentioned, you can swap back and forth between local data and remote data.  We have learned that even when in the office and not remote, it is really not any faster to use the local connection versus the ES data source.  Like Ben said, be sure to check out the Smart-Client Enterprise Server sample that comes with the framework.  I think you will be impressed with the speed and you can get an idea of how it works.

Now, I think this just depends on you definition of fun...Some people like sharp pointies pressing into sensitive areas...

ROFL

I was keen to find out whether it was possible (web service) out of the box in Strataframe Framework without having to license the Smart Client Enterprise Server as well.

As Greg pointed out above, you would have to write your own web service in place of our Enterprise Server.  If you use our Enterprise Server, then yes you can access remote data out of the box, otherwise, no you will have to write your own web service.

There are reason's you'd do a web service versus using ES:



- Other app will use the service. The whole reason for web services (a big one anyway) is interoperability. I've just spent the last two weeks working on an interoperability demo for CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), showing how a .NET app can talk to a J2EE web service and a JSP app can talk to .NET web services and how you can swap services that use the same WSDL. This is when you'd want a web service.



- er...



- um....



- Oh...you like banging your head against your desk, but feel bad unless there appears to be a good reason to do so*.



On the other hand, you might consider ES if:



- Your users are remote, i.e. not on the local LAN, but the users will be using your app. You'd use ES instead of a vpn or a web service. It is faster, secure, and...takes about 20 minutes to implement (assuming you need to read the help file first and install it on the server and setup the datasources.config file) Compare that to implementing using a web service and the price is cheap.



If you are a licensed SF user, you have a 2 user dev license for ES and you can try it out. Put it on a remote server, if you can. Try it out. It's sweet. When I was testing it, I'd forget that I was using it, it was so close to being as fast as local access.



NOTE: read how the license works, it is licensed to a specific server/virtual folder on that server/specific MAC address, so you need to decide were to use the dev licenses.