Lesson 10:

Smart Clients

Objectives
What you will learn
The difference of thick and thin clients
The concept of smart clients
Advantages of smart clients over thick and thin clients
Implementing smart clients in VS2005

Lesson 10: Smart Clients

What are Clients?

Clients are software components that can
access services from a remote Server
Clients make requests that a Server can
respond to
Client-Server architecture
A Server is placed on a host on the same network
as its group of Clients

Lesson 10: Smart Clients

Server

Client
Lesson 10: Smart Clients

Client

Client
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Types of Clients
Thick Clients
The bulk of the application processing is carried out
on the Client-side
Highly independent from Servers
Often, only passes communication and archival
storage data to the Server
Also known as Fat or Rich Clients
Desktop applications are mostly Thick Clients

Lesson 10: Smart Clients

Types of Clients
Thin Clients
Has very little application logic
Very lightweight, since most of the heavy work is
done by the Server
Most of the application data is stored on the Server
In its purest form, a Thin Clients is little more than an
interface, such as a dedicated Web Browser
Web applications are an example of how Thin Clients
are implemented

Lesson 10: Smart Clients

Thick vs. Thin

Advantages of Thick Clients
Often require little to no bandwidth
Have fewer Server requirements, and thus require
cheaper and less powerful Servers
Better suited to multimedia intensive applications
Less vulnerable to network or Server failure
Easier application development

Lesson 10: Smart Clients

Thick vs. Thin

Disadvantages of Thick Clients
Consumes a greater deal of memory and processing
power than Thin Clients
Much more difficult to deploy, maintain, and update in
a reliable and safe way
Requires tight coupling between application
components, which is difficult to maintain

Lesson 10: Smart Clients

Thick vs. Thin

Advantages of Thin Clients
Less demanding with local host resources
Applications are much more accessible
Much easier to secure, since protection from malware
only revolves around shielding the Server machine
Centralized application deployment and updating

Lesson 10: Smart Clients

Thick vs. Thin

Disadvantages of Thin Clients
Lack of flexibility, as applications cannot be
customized to suit local needs and take advantage of
local resources
Dependence on Server and network reliability
Poor multimedia performance
Bandwidth heavy
Limited user experience

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Smart Clients
Finds the middle ground between Client
dependence and independence
Combines the best characteristics of Thick and
Thin Clients, while minimizing the deficiencies of
both
Able to adapt to its local context, providing
maximal functionality
Network aware, acquires latest data when it has
a good connection, and caches it for offline use

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Lesson 10: Smart Clients

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Key Characteristics of Smart Clients

Local Resource Utilization

Smart Clients must be able to detect and take
advantage of local hardware and software resources,
such as memory, CPU or even peripheral hardware
devices

Linked
Smart Clients must be part of a larger distributed
solution, and must be capable of accessing remote
data and services

Independent
Smart Clients must be able to work even when the
Client is offline or the network or Server is down, with
minimal reductions in functionality
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Key Characteristics of Smart Clients

Versatile Deployment
Smart Clients must be flexible when it comes to
software installation and updating, and should offer a
variety of means to acquire patches and updates in a
secure and reliable manner

Adaptability
Smart Clients must be able to adapt to a wide variety
of platforms and devices and exploit their unique
assets

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Types of Smart Clients

Microsoft divides Smart Clients into three
overlapping categories:
Windows Smart Clients
Office Smart Clients
Mobile Smart Clients

Many applications will target all three Smart

Client categories

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Windows Smart Clients

Requires Windows XP and .NET framework
To the user, the Smart Client functions just like
any Windows application
Server can detect presence of .NET framework
in the Client, and can deliver application logic
and functionality as Windows Forms instead of
Web Forms
Provides rich interface and functionality

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Office Smart Clients

Requires Office 2003
Provides a different range of interface options
Allows applications to interact with standard
Office applications (Excel, Word, Outlook, etc.)
Allows application to make use of standard file
formats already used by Office applications

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Mobile Smart Clients

Requires .NET compact framework
Ideal for Pocket PCs and Smartphones
Similar benefits with Windows Smart Clients, but
better suited to device environment
Takes full advantage of device hardware and
software capabilities

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Smart Clients in .NET

Smart Clients are not a specific technology or a
paradigm, but a concept
Ergo, there are many possible ways to apply this
concept
How can this this concept be implemented in
.NET?
Local processing
Consume XML Web Services
Centralized deployment and update by Servers

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Smart Clients in .NET

Sample Components
A Thin Client for installation and updates deployed locally
The actual application, hosted on a Web Server

Sample Procedure
Thin Client is launched by user
A reference is made to the application hosted on the Web
Server
The most recently downloaded version of the application is
checked with the reference, to see if a newer version has
been released
If a newer version has been released, it is downloaded
The application is launched
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