Client/Server Computing

 

Introduction

Client/Server is one of today's buzzwords. Client/Server is uttered in the same breath as business process reengineering, downsizing, open-systems, and enterprise computing. Client/Server is generally a poorly understood concept that conjures up images of disruptive organizational change. As the business environment changes, organizations have to flatten their structure to be more responsive to the changing marketplace. Business leadership require that we steadily renew our concepts and solutions. Under this dual aspect client/servers are both an architecture and a marketing buzzword applied to a wide range of hardware as well as software design methodologies.

 

Client/Server Vs Mainframe Architecture

 

The Traditional Computing Model

 

In the traditional model, mainframes or minicomputers were placed in the "Glass-Houses", which were air-conditioned rooms made of glass, and operated mostly by the IS people. The mainframes were huge machines to be operated by the Data-entry operators using a “dumb terminal”. A “dumb terminal” means that they were character or text based and relied on a user memorizing command lines and a program that ran on the mainframe not on the terminal itself. These hosts were extremely unfriendly, tough to use, as compared to today's Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) found in the Windows enviroment.

 

     The traditional model is far from dead. Mainframes run most of world's large OLTP (online transaction processing systems). Airlines, automobile manufacturers, telephone companies, petrochemical companies, and large mail-order operations, still to some degree use mainframes, often more than one. For example, the U.S. Department of Defense has about 12,000 mainframes, averaging 13 years old.

 

Disadvantages of the Traditional Model

 

Expensive to Operate

Most mainframes require pricey annual maintenance contracts. And, unlike PC software that you buy overnight, mainframe software is licensed from year to year. Cost avoidance is a major consideration in the trend towards replacing mainframes with downside client/server systems. An example of a downside trend can be found with Texas Instruments. TI employed over 5000 programmers, to maintain about 382 major applications, consisting of over 80 million line of code. TI, however, decided to downsize and implemented client/server technology. It went from 67 large mainframes in 1985 to 17 in 1993. In the same period, usage of distributed processors increased from 443 to 4500.

 

 

 

Require Large Staffs
Mainframes also require large staffs, including systems analysts, programmer analysts, programmers, database administrators, network specialists, and operations personnel. These IS staffers have skills in "legacy" systems analysis and design.

 

Unfriendly

The mainframe environment isn't nearly as flexible as the PC environment is. A large portion of today's white-collar workforce is computer literate. They expect to be able to manipulate data in their spreadsheets, perform ad hoc database queries, and create custom reports with their word processors. In the mainframe world, however end users don't have free access to corporate data. Requests for special reports go through the IS dept which is usually very much disconnected from the user and may not be able to interept the appropriate format the user needs the report to be in. It can be weeks- sometimes much longer before the required reports are delivered in proper format or at all.

 

Static data
The desire for better and faster data access isn't new. The executive information systems (EIS) of the late 1970s and 1980s addressed this issue, but on a very limited basis. The executive would tell a programmer the summary trends & data he/she was interested in, and the programmer would create a custom electronic briefing that you would view, perhaps on a weekly basis. The problem was that the data was static predigested, so to say. If you wanted to do some additional analysis, with your spreadsheet, for example, you would need to work side by side with the programmer.

 

Give me data access!

Many of today's information workers want access to every system on the corporate network that might contain some data that will help them do their jobs better. They aren't database wizards, and they don't want to have to learn new tools. They want to use the same tools they use everyday, typically spreadsheets and word processors found in the popular MS Office Suite. They want answers now; they don't want to wait for a programmer to try to interpret the request.

 

Client/Server Model

At its heart, client/server is an architecture. It's a modular way of designing information systems that makes information accessible faster, which may in turn result in better customer service, tighter inventory control, a more effective sales force, and/or better forecasting.

 

Client/Server architecture splits the workload between clients that request services- such as printing, information retrieval, or updating of a customer account -and servers that process the request. Client/Server does not rely exclusively on the expensive resources of a centralized mainframe computer or try to do everything on desktop PCs. Rather it takes advantage of the computing power of the PCs by letting them share some of the processing burden.

 

For example, consider that you, as a manager require some report printouts from the mainframe computers. The programmers program these as per interpreted need. Now if you want to make some changes in the report format, you have to make a request to the IS programmers. The mainframe does all the processing as well as presentation for the report so any change in format would require changing the mainframe program. With Client/Server architecture, however, client desktop computers data from the server that functions like a data warehouse. Once the required data is in your computer, you can slice and dice and otherwise manipulate it with the tools you use, such as spreadsheets etc.

 

Thus, client/server computing provides the seamless integration of personal computers with host systems. This style of computing allows organizations to be responsive to their customers while still maintaining the security and integrity to manage their business effectively. Client/server computing generally refers to a computing model where two or more computers interact in such a way that one provides services to the other. This model allows customers to access information resources and services located anywhere within the customers information network. Customers are very interested in client/server computing because it allows them to be more responsive, as well as to effectively utilize all computing resources within their network.

 

 

Why Use Client/Server?

 

The Basic Terms

The need for client/server computing has been derived from today's ever-changing business environment. Corporations are flattening their organizations in an effort to be able to respond to their customer’s needs. The marketplace is ever changing and in an attempt to keep up with all other corporations, client/server as a concept has become an ever growing necessity. The keys to success in today's marketplace centers around such key aspects as time-to-market, customer service, and most important in most cases, simplicity. In the past time-to-market was measured in years, but today in order to keep pace many large companies must be first to market which mean that time-to-market is measured in days or weeks now.

In the past, the term customer service referred to making a product that meets the customer’s needs, in today's marketplace customer service refers to not only making a product that satisfies the customer, but also responding to the customer’s desire for an ever changing and improving product.

Finally, in today's complex world, customers need simplicity. The Client/Server concept is based on the theory that simplicity for the end user is a must in today's environment.

 

 

Benefits Obtained Through Client/Server

 

Flexibility

Today's client/server systems allow the client or user much more flexibility in the way data is accessed than the old mainframe system. By using client/server technology, the choice of interface tool used by the client is endless. The client can chose to access information in any format desired such as Windows, Excel, or Word. Under the old mainframe system access to the data was limited to one format. The format was limited to how the information was placed into the database by the programmer. The onset of client/server allows the client to use the data from the database to create an endless possibility of documents that cater to his/her desired needs. Client/server has allowed the user the utmost flexibility in the way the data can be used to his/her benefit.

 

Capacity/Performance/Scalability

In the past, sever limitations on size transfers of data were placed on the database. Because the end systems were merely “dumb terminals” the size of transfer was limited to a very small amount that, at times, was not useful to the end user. Under the client server system, the size limitation has been removed and is only limited to the power of the end machine. By increasing the size of transfer, the output can be much better suited to the end user. The transfer of larger sets of data from the database also increases the speed of query performance.

 

Integrity and Security

One of the main dilemmas facing the MIS Department in today's environment is how to protect the data stored on computers while still allowing the data to be accessible to the users. If data is stored on remote PC it becomes difficult for the MIS Department to regulate data use and the security issue becomes very hard to monitor. By storing the data on a central database and then allowing the clients to access this information, the process of security becomes much easier. The data can be secured by the MIS Department and the clients can access the data from their desired programs and use the data in their desired formats.

 

Client Server Computing and IT- Business alignment

For most organizations, especially now that we are fully immersed into the information age, where knowledge becomes the basis of advantage in lieu of traditional value holders of land, capital, and labor, the most important business process is the creation, processing, interpretation, and dissemination of information in all its forms. In such an atmosphere, it becomes imperative for an organization to align its business goals with its IT strategy. The strategic challenge of business IT alignment is to implement an IT architecture that maximizes flexibility at the absolute minimum costs.

 

Any business is continuously exchanging information with its numerous trading partners such as customers, suppliers, distributors, regulators, financers, etc. Numerous combinations of information flows must co-exist. These flows are dynamic, distinct, and constantly in a state of flux, and there is always high uncertainty pertaining to the new information flows needed. Since the business is both internally and externally process and relationship driven, advantage accrues to those business that can more rapidly make and break these information flow relationships. These information flows have become more complex due to the increased business turbulence of global competition, mass customization, shortened product life cycles, changing demographics, mergers & acquisitions, downsizing, and the extraordinary quest for continue cost savings and productivity improvements.

 

The way to respond and cope with diversity in constant motion is with flexibility. Client/Server computing is strategically important because it provides high maneuverability architecture at a low cost, which is able to respond to the dynamics, turbulence, and unpredictability of the value chain. Mainframe computing is expensive and offers absolute minimal flexibility to deal with shifting nature of relationships of the value chain. With client/server, the architecture takes on the quality of being fluid rather than of being solid.

 

As a consequence of moving to the client/server from the traditional host-centric environment, there are significant implications as follows:

 

Choice of Strategic Actions: The business management has more choices of strategic actions. The degrees of strategic freedom have markedly increased.

 

Learning Organization: The organization becomes a learning organization. Since you are fast and agile, prototyping and pathfinder projects become a normal means for testing and validating ideas.

 

Reduced Startup time: Thus we have reduced time for action.

 

Reduced Reaction time: further adds to the competitive advantage.

 

Information has increased value: It has increased value because it can be accessed, because it can be shared, and, most important, because it can be acted upon in a timely and user accommodating manner.

 

In summary, what the business strategically demands of its IT assets is cost-effective flexibility to enable dramatic maneuverability against a value chain background characterized by constantly shifting needs for information exchange between the value chain participants. Client/Server computing offers the means to make the IT assets phenomenally responsive to diversity. The mission and challenge to the IT organization then is to implement client/server computing so as to provide, in fact, the maximum flexibility at minimum cost.

 

Client/Server As a Cost Saver

 

Can Client/Server Save the Company Money?

The answer to the question of whether client/server can save the company money has proven to be yes. Many companies have seen definite cost savings advantages from using client/server. The following examples state some of the more dramatic changes that client/server has had in cost cutting at many companies.

 

Specific examples:

Motorola - Reduced total computing costs from 3.2 % of annual revenue in 1989, to 0.8 % of total revenue in 1994. This translates into a $150 million savings in the two year period from 1989-1991.

 

Sun Microsystems - Reduced computing costs from 8 % of annual revenue in 1989 to 3.2 % of annual revenue in 1990. Revenue per IT employee rose from $1.9 million in 1989 to $ 5.5 million in June of 1995.

 

Northrop Grumman - Reduced computing costs from 10 % of operational budget in 1990 to 5 % of operating budget in 1991.

 

All Other Client/Server Implementations

 

	Prior	One Year Later
IT Expenses as a Percentage of Total Business Revenues	6 %	4.4 %
IT Expenses as a Percentage of Business Operating Expenses	8 %	4.5 %
IT Expenses Per Company Employee	$12,000	$8,000

 

The savings from client/server computing have been widespread. The cost cutting has had a great deal of effect on the bottom line of many companies.

 

Where Do The Savings Come From With Client/Server?

 

Greater Use of Packaged Software

The saving from using client/server begins with the use of off-the-shelf computer applications instead of constantly writing new programs and code for the older legacy system. The main theory behind these savings is buy applications whenever possible instead of building new code. By buying software instead of coding new programs, IT budgets can be significantly reduced. The use of coding has all but totally been abandoned. Most companies still use coding for some of their company specific areas such as security, company aspects, and Internet Development where no software exists. The use of coding is still used by these companies but only when a cheaper alternative cannot be purchased on the market.

 

Automation or Simplification of Functions

The savings associated from client/server also stem from the simplification and automation of functions. Many companies now use client/server systems to instantly update and change their databases instead of having to manually update these databases through out the year. The automation and simplification of these functions stems from the above purchase of software instead of the constant coding of new codes. Companies also have access to the theories that other companies have used in an effort to simplify its functions. The main theory behind simplifying and improving these functions is to use products available on the market to automate what was once a tedious process into a simpler process that takes less time and computer hours.

 

Lower Hardware and Software Costs

The key to a successful migration to the client/server system in an effort to reduce costs is to use what the company has available instead of starting from scratch. It is essential to use the mainframes and software that the company already has available to itself instead of totally starting over. By using the products that the company already has available and buying software of the shelf to reduce coding costs it is possible in the end to lower computing costs even though a total overhaul of the computing system is being done.

 

Cost Savings with Client/Server

 

Motorola Example

One of the greatest successes of the switch from mainframe to the client/server approach is the Motorola Company. Motorola has reduced its total computing costs from 3.2 % of its annual revenue to less than 1 % of its total revenue these savings have amounted to a savings of over $150 million. A definition of Motorola's total computing costs is necessary to truly define where these savings have come from over the years. Motorola's total computing costs include labor and equipment for all data communications sectors, IT sectors, and non-IT departments involved in computing.

 

In the past Motorola had spent over $30,000 a month in coding and updating its database and system. Now instead of having this high cost associated with coding, Motorola uses off-the-shelf applications software to replace these coded programs. Motorola now only uses coding for a few strategic manufacturing applications that cannot be purchased over the counter. But in an effort to cut costs Motorola has abandoned the legacy programming language of COBOL and moved onto other tools such as Oracle Forms.

 

Motorola has become totally devoted to its switch to client/server. Motorola has jettisoned its mainframes. Motorola has also standardized all of its “dumb terminals” to the Windows Based Terminal. Motorola now only uses UNIX (http://www.sco.com) and NCD X Terminal clients (http://www.ncd.com). Motorola sites this innovation as extremely important in its cost cutting efforts. The main reason that Motorola has been so effective in its switch to client/server is because it has been an all out approach instead of a half-hearted desire to switch. Companies most follow Motorola's lead in order to be truly successful in their switch to the client/server philosophy.

 

Texas Instruments Example

Texas Instruments has followed the lead of Motorola in that they feel that the main savings that can be accrued from client/server come from the benefits that can be reaped by buying off the shelf software applications instead of coding all of its new applications. Texas Instruments has been known in the past by their desire to write application code. Now instead of having programmers constantly working on application code these programmers can be reassigned to more productive positions in the company such as "competitive advantage" application programming. By switching tasks and reassigning programmers Texas Instruments can accomplish its main goal of totally revamping its business process in an effort to be more responsive to change.

 

Texas Instruments plans to decrease computing costs by more than 30 % in the future. The client/server switch will allow Texas Instruments to better allocate its resources to more profitable areas that in the end will help develop the company’s competitive advantages. During the client/server process Texas Instruments hopes to reduce computing costs from a total of 5 % of total revenues to less than 3 % of total revenues. This reduction will provide Texas Instruments with significant savings in the future.

 

Revenue Per IS Employee Cost Benefits

 

Sun Microsystems Example

Sun Microsystems measures their computing cost benefits a little differently than Motorola.  Sun Microsystems measures computing costs by revenue per IS employee.  Sun downsized their operations in an effort to increase efficiency.  The result of this downsizing was an increase in revenue per IT Employee.  In five years the company improved its revenue/IT employee comparison from $1.9 million to $5.5 million.  These improvements are due to four important factors.  First, Sun moved all the decision support systems from mainframe to client server. Second, they changed to automated software distribution and license management. Third, Sun switched to workstations that did not have any permanent data storage but instead relied on applications stored at the server.  Fourth, Sun decided to buy their transaction processing applications while building their decision support systems (DSS). The reason for the build versus buy decision was that transaction applications had a five to seven year life expectancy while DSS systems lasted only about six months on the average.

 

Downsizing to Cut Costs

 

Northrup Grumman Example

In the previous examples, the companies stated savings in computing costs.  Northrup Grumman, however, believes the cost savings lies in the reduction of employees needed to manage the system.  In four years, Northrup decreased their IS department by 70%.  IT costs in year 1 were 10% of the annual budget.  After year four that figure dropped to 5%.  Northrup reduced its costs through client server while not compromising the needs of new technology in its operations.

 

Successful Introduction of Client/Server

The problems that mainly occur with a client/server introduction can be avoided if precautions are taken before the switch from the legacy model to the client/server model occurs in a company. The problems can quickly be overcome if the process is well thought out and structured. One key to a successful introduction is to implement client/server into the changing of company goals. Client/Server should fit into a key change in the company philosophy and be structured to meet this goal. Secondly, Client/Server should not be jumped into without proper preparation. One aspect of this preparation is to must importantly gather the people and the knowledge necessary to make this transition possible. Some of the key problems that can occur with a client/server introduction are listed and developed below in the following paragraphs.

 

The first problem that occurs with many client/server projects is the problem of massive training expenditures that occur after the switch has taken place in the organization. Training costs can be a huge problem and expenditure if the process is not done correctly. To avoid extensive training costs it is necessary to phase in the new system instead of just jumping straight into a totally new business process. Training should be done early and constantly to help reduce the problems that can occur with this new introduction.

 

The second main problem that can occur with a client/server introduction is time. Many companies try to implement client/server technology to quickly and ignore problems that are occurring along the way. The key to overcoming this aspect of time is to be realistic in the introduction. Client/Server is an investment in the future and rushing its onset will end up causing more problems in the end than it will solve.

 

The final main problem with a client/server introduction is sometimes hidden from the observer of the introduction. Once client/server is implemented many more users are going to be involved with the system. It is important to anticipate this new user influx. Instead of IS people doing the job, many users will be involved. It is important to prepare for this new user participation or the new labor costs could override the cost cutting benefits that can occur through a client/server introduction.

 

In order to successfully integrate a client/server introduction a company most be forward looking and anticipate the problems that may occur through the introduction. A company should be forward looking and anticipate these problems. A company that overcomes these problems early and through out the process, the client/server introduction can be a great success.

 

Future Trends with Client Server Technology

 

Databases, Networks and Developers

The most important and obvious trends in the future of client server technology are those concerning mainframe phase-outs, databases, networks and developers. These trends include data warehouses, database hardware and software, wide area networks, firewalls, intelligent software agents, bandwidth expansion, developer training and an understanding of business functions by developers.

 

Movement Away From Mainframes

The current trend of computing has gone from the use of mainframes to the use of client server.  Companies are changing from the centralized mainframe technology to the distributive technology provided by client server. This enables the company to move to a worker-to-worker atmosphere. This is done by allowing the users to manipulate the data into any form they need. One user can take the information and put it in an excel sheet and another can put it in a word document.

 

In order to make these systems easier to update, the industry is moving towards standard products instead of the old proprietary products.  This means programs can be written for the whole industry at smaller development costs instead of the high cost of having programs developed for the individual company or organization. Standard based products will make updating systems easier and less costly. Companies can still write their own programs as needed, but the repetitive inventory, salary and human resources programs can be standardized.

 

Databases

Data warehouses are designed to generate answers at a faster pace, decrease expense of generating those answers and keep the data relatively close to the user.  This is accomplished by warehouse functions of holding copies of your data instead of the actual information itself. The user can still update the data as often as he/she likes. This allows the data to be "closer" to the user.  Data warehouses are faster and generally less expensive than accessing a traditional database through area networks.

 

Database hardware and software is now making it easier and faster to access pertinent data. These wares are enabling databases to become intelligent monitors for filtering irrelevant data. This is all dependent on the writing of new search engines to access the information from the many small processors rather than accessing the information from one large processor.

 

Networks

Companies today are becoming increasingly dependent on wide area networks. This has caused concerns relating to security and backup systems. Now and in the future, networks will have firewalls, a protective wall restricting access to outsiders with a password, within the network itself. The development of intelligent software will enable IS departments to sufficiently monitor the security of the network. This will also allow users to sift through data in order and allow access to only the data that is needed by that user.

 

 An ever growing concern for IS managers is the availability and demand of bandwidth.  The emergence of multimedia and videoconferencing has put great demands on the network and requires large amounts of bandwidth. Increasing bandwidth and adapting networks can be very costly for the company while putting more demands on the IS department for more secure networks and learning the new technology.

 

Developers

A result of these trends in databases and networks is the increase demand on developers to be more flexible, timely and knowledgeable.  Developers need to understand the demands of the business process. This means developers are going to have to interact with managers and clerks to understand what their needs will be now and in the future.  As these needs change the developer will be required to fine tune programs in a timely manner while trying to limit the demand on bandwidth. In the end the developers will need to know the basic demands of the business, develop and fine tune the services to their company and be able to train and be trained in new technologies.