Accessing web-services - Storage Management

Computer Technology Review, Feb, 2003 by Bruce Grant, Dave Mitchell, Scott Lemon

Successful rich-thin client solutions provide sophisticated features that include data communications that ensure standards support at both an application and protocol level: HTTP, HTTPS, SOAP, UDDI, etc. These features allow even an entry-level developer to easily create meaningful applications that communicate with multiple and disparate sewer architectures and easily connect with existing Web Services.

In general, this type of Web Services delivery method offers better performing and more powerful cross-platform Web applications; helps to reduce enterprise development, deployment, and maintenance costs; and provides a much more effective use of existing server and bandwidth capacity.

Rich-thin client Web applications also integrate seamlessly into almost any enterprise network. By delivering high levels of interoperability, this innovative technology supports, rather than replaces, existing corporate investment in IT, legacy systems, client/server systems, etc. In short, rich-thin client Web applications specialize in helping any enterprise put fully functional user interfaces on their complex business systems.

Considering All of the Options

Choosing the right Web Services delivery method is a paramount decision for all IT professionals. It can affect both the technological vision of a company and future financial successes. Under the Web's current architecture, HTML alone is incapable of delivering usable Web applications or directly accessing a Web Service.

Applets, plugins and rich-thin client delivery offer better performing and more powerful Web - based applications than current HTML Web forms. However, there are some significant drawbacks with applets and plug-ins. Remember, applets and plug-ins pose integration and security issues, are hard to install and maintain and intrude on other applications (attaching to the OS).

Rich-thin client solutions eliminate the deployment/upgrade nightmare and offer the most technically friendly option available--clearly delivering the most effective and efficient Web application computing environment and Web Services delivery method.

Bruce Grant is chief architectural officer, Dave Mitchell is senior engineer and system analyst, and Scott Lemon is chief strategy officer at Vultus (Lindon, UT)

www.valtus.com