A Responsive Client Architecture with Local Object Behavior Deployment

Abstract

Information Systems with a large user base require thin client technology due to deployment issues. Configuration and version management, added to maintenance cost are major players on this decision. However, heavy traffic loads and network latency impose severe penalties on users. Candidate solutions to this problem must optimize users ergonomics whilst keeping maintenance costs low. In a straightforward approach, client architectures should provide web deployable local processing facilities. This paper describes an architecture based on the MVC paradigm capable of porting portions of the system to client executable scripts. Required entities are encapsulated in XML carriers and exchanged on demand between client and server side systems. Numerous user interactions are executed on the client side, relieving the network and improving responsivity. This solution not only enhances ergonomics but is also highly scalable, delegating tasks to the greater number of client machines, whereas focusing server activity on more relevant operations.