Re: Online, Offline, Disconnected applications.

From: Val Mazur (group51a_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 04/15/04 

Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 23:06:29 -0400

Hi Aaron,

1. Using DataSets will work, but you could be in a trouble in case if you
get pretty big XML file. In this case your downloading time (loading XML
into actual DataSet) could be pretty big. I do not know how much data you
are going to keep in a DataSet, but you could make some tests to see if it
is OK for you or not. Since you cannot query and open just part of the saved
XML file, this will be a disadvantage

2. Using MSDE (like for me) is the best way. First of all this the same SQL
Server database and provides you with almost all the features, which SQL
Server has. It would allow you to select only data, which you really need
and could improve performance of application. I do not think you should
worry about memory in this case, since you could select only small amount of
data and rest of it will be in a database. You could provide synchronization
as well. See next Kb about how to replicate MSDE

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;324992&Product=sql

3. I do not think Access is a best idea. From one side it is just a simple
database file, but from other side it is less stable and requires repair one
in a while. Plus it has less functionality than MSDE 

-- 
Val Mazur
Microsoft MVP
"Aaron A. Anderson" <aaron@skypoint.com> wrote in message 
news:%230ZPWvoIEHA.2128@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> I'm in the initial stages of architecting an application for use in both 
> an
> online and offline modes.  I've looked at both the TaskVision application
> and the Offline Application Block for for guidance.
>
> The TaskVision application is much simpler in design than the Offline
> Application Block, but the latter offers a much more robust solution.  The
> problem I have with the OAP is it's choices of offline data stores and how
> the data gets synchronized.  I don't want to have to force my customers to
> install MSDE (getting them to install the .NET framework is hard enough),
> but the addition of MSMQ makes it undoable proposition.
>
> The options I see for effective offline data cache is:
>
> 1. DataSets saved as xml.  My main concern here is the scalability,
> efficiency, and memory usage when the application is running.  Since
> DataSets are essentially in-memory databases, I can see memory consumption
> getting out of control after a while when the amount of data increases. 
> On
> the plus side, it simplifies the client-side data layer.
>
> 2. MSDE.  With MSDE I get both increased memory use, plus I get to 
> duplicate
> the datalayer in both the web service and client.  Can use replication, 
> but
> since this app is supposed to work over the Internet with Web Services, 
> that
> option is closed to me (I think).
>
> 3. MDBs.  Poo poo them, but at least they're memory efficient, and can be
> queried.  The downside is having to create two separate datalayer
> implementations.  One for SQL, one for Access.  The synchronization code 
> is
> a bit more complex than just using DataSets.
>
> Has anyone else scratched their heads over the best route to take or am I
> suffering Analysis Paralysis?
>
> Can the experts out there share some wisdom?
>
>

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Online, Offline, Disconnection, Confused. :)
    ... and that would provide some performance benefits, lower memory usage, etc... ... > and the Offline Application Block for for guidance. ... > install MSDE, ...
    (microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.windowsforms)
  • Online, Offline, Disconnection, Confused. :)
    ... and the Offline Application Block for for guidance. ... The TaskVision application is much simpler in design than the Offline ... install MSDE, ... DataSets are essentially in-memory databases, ...
    (microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.windowsforms)
  • Online, Offline, Disconnected applications.
    ... and the Offline Application Block for for guidance. ... The TaskVision application is much simpler in design than the Offline ... install MSDE, ... DataSets are essentially in-memory databases, ...
    (microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.adonet)
  • Online, Offline, Disconnected applications.
    ... and the Offline Application Block for for guidance. ... The TaskVision application is much simpler in design than the Offline ... install MSDE, ... DataSets are essentially in-memory databases, ...
    (microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.adonet)
  • Online, Offline, Disconnection, Confused. :)
    ... and the Offline Application Block for for guidance. ... The TaskVision application is much simpler in design than the Offline ... install MSDE, ... DataSets are essentially in-memory databases, ...
    (microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.windowsforms)
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