Re: SQL Native Client vs SQL Server Driver

Thanks for the information you provided, especially the blog link.
Sorry if I wasn't clear in my original post. Performance is always an
issue but I certainly understand that there are tradeoffs when dealing
with a multiple configuration environment.

I'd love to go SNAC only. I just need to be certain that using it
won't cause our customers using SQL Server 2000 to take a performance
hit. Guess I'll put some people to work benchmarking that scenario.

Thanks again
Mark
Atlanta GA




On Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:42:12 -0400, "Sylvain Lafontaine" <sylvain aei
ca (fill the blanks, no spam please)> wrote:

Ah, now we are beginning to see a little clearer into your real problem. In
your original post, you have expressed the point that your main concern was
to only get the best performance possible in all cases; even if this was to
give you some extra complication in the setup process but now, you are
speaking more about the possibility of installation problems because of the
need to support hundreds of customers, with many different versions of
Windows and SPs.

On the blog for the SQL Native Client (SNAC), you will find a lot of useful
information about its differences with the other ODBC or OLEDB drivers for
SQL-Server and its support for various OS:

http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlnativeclient/

The problem with the SNAC is that you will probably have to distribute it
with your installation setup (or at least, provide the link to download it).
However, its biggest advantage is that unlike the MDAC, not only that you
will be sure to not have any problem because of a difference of version of
the installed MDAC but also, you can also be sure (up to 100%) that you
won't break anything on the user's machine; something that you cannot say if
you take the precaution (?) of installing the latest available version of
MDAC on the client's machines.

Probably that there are still a lot of clients around here with older
machines and versions of MDAC (I still have some clients with Access 97).
They won't be happy if you break something on their machine by installing
the most recent version of MDAC (or worse, an older version). However, by
installing the SNAC (if they don't have it), you can be sure - probably with
100% of certainty - that you won't mess anything on their machine and even
more, you can even garantee that to your clients.

It will also be easier to upgrade your application in the future with new
functionalities if you start by using the SNAC right now. If you start with
a mix of MDAC (many versions) and SNAC (version 9) from the beginning, it
won't be so easy.

My opinion: your application is a new application and whenever it's
possible, a new application should always use the lasted driver if it can do
so.

.

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