VserviceEx

The Real "Next Generation!"


Designed to run on any desktop, laptop, or workstation
Essentially - any PC type computer running any version of Windows.
We think of the new paradigm as “
Client/Service”.
 

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the " Magic Bullet" for Client/Server!


"We intend VserviceEx[treme] to transform and enable “Client/Server” access methods in a way that makes it affordable and desirable for application developers, from the large to the small, to include this technology in their designs as an every day "methodology" for sharing common information in applications across any network implementation."

 Vservice feature set:
 

  • Gone are the expensive Microsoft Servers with complex expensive seat licensing - Vservice is very low cost and extremely easy to maintain
                                                -
    Truly the " Magic Bullet" for Client/Server!
  • Complete application transparency - Drop in Vservice to any Windows computer, accessible over a LAN or the WEB. The existing application linked to VsamEx will automatically connect to Vservice when the DataSet is opened using standard URL file naming conventions to that computer i.e. "\\ComputerA\Share\filepath\dataset" or any IP address designator such as: "\\196.131.224.10\share\filepath\datasetname".
  • No more Opportunistic Locking - Vservice Client API handles everything.
  • Full record level locking without any network overhead.
  • Vservice implementation eliminates 90% of the network overhead involved in supporting shared datasets.
  • Vservice runs as either an application or a Windows Service through a command line option.
  • Secure multi-key login and authentication - only applications connected to a valid, licensed VsamEx interface will connect.
  • Vservice supports remote administrative updates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Applications linked to VserviceEx[treme] through VsamEx[treme] will, In fact, be a client of Vservice. All VsamEx[treme] dataset requests will go through the VserviceEx[treme] Server module if it is found on the selected remote system. Otherwise, the datasets are opened automatically, the old fashion way, using file sharing through the OS.

The key here is that the application code will not have to change. You "drop in" the VserviceEx[treme] modules and the application works just the way it did before!


Use of VserviceEx[treme] can reduce network traffic by a factor of 20 or more. The only data that will move across the network will be commands and record data. In current implementations of Microsoft's file sharing technology, there is a very large penalty to pay when accessing datasets using shared modes. For example:

Using standard Microsoft library functions performing shared random I/O with a file on another computer, a typical single file access can process about 60 to 100 blocks (of 200 bytes) per second. Just having a second user open the same dataset (from another computer) can cause the performance to degrade by a factor of 5, especially after one of the users writes a record. The network messaging that goes back and forth is intense. Adding a 3rd and 4th user degrades performance even further and by the time you have 5 to 10 users all doing I/O at the same time, the network activity is incredible! Performance is much reduced and network bandwidth is restricted quite a bit.


On the other hand, a request through the VserviceEx[treme] Service module will send just a single command and receive one (or more records). Network traffic is reduced to a minimum - just the data needed for the request (about 20 bytes) and the record data that is returned. All file access is done by the host system where the dataset resides, relieving Microsoft sharing routines from their machinations including the need to constantly send file update information back and forth between the Clients and file server system -
not to mention locking and updating requirements for the ISAM engine itself!


Dataset access hosted by VserviceEx[treme] can handle hundreds even thousands of users in a nominal data access mode. In custom implementations of this technology, we have seen network load reduced by a factor of 20 and corresponding improvements in local performance.


Another advantage of using VserviceEx[treme] is that Clients running in both Windows and Linux will be able to connect to a common Host. The beauty here is that the application will not change at all. Everything will be handled by VserviceEx[treme].


Since
VsamEx[treme] datasets are 100% binary compatible between Linux and Windows implementations, record exchange is simple and happens without conversion. VserviceEx[treme]  uses a simple concise command and control methodology that is 100% binary compatible between these two Operating Systems.

VserviceEx[treme] Client/Server Drop-in!

The Vservice Client is already imbedded in VsamEx[treme].  It supports a transparent link to any Vservice server, running on any system where shared datasets are stored.


To invoke attachment to a Vservice host, simply include file specifications to the VsamOpen function that looks like:

"\\ServerName\..\..\..."                                    Remote Access
"\\10.10.10.23\..."                                            Remote Access
"\\http:www.1-software-source.com\files\..."    Remote Access
or "C:\cc\yyy\myDatasetName                        Local Access

For remote access, the client issues a connect request to the named remote location, “Dataset Server”, using standard TCP/IP socket technology. Once connected, an attempt to attach to the Vservice module is made. If Vservice acknowledges its presence, all further data access for that Dataset will go through Vservice on that host - otherwise access will revert to the usual shared modes. Local files will be accessed locally as usual (C:\dir1\dirx\...\dataset). The application will not need to know anything is different. There will be additional error returns possible denoting possible network type errors - but, for the most part, generic error handling will take care of that.


Each Host maintaining datasets to be shared through Vservice must run a licensed copy of Vservice on the host. The server name is the network computer name or an IP address.

 
Note:   Specifying "\\" as a prefix to any file spec indicates remote file access. If the file is local and you use the "\\" prefix, file access will still go through Vservice. If Vservice can resolve the file name and path to a real drive/path, it will open the file as a locally shared file. Otherwise, it will generate a TCP/IP socket request (to the local machine). If Vservice is not running, the "\\" prefix will simply be a request for a network shared resource. To use local access and direct I/O the application should not use the "\\" prefix on the DataSet specification.

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