Q&A: Can I Run a Client on My Big Business Server?
The impetus for this question is clear. It takes four computers to run a three user version of Big Business, because a "dedicated" server is required. The impression is that your best, fastest computer is "not being used" because it is dedicated to the task of serving. Wouldn't it be nice if this machine could function as a workstation and perform as a server in the background?
This Solution provides general information about running a Client on your Big Business Server, and further explanation for the "dedicated server" requirement. (3489)
Technically, a machine running Big Business Server can run a variety of other applications and services, including Big Business Client. As a practical matter, however, you will not want to run other applications, especially Big Business Client, on your Server.
• Prioritization: Big Business Server is an application and should be running in the foreground (with options such as NT's Performance Boost maximized for the foreground application). Another foreground application (and BB Server running in the background) may pre-empt the use of important system resources causing delays or possibly errors.
• System Resources (in both the Microsoft, and generic sense): You might guess that BB Server and Client are similar in many respects. Running on the same machine, they compete for the same system resources. Even using an optimal setup (bypassing normal network protocol usage, using oodles of memory, mitigating CPU usage to promote better sharing of resources, and so on) overall Client performance is 20 to 25% of normal. BB Server suffers long delays when the local Client is operating. By the same token, running other networked applications should be carefully considered and tested.
• Performance and Reliability: For argument's sake, assume running an additional application on the server provides you 99.9% of the performance and reliability of not running the additional application. Also suppose three users entering one transaction an hour, each, for 2000 business hours in a year. A 0.1% performance hit to 6,000 user-hours might cost you six user hours. If reliability is compromised 0.1%, though, keep in mind that one transaction is at least four records (the transaction, a line item, and minimum two postings). Now we are talking about 24 potential errors, which is 24 too many, and may set you back far more.
We have had no user experience (since Apple's System 7 File Sharing, c.1996) to substantiate a possibility of error and would prefer to keep it that way. "Dedicated" means dedicated.
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