Issues with Client/Server for Example

It is difficult to pin down the issues with client/server when no one really knew what it really is anyway. However, whilst the following comments may not apply in every single case, they certainly help to focus the mind.

All the issues revolve around multiplicity. Multiple software products, multiple hardware platforms, multiple development environments, multiple run time environments, and consequently multiple teams. Not only can all this result in multiple teams working on multiple products, it can also throw together teams who do not want to work together.

The basic problem with client/server was concerned with integration. Integrating many different components into a working whole. Which is not to say that this is very entertaining, the technical problems will be so many and so various that

1. you will find the task very challenging, and …

2. you will have so many more excuses to use when you are late that you can be very relaxed about the whole exercise.

It is not as if there was a single accepted infrastructure you could use to move forward. In fact you could spend the entire time allocated to developing the system to just choosing what you are going to build it with. Although you may find this idea intellectually interesting it is a well travelled route, the CASE and IPSE (remember Integrated Project Support Environment anybody?) guys have been here before, you will have to look for something else to trailblaze with.

But, relax, you are not on your own here. If you ever managed to build a system pity the poor sod who has to try to manage it. Configuration management is particularly difficult in a client/server system. How do you know where all the disks are? Are they full? Do you need more, and if so where? Like I said, consider yourself lucky.