Rex Jolliff wrote:
I think keeping client information on the server is a better idea also. Perhaps the appropriate directories (like the user settings directory) can be mounted at a given directory a la unix. The mount functionality might be doable with a filter driver. Or perhaps some appropriate registry settings could be changed to support client data remotely.
Hi Rex,
nice to hear from you from time to time.
Keeping any kind of user information in a database (database approach) is the better thing to do, IMHO, in the long term. The database approach brings almost for free the replica concept. Why do we need replicas? Do not forget mobile devices are what is ahead (what we use today, even in Japan and Europe is just an experiment, real spread computing will be here about 2010/2020...), but even if bandwidth is not a problem (or it won't be), time will continue to be a big one, I'd say it is THE problem. How long does your Win/Lin box take to bootstrap? With replicas, user information is always available locally and can be accesses in no time. It may be in you laptop, in your pda, in your mobile phone, in the cruise control of your car or in the control panel of your washing machine... With IPv6 this need of possible spread availability of user information will even increase, because network sessions can be freezed, restored and moved among devices on the fly.
Emanuele