Client/server vs. Application Server

Question

Our company has around 30 sites with each one having its own Oracle database server and file server (repository for executables of Forms6i/Reports6i). All the sites have the same applications running, i.e., the same set of programs are replicated to each site. At present we are running the applications in client/server mode (Forms6i/Reports6i runtime is installed on each client machine).
We are also using some third party modules developed in VB/VC++.
Now we are looking for the Centralized Solution, i.e., We want to have a Single Database Server available to all the sites all the sites are already linked with Network Leased lines).
Now we want to know the impact of running centralized file server (located at Corporate Office site) accessible from all the sites (through same client/server mode).
Will this solution work for us or we should move to 3-tier mode? Please suggest us the best feasible solution which can be implemented as early as possible.
What I mean to ask in the question above is: if a good intranet connectivity is available among sites, what would be the better approach, client/server or n-tier?
What actually would we gain by using application server in this context? Does the Data travelling is reduced from Database Server through to the Client Node in 3-tier AS approach? Does this 3-tier approach will reduce the Burden on Leased Lines? Does we gain more network resources available in 3-tier?
What I think is that in client/server mode, the data is travelled from Database Server to Client Machine, but using Application Server, the Data from Database Server will travel upto Application Server and NOT to the Cleint machine (on browser etc.), hence reducing Network Load.
Please clarify as your input makes a valuable role in our decision-making.

Answer 1

Hello,
I'll take a stab at this one...
If you have enough network bandwidth, you should be fine funning in client/server mode. I have worked with clients with this same configuration. In addition to having a centralized DB, we have also centralized the forms on a network drive allowing users to access the same files and removing the need for users having to update their files locally. The biggest problem I see with this configuration, as long as you have enough band width, is that your configuration is not supported as 6i has been desupported.
From my perspective you really don't have any choice but to upgrade your application so that you can be supported. The good news is that for the clients we have worked with upgrades have gone very smoothly. In fact recently we have started to partner with another vendor that has a tool specifically designed to upgrade Oracle Forms and it includes additional features above and beyond what you get from Oracle. This tool has drastically reduced the amount of time to complete upgrades (like going from a 2 year project to just a few weeks).
I hate to answer this question because it is hard to answer without really getting into the details with you. The good news is once you do have a centralized DB and centralized application maintenance will be significantly easier.
One last option you might consider that our company has done is to use Citrix. I've never used it for Oracle Forms, but for other client/server applications it has allowed out clients to web enabled their existing applications without changing them at all and also get a boost in performance. I wouldn't recommend this approach to you because what you have should be short term until you get your forms/reports upgraded.
If you have any specific questions I can try and answer them for you. Good luck and let me know if I can be of any assistance.