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ClientServerExamples

Created Date: 6/22/2011
Last Updated: 6/22/2011
Description: This CodeExchange item contains several examples of various types of client / server application architectures.
Platforms: Windows
Products: Synergy DBL; Synergy .NET; xfServerPlus; xfNetLink .NET; VB .NET; C#
Minimum Version: 9.5.1a
Author: Steve Ives

Additional Information: Configuring the environment:

It is strongly recommended that the Zip File be placed in the following folder:

C:\CodeExchange\SynNet

And then be extracted to that location using WinZip, by right-clicking on the ZIP file and selecting "WinZip > Extract to here". If you do this you will see a folder structure like this:

C:\CodeExchange\SynNet\ClientServerExamples C:\CodeExchange\SynNet\ClientServerExamples\1_xfpl_xfnl C:\CodeExchange\SynNet\ClientServerExamples\2_xfpl_xfnl_web_service C:\CodeExchange\SynNet\ClientServerExamples\3_xfpl_xfnl_wcf_service ...

If this is the case then ignore the remainder of this section and continue with "Setting up xfServerPlus" below.

If you place the files in another location then you must complete the following changes in order to use the environment fully.

  1. Start Workbench and open the Workspace file SynergyServer.vpw

  2. Right-click on the project file xfNetLink.vpj and select "Component Information".

  3. Under "Assembly Output", change the "Directory" field to your "ClientServerExamples\xfNetLink" folder.

  4. Under "Repository", change "Main File" to your "ClientServerExamples\xfServerPlus\rps\rpsmain.ism" file

  5. Under "Repository", change "Text File" to your "ClientServerExamples\xfServerPlus\rps\rpstext.ism" file

  6. Under "Interfaces", click "Change Directory" and then select your "ClientServerExamples\xfServerPlus\xfpl" directory, then check the "SynergyServer" interface.

  7. Click the OK button to save your changes.

  8. Right-click on the project file xfNetLink_wcf.vpj and select "Component Information".

  9. Under "Assembly Output", change the "Directory" field to your "ClientServerExamples\xfNetLink_wcf" folder.

  10. Under "Repository", change "Main File" to your "ClientServerExamples\xfServerPlus\rps\rpsmain.ism" file

  11. Under "Repository", change "Text File" to your "ClientServerExamples\xfServerPlus\rps\rpstext.ism" file

  12. Under "Interfaces", click "Change Directory" and then select your "ClientServerExamples\xfServerPlus\xfpl" directory, then check the "SynergyServer" interface.

  13. Click the OK button to save your changes.

  14. Under the project "xfServerPlus.vpj", expand the folder "Other Files".

  15. Double-click on the file xfpl.ini and then change the values for the following settings:

  • XFPL_LOGFILE ...\ClientServerExamples\xfServerPlus\xfpl\xfpl.log

  • XFPL_LOGICAL:XFPL_SMCPATH ...\ClientServerExamples\xfServerPlus\xfpl

  • XFPL_LOGICAL:EXE ...\ClientServerExamples\xfServerPlus\exe

  • XFPL_LOGICAL:DAT ...\ClientServerExamples\xfServerPlus\dat

  1. Save and close the file, then close Workbench.

Setting up xfServerPlus:

  1. Start the Synergy Configuration Program. If you're on a 64-bit system make sure you start the 64-bit version of the program.

  2. Switch to the xfServer/xfServerPlus tab.

  3. Click the "Add xfServerPlus Service" button.

  4. Enter a "Service Name", e.g. demo_xfpl

  5. Enter a "Port Number 2356.

  6. Enter a valid username (must not be an administrator account)).

  7. Enter the password for the user account.

  8. Click the "Environment Settings" button.

  9. If you're on a 64-bit Synergy system then change the definition of DBLDIR from the 64-bit versoin of Synergy to the 32-bit version of Synergy.

  10. Add a new environment setting (in the same area as the DBLDIR setting) named XFPL_INIPATH and set its value to the xfServerPlus\xfpl folder that was part of the directory structure that you unzipped.

  11. Click the OK button to save the changes to the environment settings.

  12. Clikc the OK button to save the new xfServerPlus service.

  13. Ckick the Apply button to save the new service.

  14. Click the "Start Service" button to start the new service.

  15. Test the new service by opening a command prompt with a 32-bit Synergy environment (dblvars32.bat) and type the following command:

dbs DBLDIR:xfnlst localhost 2356

You should see output like this:

DBL/MS-WINDOWS Version 9.5.1a Running xfServer connection tests for: Machine: localhost Port: 2356

Test 1. xfpl_tst1. Test 1 successful! Test 2. xfpl_tst2. Test 2 successful! Test 3. xfpl_tst3. Test 3 successful! Test 4. xfpl_tst4. Test 4 successful! Test 5. xfpl_tst5. Test 5 successful! Test 6. xfpl_tst6. Test 6 successful! Test 7. xfpl_tst7. Test 7 successful! Server: DBL/MS-WINDOWS Version 9.5.1a

If you don't see the "Successful" messages then you got something wrong, or you don't have xfServerPlus installed or licensed!

About the Demos:

In each of six folders included you will find a diferent implementation of the same .NET client application, but with different technologies being used to "communicate" with the "back-end" server. In fact, each of the folders contains three seperate versions of the client application, one developed in C# (CS), one developed in Synergy .NET (SN), and one developed with Visual Basic .NET (VB).

In order to fully execute these examples, you will need the following:

  • Synergy/DE 9.5.1a (or higher) with xfServerPlus. (On a 64-bit system you'll need BOTH 32 and 64 bit versions of Synergy installed.

  • Visual Studio 2010 Professional SP1 or higher

  • Synergy Language Integration for Visual Studio 9.5.1a or higher.

The first three apps rely on an instance of xfServerPlus being setup on port 2356. Follow the instructions at the bottom of this file to setup the service.

The examples are as follows:

Folder Description

1_xfpl_xfnl The client applications use xfNetLink .NET to communicate directly with xfServerPlus. The business logic is provided by traditional Synergy subroutines and functions, which could operate on any platform supported by traditional Synergy (Windows, Unix, Linux or OpenVMS). This type of solution is only really appropriate when client and server applications communicate over a local area network.

2_xfl_xfnl_web_service The client applications communicate with an ASP.NET web service, which in turn uses xfNetLink .NET to communicate with xfServerPlus. The business logic is provided by traditional Synergy subroutines and functions, which could operate on any platform supported by traditional Synergy (Windows, Unix, Linux or OpenVMS), but the ASP.NET web service must be hosted in an IIS web server on a Windows system. This approach would have been common when if it was necessary for the client to communicate with the server over wide area networks or the Internet, but better solutions now exist.

3_xfpl_xfnl_wcf_service The client application communicates with a WCF service which is hosted in an ASP.NET web application. The WCF service was created using xfNetLink .NET with the optional -w switch to the GENCS utility. xfServerPlus is still providing the business logic in the form of traditional Synergy subroutines and functions. The WCF service must be hosted on a Windows system. This is a good way of enhancing existing xfNetLink / xfServerPlus applications so that thet can communicate over wide area networks or the Internet.

4_synnet_interop In this example the business logic routines have been included in a Synergy .NET "Interop" assembly, and are accessed directly by the various .NET client applications, "in process". xfNetLink and xfServerPlus are no longer being used. This application is not really a client / server application, as all of the logic is included directly within the client applications. This example would operate only on Windows systems. Data could be accessed on a remote system via xfServer. Using Interop in this way is a good solution for factoring out xfNetLink and xfServerPlus from existing applications where both the client and server both exist on the same Windows server. This may be the case for Windows based web applications where the Synergy logic is also on the same Windows server, or for desktop applications deployed on Windows Terminal Server systems.

5_synnet_interop_wcf This example also uses a Synergy .NET Interop assembly, but takes advantage of the Interop projects ability to expose a WCF Service, which is then hosted in an ASP.NET web application. The various client apps then communicate with the WCF service. This example would operate on Windows systems for the client and server portions of the app, but data could be hosted on other systems and accessed via xfServer.

6_synnet_wcf In this final example the client application again communicates with a WCF service, but this time the service provided by native Synergy .NET OO code. xfServerPlus, xfNetLink and Interop projects are not used. Ths client and server are both .NET and as such must operate on a Windows system, however the data could still be accessed from a remote server via xfServer. This would be the recommended mechanism when developing new client / server solutions.

Important note

In all of the examples which include the use of a WCF service, that WCF service is hosted in an ASP.NET web application, but other options are also available. In many cases, for example, it is appropriate to "self host" the WCF service in an application, often a Windows Service application. This means that operating an IIS web server is not a requirement in order to expose a WCF service.
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