The Client/Server version is a different story however. I thought about having each station automate this process similar to version 5 (where node-1 handled it), but that would mean that each POS station opened would actually open 2 connections to the server instead of just 1 (1 for the main pos, and 1 for future server). A better solution was to write a stand-alone future order processing applet. In this model, all POS stations would only open their single connection to the main database server, and the future order server would open only 1 connection to the server. This put far less load on main database server so this is how we decided to handle it. There are some advantages and disadvantages to this method.
DISADVANTAGES:
- Operator has to install a separate app in order to process future orders.
- Less overall load on main database server.
- Future orders will process regardless of whether or not a Main POS station is running.
Another difference between the SA and CS versions is that if; You have a pending future order (for say tomorrow), and you go in and disable future order processing in the Management Utility; In the SA version the future order won't get processed because the main POS station won't launch the applet, but in the CS version it will as long as the Future Order Server applet is still running. All that will happen by disabling the processing in the CS version is that you won't be able to add any "new" future orders. Existing ones will still process, unless of course you stop the server applet.
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Scott
