Technical issues can be perplexing! In this section we attempt to explain technical matters that have special interest in the WISL community.

Desktop Distribution

    Text-based and web-based software applications are normally initiated and controlled by a server. Desktop software applications on the other hand are often initiated and controlled by a desktop PC. Changes and upgrades to server based applications requires only that the updates be made on each server which normally serves many desktops. Initial installation and any upgrades to desktop software applications must be done on each desktop. Further complicating the problem of desktop application software distribution is the fact that the target desktops often vary greatly in configuration.

Server

Desktops

      All of WISL's desktop products are client/server applications(examples are QUIKREP and WISL Works). In general client/server means that the desktop system(client) controls the user interface and interacts with the server to retrieve information from server resident data bases and sends updates to the server resident data bases. Such transfer of data and in some cases transfer of processes is handled with "object" technology. In the client/server model there is a program resident on the desktop PC that initiates the application, communicates with the server and controls interaction with the user. When changes or updates are required in the client/server application this program often requires update. Such updates must be applied to all desktop computers that are running the application.

    Customers often provide software vendors with limited access to their servers for the purpose of software update. Server platforms are designed to allow for such secure access and it can greatly simplify the process of software update. In general however the provision of access to desktops for the purpose of software updates is not practical. In most cases access to desktops by outside vendors cannot be provided in a secure manner and the desktops are often unavailable for access(e.g. turned off for periods of time or removed from the location). Hence there often must be involvement of customer personnel to update desktop based software.

    As the vendor cannot directly control the update process there must be a simple and reliable procedure for accomplishing such updates. WISL utilizes the facilities of the standard WINDOWS installation setup wizard to create an executable module which is stored on the Customer Services page of WISL's website. Upon access by an authorized user a simple click on a hyperlink initiates download of the files necessary to install the desktop application. The actual installation on the desktop is initiated through the Add/Remove Programs function on the WINDOWS Control Panel.