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Re: Need some guidance in making client-server software

26-Oct-09 7:38

Hello all!This is my first post here.

I'm comp.engineering student making a project for company having about 1600 PCs, my task in this software is to collect client PC hardware info and then send it to server,compare ,then to database.

I have already made a console application which extracts hardware info through c# . Now I'm making a GUI based app which would be running on server.

Well I'm thinking of asynchronous sockets for accepting incoming connections would that be OK ?

Also how should i enclose the info from client and send it to server where it is compared to data from SQL server and then committed if relevant . Is XML used for this purpose ?

And yeah also the company people say that need a feature on server that would allow the server to pick this hardware info from any client(s) at that particular instant . Would that require a listener on client side as well ? as i plan to disconnect client as soon it sends the relevant data ?

I'm sorry for my noobish questions as I'm new to this type of software as i have been bit more on hardware side Smile | :)

Thanks in advance !

*EDIT* i forgot important thing! and that is the software would not be connected to internet in anycase! whole thing is on the network

modified on Monday, October 26, 2009 3:16 PM

Paulo Zemek26-Oct-09 7:56

Paulo Zemek

26-Oct-09 7:56

Well, there are many ways you could do the job.
Using sockets directly or using Web Services.
Web Services will do the job for you and, internally, they use XML. If you use the sockets directly you will need to build the message, so you can build it in XML, or you can use the BinaryFormatter (my preferred one).

The biggest problem is that "need a feature on server that would allow the server to pick this hardware info from any client(s) at that particular instant". To do that you will really need to keep your clients connected.

Re: Need some guidance in making client-server software

Munis-q26-Oct-09 9:23

Re: Need some guidance in making client-server software

26-Oct-09 9:23

Thanks for your fast reply! Smile | :)

The software would not be connected to web at all . so in that case what is better ? sockets (i have programmed them before ,so it won't be a big problem i guess) ? XML ? Binary (Why do you prefer it ) ?

How much network bandwidth would 1200-1600 TCP/IP client programs connected would cost ?

Paulo Zemek26-Oct-09 12:48

Paulo Zemek

26-Oct-09 12:48

Well, using sockets you will still need to use binary/xml or other format.
I usually prefer BinaryFormatter (binary data) as it is smaller and generates less traffic. But, about the cost of 1200 to 1600 programs connected I really don't know the information.
But, if they don't send information all at the same time, I think it will not be a problem at all.

Re: Need some guidance in making client-server software

PIEBALDconsult26-Oct-09 10:01

Re: Need some guidance in making client-server software

26-Oct-09 10:01

What kind of hardware info? Most such info doesn't change often, and not while the computer is running. How about a small program that gathers and sends the information at system startup? I would likely write the server side with WCF (mainly because I'm just learning it now).

Munis-q wrote:
pick this hardware info from any client(s) at that particular instant

I don't see why, unless it should know about USB devices and such.

Munis-q27-Oct-09 2:22

Re: Need some guidance in making client-server software

27-Oct-09 2:22

Thanks for your reply

Hardware info like Processor ,RAM , Hard-disk and others , i have already made the program using C# and relevant classes . Yes I'm also thinking to make this program run on the start-up

Yes the company wants to detect the removable USBs as well! so can you tell me how much would bandwidth 1200-1600 inactive TCP/IP connections would cost? its the only way to keep them connected all the time i guess

PIEBALDconsult27-Oct-09 3:21

Re: Need some guidance in making client-server software

27-Oct-09 3:21

Munis-q wrote:
detect the removable USBs

Have the client send an update when a device is attached? (I don't know how, so don't ask.)

Munis-q wrote:
keep them connected all the time

I wouldn't do it that way.

Perhaps, along with the data sent at system startup, send the IP address so the server can connect when it wants.

Munis-q27-Oct-09 6:00

Re: Need some guidance in making client-server software

27-Oct-09 6:00

PIEBALDconsult wrote:
Munis-q wrote:
keep them connected all the time

I wouldn't do it that way.

Perhaps, along with the data sent at system startup, send the IP address so the server can connect when it wants.

Yes I'm sending the IP address of client on startup as well,that means i should put a listener on client as well ? or keep client connected (1200-1600 connections with server) ?

PIEBALDconsult27-Oct-09 9:45

Re: Need some guidance in making client-server software

27-Oct-09 9:45

Munis-q wrote:
put a listener on client as well ?

Sure, why not? I'd probably have a Windows Service that ...

Wait a minute. A Windows Service with a custom action (or whatever it's called) that means "please send everything now". It should be fairly easy to do.

Munis-q27-Oct-09 21:17

Re: Need some guidance in making client-server software

27-Oct-09 21:17

Windows service ? i don't anything about them! can you link me up with some tutorial or some webpage ?

thanks again!

PIEBALDconsult28-Oct-09 4:33

Jagged Array Problems [modified]

28-Oct-09 4:33

It's a pretty big topic because there are a number of ways to implement the details.

I seem to recall that Visual Studio has a template. Plus there are some articles here.

There is a minor gotcha in how to implement a custom action.

Steve5177126-Oct-09 6:45

26-Oct-09 6:45

Hi there! I want to dynamically initialize a jagged array. Keep getting a NullException.. Help Smile | :)

Byte[] scriptImage = null;
Byte[][] allScriptImage = null;

scriptImage = MyTools.ScanImage();
allScriptImage[e.RowIndex] = new Byte[scriptImage.Length);
allScriptImage[e.RowIndex] = scriptImage;

The last three lines are run on RowLeave event of a datagridview.

Thanks in advance!
Steven

modified on Monday, October 26, 2009 12:53 PM

Richard MacCutchan26-Oct-09 7:00

Richard MacCutchan

26-Oct-09 7:00

Steve51771 wrote:
allScriptImage[e.RowIndex] = new Byte[scriptImage.Length);
allScriptImage[e.RowIndex] = scriptImage;

You have declared allScriptImage as having two dimensions but you have not reserved any space for it. I'm also not sure what you expect the above two lines to do since you assign a buffer to the entry and then immediately replace it.

OriginalGriff26-Oct-09 7:02

OriginalGriff

26-Oct-09 7:02

Do you ever create an instance of allScriptImage? 'Cos you don't in the fragment, and that would cause a Null exception on

allScriptImage[e.RowIndex] = new Byte[scriptImage.Length];

If you do, which line is giving the exception?

No trees were harmed in the sending of this message; however, a significant number of electrons were slightly inconvenienced.

This message is made of fully recyclable Zeros and Ones

Steve5177126-Oct-09 7:23

26-Oct-09 7:23

OriginalGriff wrote:
allScriptImage[e.RowIndex] = new Byte[scriptImage.Length];

This line is giving me the exception.. I am trying to dynamically assign the sizes on the fly.

Basically, I have a ScanImage() method that returns a Byte[].. I want to enter that Byte[] into a Byte[][]... There will be a variable total number of Bytes[], each size will vary as well.

Thanks,
Steve

Luc Pattyn26-Oct-09 7:38

Luc Pattyn

26-Oct-09 7:38

Hi,

while Mark gave you the right answer to your question, you might also consider using a list, in particular a List<Byte[]>, as in:

List<byte[]> list=new List<byte[]>;
list.Add(new byte[]);
...

Luc Pattyn

I only read code that is properly indented, and rendered in a non-proportional font; hint: use PRE tags in forum messages

Steve5177126-Oct-09 8:00

26-Oct-09 8:00

Mark would be right if I didnt need to assign the sizes DYNAMICALLY..

Thank you for your help.. A gen. List will do the job..

btw: it's

List<Byte[]> allScriptImages = new List<Byte[]>();

Thanks again.

Not Active26-Oct-09 8:23

Not Active

26-Oct-09 8:23

Steve51771 wrote:
Mark would be right if...

Perhaps you are incorrect in asking to do what is not possible.

only two letters away from being an asset

Steve5177126-Oct-09 13:57

26-Oct-09 13:57

Then I suppose that should have been the initial answer.. No matter... Thanks for your help...

Not Active26-Oct-09 7:06

Not Active

26-Oct-09 7:06

Steve51771 wrote:
Keep getting a NullException
Byte[][] allScriptImage = null;

Gee, I don't understand why you'd be getting a NullException here. Roll eyes | :rolleyes:

You have to initialize it somehow, like

Byte[][] allScriptImage = new Byte[4][];

only two letters away from being an asset

Steve5177126-Oct-09 7:50