Navision Architecture -- 2-Tier? N-Tier?

atre · 2005-04-01

Can we say that Navision is a N-Tier solution since we have a "Application Server (NAS)"?

And genenally, what will be the most popular configuration for Navision installation -- Client/ server or single-User installation?

Thanks!

kine · 2005-04-01

If you use NAS, you can say that it is 3-tier application.

In most cases there is Client/Server installation (customers). Sometime there is many single-users database (NSC, develop enviroment)... :-)

DenSter · 2005-04-01

I don't agree with that, since no client is going to connect to Navision through the NAS, but everybody in the Navision world is saying it is a 3 tier architecture, so I guess you'd get away with it simply because everybody says it.

mestre · 2005-04-02

For me only with the SQL option we start to have a client / server application.

with standart DB we have a file application.

kine · 2005-04-04

mestre wrote:

For me only with the SQL option we start to have a client / server application.

with standart DB we have a file application.

I don't agree... you forget that Navision Server is normal DB server... it is same level as MS SQL... you never read the database file directly. There is still DBMS in background...

mestre · 2005-04-04

Yes, but the application still works like a file application.

kine · 2005-04-04

What is it "file application"? Please, define...

GoMaD · 2005-04-04

The thing is that the NAS executes a fixed batch of C/AL coding which is triggered by an event.

If you look at it this way the NAS solution does not qualify as an 3-tier application.

(It's just sales lingo) :-s #-o

Regards

kine · 2005-04-04

I think, that to say if it is 3-tier or not, we must look at definition of 3-tier application.

Definition from whatis.com:

A 3-tier application is an application program that is organized into three major parts, each of which is distributed to a different place or places in a network. The three parts are:

* The workstation or presentation interface
* The business logic
* The database and programming related to managing it

Standard Navision: Presentation interface and business logic are in client = 2-tier application

NAS used with another application:
Presentation interface is some web page or other 3rd party product, business logic is Application server with C/AL code, database is MS SQL or Native DB = 3-tier application... :-)

GoMaD · 2005-04-04

Theoretically i can agree with you, but when you look at the whole 2-tier N-tier discussion it always comes down to the following:

Is an application capable of scaling from a 2-tier to a N-tier application and then the answer is NO because of the fact that the NAS can olny execute a fixed batch of C/AL code and not the total business logic that is in the DB.

:-k

kine · 2005-04-04

It depend on the functionality of the NAS. You can create such a functionality, that will be able to run everything in C/AL code (can call all triggers on tables, run codeunits etc.) - not fully as Client but enough to mark it as business logic... :-)

Conclusion:

Navision is only partly 3-tier application (it is 2-tier application with part able to work as 3-tier).

Do you agree? :-k

GoMaD · 2005-04-04

the concensus is reached !!

\:D/ =D>

i can find myself in this conclusion

csearle · 2005-07-20

The training docs for the installation and configuration test say the following:

Navision is a 2 tier architecture - Client / Server
NAS is a Middle Tier server supporting an N-Tier Architecture

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Navision Architecture -- 2-Tier? N-Tier?

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