ASP .NET based centralized application !!!

[jeshra279]

Hi All, I have created a windows based Hotel Management Application software in VS 2005 .NET (VB .NET) with SQL server 2005 Express as database. Now I have to upgrade this to a centralize server based application. There are 4 hotels located in different places. The application should run on all the 4 PCs and the SQL database will be centralized. i.e. Updates from the database will be available to all the 4 PCs so that user on these respective PCs can see what is the present state of any room, e.g., vaccant or occupied. For this I need some information from You all for following: 1) Do I need to build an ASP.NET based application for this? I mean, will it be like a website, which is accessible to all the 4 PCs having internet connection? 2) Any other way to create this application, as I already created this as windows based in VB .NET ? 3) How to create the centralize SQL database? Overall I want to know like, what are the steps involved to create such kind of applications and their requirement? Any links/suggestions/references/tutorials is appriciated. Thanks Raja S.

[Dinesh Mani]

You don't have to rebuild your application into a web based application. If you have already defined placed business logic and presentations classes separately, then just put a web service wrapper around your business logic and use your existing Windows Forms UI to consume the service. If not, then you will have to separate your business logic [BL] and data access[DA] code from the presentation [PL] code. Ensure that all data access from PL is done only through your BL, via DA. Now expose the BL as webservice. Creating a central database repository is something your DBA should be taking care of. If your existing DB is capable of handling data from all locations, then just hand them your existing DB scripts. Else, make necessary changes to your DB and pass on the script.

[jeshra279]

Hi, I didnot get Your idea. I am just looking for a tutorial to build such kind of application.

[ESTAN]

What he is trying to say, that it is not necessary that you create a ASP.NET application. Your current win application needs to have one kind of communication with the centralized database. For this you could use a webservice installed on that centralized server that performs the communication between the outside world and the database. And your application needs to be modified so that it can consume this webservice. In other words consult, insert, update and delete. It's nice and clean but you should think of alternatives before starting of. Communication with a webserver can expose data, you can't loose the security behind this idea.