The PL/B Application Server

With the introduction of the Sunbelt PL/B Application Server, current Visual PL/B and Linux customers can take immediate advantage of the Internet as a new medium of communication and thin client technology. The benefits of thin client computing include a reduced cost of ownership and increased flexibility for both the user and the enterprise. However, ease of management and lower cost of deployment are not the big reasons to use thin clients. The principle aim is reduced "total cost of ownership". That includes not only the up-front cost of hardware, but also the much higher prices of installing, securing, supporting, and updating the entire system over time.

The PL/B Application Server provides a split runtime allowing user interface instruction processing (KEYIN, DISPLAY, PRINT, FORMLOAD, etc.) by the client and the remaining instructions by the server. Programs execute exactly as expected although there are some limitations imposed by the environment.

The PL/B Client allows caching of PL/B PLF forms, icons, pictures, sounds, and copyfile files. All icons, pictures, sounds, and COPYFILE files are cached both in memory in a one hundred element Least Recently Used list and on disk. Files can be deleted from the cache manually with no ill effect. Resources used during a PLF FORMLOAD of a cached form will also be cached.