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From: marcs@slc.com (Marc San Soucie)
Subject: Re: The role of Smalltalk on a Server
Message-ID: <marcs.821050900@servio>
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Organization: GemStone Systems, Inc., Beaverton OR, USA
References: <4ce8nh$rdp@locutus.rchland.ibm.com>
Date:  7 Jan 96 21:41:40 GMT
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mikej@justv.rchland.ibm.com (Michael Jacobs) writes:

> I would be interested in opinions regarding Smalltalk applications
> running on a server.  Specifically:

> 1. Does it make sense?  Under what circumstances?  
>    I have seen opinions range from "Smalltalk on a mainframe is 
>    an oxymoron" to "We need Smalltalk on the xxx server platform yesterday."

> 2. Has anyone successfully deployed Smalltalk applications running
>    on a server?  What products were used on which operating systems?

This is GemStone's core business. GemStone is designed to support the
development of Smalltalk applications with a significant server component.
GemStone provides services to partition Smalltalk applications between the
client and GemStone, and to manage multi-user concurrency, security, large
object volumes, disk-based images, 24x7 operation, administration, and all
the other things that go hand in hand with large-scale server-based systems
deployment.

We've had customers with large-scale applications since 1987, using
VisualWorks, Visual Smalltalk, and now VisualAge. If the number and size of
our customers and their systems is any indication, I'd say there is very
strong interest in server-based Smalltalk solutions. The breadth and
variety of the application space being served is also large - payroll,
manufacturing control, utilities management, telecommunications, financial
systems, banking, scientific research, and more. Send mail for references.

As for the mainframe, it's hardly an oxymoron, though there are plenty of
ways to use Smalltalk in conjunction with (and external to) mainframes, as
some of our customers do.

    Marc San Soucie
    GemStone Systems, Inc.
    Beaverton, Oregon
    marcs@gemstone.com
