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System Architecture

The architecture of Entrypoint Plus 3.0 is based on a client-server design that communicates over TCP/IP. A relational (SQL) database, accessed via ODBC, provides data storage. The 3.0 design is a major departure from the architecture of previous versions of the product, which relied on file-server architecture to implement networking in a LAN environment. This design allows for flexible configuration, and enhanced security.

       Entrypoint Architecture

Configuration Choices

Because of the separation of client, server, and database, Entrypoint 3.0 can be installed in several different ways, depending on available hardware and company requirements. Click on a configuration choice for more information.

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Three-Tier Configuration

In a three-tier configuration, the database, server, and clients reside on different computers.

A significant advantage of this configuration is speed: putting the components on different machines reduces the workload for each.

If the database is installed on its own server it can reside on a different platform; example: the Entrypoint server resides on a Windows Server 2003 machine, and accesses a SQL database running on a mainframe, or a SQL database on a Linux cluster. The database can run on any hardware or software platform that supports ODBC.

 Three-Tier Configuration
Two-Tier Configuration

In a two-tier configuration, a single machine hosts both the server and the database, and client machines connect to that machine.  This is the most common configuration, and recommended for most installations.

 Two-Tier Configuration
Failover

Entrypoint provides limited failover support: an idle server can be connected to the database, ready to accept connections if the primary server fails (via a second DNS entry that routes traffic to the secondary server).

However, it is important to note that only one server may be active at a given time. The server and network protocol design make load balancing unnecessary.

 Failover Configuration
Small Office Setup

In this mode, a "master" machine is configured with the all of the components, but permitting external network connections. The primary advantage of this configuration is that using a single machine as both client and server eliminates the need for a separate physical machine for the server.

This configuration is recommended for low traffic environments with a small number of users.

 Small Office Configuration
Standalone System

In this configuration, all of the logical Entrypoint components (client, server, and database) are installed on a single machine—similar to the small office installation, but without external network connections. The server runs in a special mode that allows communication only via the local network interface. This installation is useful for mobile machines that may not have network access, or for remote machines where a dedicated network connection is unavailable.

Because all of the components are installed on a single machine, the hardware requirements are greater than for other installations.

 Standalone Configuration

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