Asckey Data Services - Web App Server

The Visual DataFlex Web Application Server is a high performance, fully integrated application server for deploying browser-based applications, Web Services and service oriented architecture (SOA) solutions.

At Asckey we have built and extended the efm-Information system for the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care over the last 10 years using the VDF Web Application Server. Part of this, the Hospital Estates and Facilities Statistics is the national data warehouse for England extracted from the ERIC (Estates Return Information Collection) return. It is the main central data collection for estates and facilities services from the NHS containing information dating back to 1999/2000 and is added to as future returns are completed.

The system has all been developed and hosted by us, and Web App Server has performed extremely well as both a means of application building, and in providing the means of publishing the on-line application and its now extensive database to NHS users, and to many interested partiesr anging from the Cabinet Office to the general public - all with appropriate security and access to data provisions of course.

This extensive suite of web based applications provides access to the accumulated data by Hospital management staff for comparative benchmarking of many aspects of their Estates Management performance. The data is also available on line to the general public in response to Freedom of Information requests via a Web Application server application that either downloads the results in spread sheet format, or can email them to the requester.

About the VDF Web App Server
Web Application Server is an integrated component of Visual DataFlex, and utilizes and builds on the complete resources of the VDF development environment. This makes the VDF Studio the integrated development environment for web applications building as well as for Windows applications. In Visual Dataflex, the “business rules” code for your applications are common to Windows client-server, web applications and web services.

This single development-deployment architecture using shared components and common code means faster development, less code, easier maintenance and, overall, less complexity in building and deploying solutions.

Database Format
Web Application Server shares with Visual DataFlex the ability to use any database format with no code changes.

Security
Web Application Server’s design provides a fundamentally secure environment. Database access is only possible through the compiled application, which means that there is no possibility of malware gaining access to the database for either data access or data update, nor can it usurp the operation of the application.

AJAX and Rich Internet Applications (RIA)
The AJAX Library, supported by the VDF Web Application Server, helps developers build Rich Internet Applications (RIA) fast & easy! The AJAX Library, accessing that same underlying business rules code, and understanding the Visual DataFlex application structure enables developers to make their web applications more feature-rich, better looking and easier to use, with features such as as well controlled look up lists, multi-table data entry, and grid based data entry all catered for without needing to create complex application code to manage these features from scratch..

The AJAX Library includes both the foundation for building AJAX (and Web 2.0 applications), as well as a sample application that shows developers how to do it.

Hosting Web Applications
Asckey Data Services provides specialized hosting services for Web Application Server based Web applications – more on our hosting services here.

Visual DataFlex is created by Data Access Worldwide - http://www.dataaccess.com and supported in the UK by Asckey Data Services Ltd

Visual DataFlex Web Application Server