2.2. Options

Before using AgileTrack, it is important to understand that it can be run in a few basic setups:

1. A client can have a local HSQL database (only works for single use)
2. A set up clients can directly connect to a shared database on a central server (simplest multi-user configuration)
3. An AgileTrack Server can be installed which insulates the database, and provides some additional features (most complex and powerful configuration)

In a single user environment there aren't many reasons to use the server.

Here are some considerations to make before using the AgileTrack Server in a multi-user environment.

• For collaboration through the internet, the AgileTrack Server provides a secure method for clients to share data without requiring exposing a backend database directly.
• The AgileTrack Server provides JSON-RPC and XML-RPC access interfaces that can potentially be used as integration points with other systems.
• In some cases, the server can provide better performance than a direct connection to a remote database. This assumes the server has a low latency connection to the database, but the remote clients do not. The JSON-RPC and XML-RPC interfaces are higher level and require fewer round-trips to interact with the database than with a direct connection. However, in most LAN environments, there wouldn't be any noticeable performance difference.

Next Section: 2.3. Client Installation