Database solution needed for client side Silverlight app.

Question

Here is my situtation:

I have a Silverlight application that was written in C# which needs to load some data from a database (or XML if possible). We currently use SQL Server to store this data in house, however, when deploying to a client we cannot use SQL Server or demand that the client install and configure SQL Server on their web server just so the Silverlight application can use it. Are there any deployable, small, database solutions available similar to Access's .mdb files that we can deploy with the .msi package so the client will have a small database solution they can use without all of the overhead of installing SQL Server?

I was thinking about using an XML document, storing the data in there on the server and then when the Silverlight application loads, loading the XML as a stream from the server into the application and from the stream into a DataSet object but I am not sure what the size limitations are when attempting to store data in an XML format. Thanks for the help :)

siaqodb admin · Answer

You need siaqodb. Siaqodb is Silverlight object database engine that store objects on client side with just one line of code and you can retrieve objects via LINQ. For more info visit http://siaqodb.com

vince gee · Answer

Did you check out www.silverlightds.com ? they have a tool to make interacting with sql from silverlight real easy.

Bechir Bejaoui · Answer

Yes it is realizable solution but it is not the optimal one I think. I don't have now a good one but I think that solution could be ameliorated

Brandon Lewis · Answer

We will implement an SQL Server solution more than likely for the client since it will be a special request. The XML will work for 99% of our clients who will only have about 2 - 3 KB files maximum. The data were storing will not necessarily continue to "grow" but just act as a data storage hub that will remain pretty much the same size for as long as the client uses it. If the client needs something much larger, then thats a case we will have to implement something special for them.

Bechir Bejaoui · Answer

So what's the adopted solution for you if the xml file grows continuly as far as the application is used?

Brandon Lewis · Answer

Thanks for your reply. As Ive tested the file, it should NEVER grow larger than 300 KB, ever. If it does, then we will implement a client specific database solution for them. So we decided to take the XML route for now since that is what will satisfy 99% of our clients needs. Thanks :)

Bechir Bejaoui · Answer

I think that you will encounter the limitation problem when using DOM within more than 500 ko xml file but the xml file it self it can be over 2 Go but the problem here is not in the volume it self but in the processor which will deal with data, can you create a dispatching data logic so the one xml file could be divided to several xml files a sort of "devide and rule"

Database solution needed for client side Silverlight app.

Answers (7)