Multitenancy is a networking principle where a server runs a single version of a software program, accessed by client computers via the server. Benefits include cost savings and data consistency, but there is a risk of excessive dependence on network resources. The server bears most of the hardware load, allowing client computers to use less powerful hardware. The biggest drawback is the over-reliance on the network for productivity.
Multitenanacy is a networking principle where a server runs a single version of a software program and client computers are unable to run the program themselves. Client computers on the network can access this program only via the server version. In a non-multitenancy network, each client computer would host and run its own version of the program. The benefits of running a multitenancy system include cost savings and data consistency benefits. Some of the downsides of this setup include excessive dependence on network resources, which harms computers if they lose connection to the network.
In a multi-tenancy network, the hardware load for running specific software is mostly shifted to the server computer. Since the server computer is the only one running the program, it is under the most stress while running the program. Other computers on the network consume much less memory and processor overhead; this essentially allows them to “unwind” while the server computer takes on the burden. For this reason, the hardware installed on client computers, or “tenants,” need not be as powerful as the hardware on client computers running a non-multitenancy system. When stacked across multiple client computers on a network, this cost savings can be substantial.
Another benefit of multi-tenancy computing is establishing data consistency across the network, simplifying the data extraction process. Data mining involves looking for trends in a large subset of data. On networks that don’t use multi-tenancy practices, this can prove difficult, as each computer will contain its own separate database file that must be “extracted” to locate the desired information. When mining on a multitenancy-enabled network, the only database will be the central one located on the server. This is because the server will be the only computer running an actual version of the program.
The biggest drawback of a multi-tenant network is the over-reliance on the network to ensure productivity. Because tenant client computers rely on the server for access to running applications, any interruption in the network will effectively prevent the client computer from using the program in question. On a non-multi-tenant network, any disruption in network connectivity would not have proved nearly as disastrous, as each disconnected client computer could continue to run its own independent version of the software program.
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