A client process could be an ABL client or another type of OpenEdge client such as an Open Client. Clients access the business logic of an application by requesting a service from a Business Entity (or Business Task or Business Workflow). Clients can query, add, delete, or modify data in a database. There are two types of clients:
Remote (Network): Remote clients can either be local or remote, but it cannot connect to a database directly, so it must use a server. Network clients access the database through a server process that the broker starts over a network connection. The network or remote client does not have access to shared memory, and it must communicate with a server process.
Note: OpenEdge RDBMS treats SQL clients as remote clients even if they reside on the same machine as the database.
Self-service: Self-service clients reside on the same machine as the broker, accesses the database directly through shared memory, perform both client and server functions in one process and execute application logic directly.
Remote (Network): Remote clients can either be local or remote, but it cannot connect to a database directly, so it must use a server. Network clients access the database through a server process that the broker starts over a network connection. The network or remote client does not have access to shared memory, and it must communicate with a server process.