Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Getting Started:
Database Essentials

Client type

OpenEdge supports self-service and network clients.

Self-service clients

A self-service client is a multi-user session that runs on the same machine as the broker. Self-service clients access the database directly through shared memory and not through a server. Self-service clients perform server and client functions in one process, because the server code is part of the self-service client process. The database engine provides self-service clients with nearly simultaneous access to the database.

Network clients

A network client can be local or remote but 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 client does not have access to shared memory, and it must communicate with a server process.