SNOB - A SNOMED Browser
FAQ
How many concurrent client applications does SNOB Server support?
There is no limit to the number of concurrent client applications per se, but there are a number of issues that determine how many clients can be serviced within a reasonable time frame. As soon as I've done some measurements I'll report them here. In the meantime, if you have tried SNOB Server and done some measurements yourself, please let me know.
One thing is the hardware that runs SNOB Server, for instance the kind of CPU, the speed of the hard disk, the ethernet/internet connection speed, etc. Another thing is the kinds of requests made by the client applications. Retrieving information (GET request) about a concept through its SNOMED Identifier will be relatively fast, while a FIND request will be slower. The mix of these kinds of requests determines how many concurrent client applications can be served in a reasonable time.
A possible scenario that would allow an almost unlimited number of client applications and simple world-wide access to SNOMED could be the following. Suppose, all SNOMED users with computer power and internet bandwidth to spare, run a SNOB Server. At start-up these SNOB Servers send a message that they are able to receive requests to a central SNOB Server Dispatcher. Client applications first contact the SNOB Server Dispatcher and request the location of an available SNOB Server and then contact that SNOB Server. Upon accepting (or ending) a connection, a SNOB Server informs the SNOB Server Dispatcher how many clients it is servicing.