Difference between connected and disconnected architecture in ado.net

In this tutorial, we will talk about the "Difference between connected and disconnected architecture in ado.net with example". If you are new to the .net language or working as a software developer you must know about connected and disconnect architecture.

In .Net These two architecture helps us to establish the connection between application and database like SQL Server.

You are working in any company, mainly on projects we use disconnected architecture to retrieve data from the database. 

ADO.NET provides two approaches to accessing and manipulating data stored in databases: connected architecture and disconnected architecture.

Connected architecture: In this approach, the application maintains a continuous connection to the database. All database operations are performed on this open connection. The data is fetched, updated, inserted, or deleted in real time.

Disconnected architecture: In this approach, the application does not maintain a continuous connection to the database. Instead, data is retrieved into a disconnected data structure, such as a DataSet, which can be manipulated and updated without an open connection to the database. The changes are then persisted back to the database when a connection is re-established.

The main advantage of the disconnected architecture is improved scalability and the ability to work with data even when the connection to the database is temporarily lost. On the other hand, the connected architecture is simpler to implement and provides better performance for small applications that do not need to handle a large volume of data.

The disconnected architecture is often preferred for multi-tier applications, where the data access logic is separated from the presentation logic and business logic. The disconnected data can be cached in memory on the middle tier, reducing the overhead of round trips to the database and improving performance. Additionally, disconnected data structures are also useful in scenarios where a large volume of data needs to be processed and it is not feasible to load all the data into memory at once.

In contrast, the connected architecture is more appropriate for small applications that do not require complex data processing and can be implemented with a simple, direct connection to the database. This architecture is also suitable for applications that require real-time data access, as the application can immediately reflect any changes made to the data in the database.

In summary, the choice between connected and disconnected architecture depends on the requirements and scale of the application, as well as the complexity of the data access and processing logic.

It's also worth noting that the disconnected architecture can have a higher memory footprint as it requires loading data into memory in a disconnected data set, which can be large in size compared to the connected architecture. This can also lead to increased latency when making updates to the data, as the changes must be persisted back to the database.

Here is a simple example to demonstrate the difference between connected and disconnected architecture in ADO.NET

Connected architecture example:

           using (SqlConnection connection = new SqlConnection(connectionString))

            {

                connection.Open();

 

                SqlCommand command = new SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM Customers", connection);

 

                using (SqlDataReader reader = command.ExecuteReader())

                {

                    while (reader.Read())

                    {

                        Console.WriteLine(reader["CustomerName"]);

                    }

                }

            }

Disconnected architecture example:

           using (SqlConnection connection = new SqlConnection(connectionString))

            {

                connection.Open();

                SqlCommand command = new SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM Customers", connection);

                SqlDataAdapter adapter = new SqlDataAdapter(command);

                DataSet dataSet = new DataSet();

                adapter.Fill(dataSet, "Customers");

                // Work with the data in the DataSet

                // ...

                // Persist any changes made to the data back to the database

                SqlCommandBuilder commandBuilder = new SqlCommandBuilder(adapter);

                adapter.Update(dataSet, "Customers");

            }

In this example, the connected architecture uses a SqlConnection and SqlCommand to directly fetch data from the database, while the disconnected architecture uses a SqlDataAdapter to load data into a DataSet and then persist any changes made to the data back to the database.

On the other hand, the connected architecture can result in reduced performance and scalability due to the continuous connection to the database and the need to manage and maintain this connection. This can also lead to increased resource consumption and a higher risk of deadlocks or resource conflicts in multi-user environments.

In practice, a hybrid approach that uses both the connected and disconnected architecture may be appropriate, depending on the specific requirements of the application. For example, an application could use the connected architecture for real-time data access and manipulation, and the disconnected architecture for background data processing and analysis.

In conclusion, the choice between connected and disconnected architecture in ADO.NET should be based on a thorough understanding of the requirements and constraints of the application, as well as the trade-offs between performance, scalability, and ease of implementation.