Windows Smart Clients

The smart client runs like the rich client, that is, they work the exact same way, but the smart client uses the ClickOnce™ installation. This technology lets you have the same functionality as the rich client, but without having to install FactoryStudio on your computer.

The first time you access the application, the system automatically downloads the necessary components to run the application. The next time you access the application, the system verifies if the local cache is the same version of the application that is on the server, and if necessary, updates the local cache before running the application. If the version is the same, the application starts immediately.

Table 2: Windows smart client deployment
Installation	No installation required. You just need .NET Framework 4.0 and Internet Explorer 8.0 or later on the client computer. The first time you start the application, it will automatically download the required components from the server. Every time the application starts, it verifies automatically if a new version is available on the server.
How to start	From Internet Explorer (or a shortcut) go to the URL: http://<ServerIPAddressorName>/fs-2014.1/TSmartClient.application For an example of how to automatically start the client when a user logs in to Windows, see Automatically Starting Windows Clients.
Execution	Runs exactly the same as the rich client. The functionality of the rich client and the smart client are the same; only the installation and activation methods are different.
Communication	Communicates with the server using WCF (port configurable, default 3101).