We've been doing some work to make GP more available to a wider range of customers by now supporting peer-to-peer networking with GP.

So what is a peer to peer network? A “peer to peer” (or "P2P") computer network does not have the notion of servers or clients in the traditional sense, but only equal peer “nodes” that simultaneously function as both "clients" and "servers" to the other nodes on the network. This network arrangement differs from the client-server model where communication is usually to and from a central server.  For example, Customers may setup a P2P network by connecting 3 workstations running Windows XP or Windows Vista via a network hub, with the machines communicating together by way of a workgroup (rather than being connected via a traditional domain through a true network server).

This now means that we have the option to deploy the back office application in a very cost effective manner, without the need to purchase a true server-class machine or replace their existing network infrastructure.  This means our partners can now confidently implement GP in a P2P network and reduce the total cost of deployment to the customer.

An example of how a P2P network would be set up is two Windows XP machines connected via a workgroup.  One client running SQL Express 2005, and the other the latest Microsoft Dynamics GP application.

Posted by Tom Brookes