Deploying a world to a client/server architecture on a local or networked drive results in a two-tier architecture, as shown in the following diagram.
An end user accesses a QMF Visionary world by opening its world file (.vis). The end user views a world with QMF Visionary WorldView. QMF Visionary WorldView communicates with the database server through ODBC/QMF-based connectivity.
The world file (.vis) contains the published world. It can either be located on the client computers or be accessible from a networked drive; every client computer can have a copy of the same world file, or all clients can access the same world file from a networked drive.
The advantage of keeping the world file on a networked drive is that the world file is automatically updated when it is republished. You need to update the world files on client computers one by one.