Client / Server

Hi there,
I developed a project as follows:
Database: IBM-UDB
Userinterface: VB
Databasemodule: PLI-Dll
(VB calls PLI-dll calls Database) works fine if the Database and the VB(PLI) are within the same network, but slow when the database is to called via ISDN (VB and PLI are in the same network) database is in a network 200 km in a different town.
I think, it would be a good idea, to solve this with winsocks?
e.g. VB-client (network a) calls VB-server (network b) and the server loads the PLI-Dll (network b).The database resides also within network b. I tried it - it works, if the server is already started. But I've got no idea:
1. how to start the server from the client
2. what if there are more than one client
3. how to handel the server, if the client (or one of the clients) crashes?
I know, a lot of questions, but any help would be appreciated.
Regards,
Peter

you might also want to take DCOM via http into consideration.
In VB 6 the CreateObject function takes a server as an argument which allows you to create COM objects remotely.
COM offers all the environment for instantiating objects, releasing them, handling requests from multiple clients and so on...

Thank you Lothar, for your response,

but would you have a small example, just as a hint, because I'm not familiar whith COM, instanting objects and so on... (I tried to avoid this until now)
Thanks in advance
Peter