It's resource management, not just on the client but on the server as well. It's easier for the server to manage 5 connections in a pool than 50 potentially active connections. there's also a possible issue with data integrity, as it prevents potential transactions from being left open and uncommitted, which will cause a pile up real quick. Lastly, it's jsut about general stablity from the client side. I've seen this happen, where something heavy gets dropped, it some how manages to find that one LAN cable on the floor somehow, and snip it off... I've seen routers & switches knocked over, snagged on something and ripped out of their wall sockets. Let's face it manufacturing floors are not exactly IT-friendly. Either way, it's been severed from the server. It's actually far easier to check for a connection by seeing if you can even open it, rather than assuming it is (and just because the state of the connection is "open" doesn't mean it's valid, if the line is cut, the client will continue to think it's open until you actually try to use it) and attempting to update data to a server that's suddenly no longer there.

Just my views. I see it as a stabler, consistent foundation to work from.

-tg