>Usually, when we write an application, we connect to a remote datasource when
>user starts an application and disconnect when user finishes. Otherwise, we'll >get a perfomance problem. Do you think it reasonable to connect just before >updates, deletes, inserts, and queries and disconnect immediately after?

Sure. Why should your server maintain the overhead for a connection that is idle. This is one of the features of MTS, the ability to pool connections. Even if you don't use MTS, there is still a benefit in only connecting when you need to update/fetch data.