>I have a (remote) server that houses my data. I have also placed my executable file on the server. User run the .EXE file from user's (local) computer (I have a shortcut set to point to the .EXE file on the server).
>
>If I have a SQL SELECT statement (in my .EXE file):
>SELECT * FROM myTable
>data is retrieved using the server's processor or the user's local processor/computer?
>
>What I'd like to know is:
>does the server need to have a good/powerful processor (if data is retrieved using server's processor) or it makes more sense to have a good/powerful user computer (if processing happens at the user's end).
>

Unless the processing is executed remotely at the server via a tool such as DCOM or via a database backend product, the data is processed by the client, and data sets must pass over the communications media to make it available on the client system. If the data is then saved to a new file on the server, it must make the return trip from the client to the server computer's disk across the wire.

Unless you use a backend database engine, your biggest concerns are bandwidth and contention for the wire.