To determine the initial configuration of the IMSMA<sup>NG</sup> system, it is important to understand the two ways in which IMSMA<sup>NG</sup> can be set up and the basic architecture of the system. IMSMA<sup>NG</sup> is a client-/server software application designed to run in stand-alone or client-/server mode. In a stand-alone system, both the IMSMA<sup>NG</sup> client and server are installed on the '''same''' computer. The stand-alone configuration is the simpler type of installation: it requires no additional network equipment or infrastructure and is easy to maintain.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Comparison of Stand-alone and Client-Server /server Configuration Options
! Configuration
! Advantages
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In a client-/server configuration, one computer acts as a server and many other computers can connect to it simultaneously over a network, enabling multiple people to access the same data at the same time. A client-/server installation requires at least two computers and a network infrastructure connecting the computers together. Using a client-/server installation, a mine action programme can have multiple data entry clerks entering data at the same time.