The final drawback to file-server-based systems is stability. Because there is no centralized control over locking and transactions, the failure of a single workstation can result in corruption to parts of the database. Developers familiar with Clipper-based local table applications occasionally encounter errors such as corrupt or out-of-date indexes.

The issue of stability disappears almost completely when the Advantage Database Server is involved. In these applications, ADS itself is managing the data, and failure of an individual workstation or the network simply cannot harm the data.