title: Can I use LAMP+AJAX for a (almost) Real Time System?
body: <p>I have a current system which is build as a Windows Application, and does certain tasks in very close to real time.  There are nodes in a network that communicate with our custom server, communicating status, and sending and receiving commands.</p>
  
  <p>We are looking to move to a web deployed platform.  The nodes, say 60-100 of them, need to communicate with the server, and display to the client quickly.  I'm talking milliseconds, not seconds.  The network connection is LAN/100mbit or gigabit, with a reliably fast connection from the clients to the server.  The node communication is also small, and it already sent as XML messages, which are not huge in size, and not overwhelming in quantity.</p>
  
  <p>Our System Architect is confident, and assures us, that this can be done with LAMP + AJAX.  I personally have been involved with similar systems before, and I'm skeptical about the guarantee delivery of messages this close to real time.</p>
  
  <p>In order to have a sanity check, am I wrong?  Can this be done (well) with LAMP, or any similar language? (Not Java, I know a launched Java applet can do this).</p>