chef solo versus client/server

[snacktime <snacktime@gmail.com>]

I'm wondering what I'd really give up by using chef solo and not running the server at all.  If I have a cron job that pulls down the latest cookbooks and dna, then runs chef solo on them, doesn't that basically accomplish the same thing on the client side as using the client and server together?    

My biggest dilemma is that when you put together my own app plus chef server, it's a lot of moving parts, and also some duplicated functionality.  For example I already have a web ui, and it already handles uploading cookbooks and json dna files.   And I already have a client/server architecture for handing off tasks to nodes, getting updates, etc..  I'm tempted to just stick with chef solo.   

Chris