Client/Server Model of Computing
In the client/server computing, all clients communicate with a server in the computer network. Both the clients and server are the nodes (communication points) on the network. The arrangement of the nodes in a network is called the network topology. In client/server computing model, there are two computer which play an important role
(1) Client (2) Server
Client/Server Definition
Clients are personal computers or workstations on which users run applications. A network architecture is that in which each computer or process on the network is either a client or a server. Servers are powerful computers or processes dedicated to disk drives (file servers), printers.
Client/server model is a form of distributed computing where one
program (the client) communicates with another program server) for the purpose of exchanging information,
Client/Server Architecture
A server is a computer system that selectively shares its resources; a client Is a computer or computer program that initiates contact with a server in order to make use of a resource.
The Client/server architectures are sometimes called 2-tier architecture.
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The client’s responsibilities are usually to
- Handle the user interface.
- Translate the user’s request into the desired protocol.
- Send the request of the server.
- Wait for the server’s response.
- Translate the response into human readable format.
- Present the results to the user.
The server’s functions include
- Listen for a client’s query/request.
- Process that query/request.
- Return the results back to the client.
A typical client/server interaction goes like this
- The user runs client software to create a query.
- The client connects to the server.
- The client sends the query to the server.
- The server analyses the query.
- The server computes the results of the query.
- The server sends the results to the client.
- The client presents the results to the user.
- Repeat as necessary.
Key Points
- Specific type of clients include web browsers, e-mail clients and the online chat clients.
- Specific types of servers include web servers, FTP severs, application servers, database server, mail servers, file servers, print servers and terminal servers.
- Most web services are also types of severs.