Client/Server Architecture

Advent of Client/Server Technology

In systems centralised around mainframe, a
no. of dumb terminals used to be connected
to a powerful server, which performed all the
processing
It became increasingly difficult to keep up
pace with changing scenarios (business rules,
technologies etc.) as modifying these systems
was a time consuming activity and besides
affected all the users
Advent of Client/Server Technology
With the advent of PCs, the processing could be
distributed between client and server, which accrued
several benefits

A powerful Graphical User Interface (GUI) could be
provided to the user instead of Character based
interface, which was user-friendly
The processing could be distributed between client
and server, thus taking some load off the server
Advent of Client/Server Technology
Improved information access
Increased productivity
Quick reponse to changing market place
Rapid application development

The Tiers
Applications can be logically distributed into
several layers, each of which is known as a
Tier
Windows DNA refers to these tiers as -
User Services
Business Services
Data Services
Two-Tier Architecture
In a Two-Tier Architecture the applications
are mostly divided into a user-services tier
and a data-services tier
The application logic resides either in the user
interface or on the server, producing two
models:
Fat Client (UserInterface + Business Logic on
client & database logic on the server)
Fat Server (User Interface logic on client &
business+database logic on server)

Client-Server Models
Distributed Presentation
Remote Presentation
Distributed Logic
Remote Data
Distributed Data
Client-Server Models
Client
1 3 2 4 5
EUD
EUD
EUD EUD EUD EUD
BL
D D D D
D
D
BL BL
BL BL BL
Network
Server
Three-Tier Architecture
In a three tier architecture the business
services are assigned a separate tier called
middle tier and is handled by middleware like
MTS and IIS


Three-Tier Architecture
From Two-Tier to N-Tier