Client/Server Distributed Systems

240-322, Semester 1, 2005-2006

1. The Client Server Model

(Chapters 1 and 2, Berson)

Objectives
introduce the client/server model
give an overview of DCE and Java RMI

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 Overview
1. Client/Server Basics
2. Client/Server in More Detail
3. Client/Server Summary
4. Standards Organisations
5. DCE

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 1. Client/Server Basics

A first examination of client/server

functionality.

A brief definition:
A server is a program (or collection of
cooperating programs) that provides services
and/or manages resources on the behalf of other
programs (its clients).

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 1.1. Client/Server Environment

clients

LAN
or WAN
network

Berson, Server Data

Fig 1.4, p.8
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 1.2. Example

The ATM network:

the clients are the ATM machines
user interfaces;

some simple application processing

the server is at the bank

most application processing;

very large database of customer accounts

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 1.3. Architectural Requirements

Reliable, robust communication between the clients

and server.
Client/server cooperation
started by the client
Application processing is usually distributed
between a client and the server.
Server controls services/data that the client accesses.
Server handles conflicting requests.

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 1.4. Recent Client/Servers Architectures

More complex networking

LAN, WAN Web, Internet
client mobility

More complex data structures

relational multimedia, OO, deductive
size
distributed databases
parallelism

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continued 7
 Separation of business logic (i.e. program
code for manipulating data) from the data
3-tier (multi-tier) architectures
distributed business logic

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 2. Client/Server in More Detail
2.1. Converting a Database App.
2.2. Component Placement?
2.3. The 2-tier Model
2.4. The 3-tier Model
2.5. Locating the Business Logic
2.6. Locating the Data
2.7. Multi-tier Model

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 2.1. Converting a Database App.

Presentation Logic
Stand-alone Business Logic
Application Database Logic Data
DBMS base

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 Different client/server models are obtained by
locating different components and combinations
of the application on the client and server(s).

In general:
presentation logic stays on the client
DBMS and database move to the server
parts of the business and database logic that can be used by
several clients are placed on the server

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 2.2. Component Placement?

How much data is required by the local

application?
How many application users require the same
data?
How many interactions occur between the
application parts?
Technical issues
platforms, networking

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 2.3. The 2-tier Model Fig. 2.3, p.41

Client
Server
Presentation Logic
Database Logic
Business Logic
DBMS
Database Logic

Data
base

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 Points
The database is on the server
could some of it be moved to the client?
Distributed database logic
most of it is on the client
The client does the presentation.
Fat versus thin clients.
Much simpler if all the database servers are the
same (homogenous).

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 Drawbacks

It is difficult to build heterogeneous database

environments.

Transaction processing is limited by the DBMS.

Asynchronous processing is difficult

i.e. the client doesnt wait for the servers answer

Scaleability?

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 2.4. The 3-tier Model Fig. 1.6, p.12

UNIX

Clients ServerServer
Win/NT Data Data

Application servers Data Servers

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 The 3-tier Model Again
Fig.2.6, p.48
Price/Performance Greater Integrity
Functionality Security
Local Autonomy Mainframe Central Control
host(s)
Tier 1

Server
Tier 2
LAN

Tier 3
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 Points

The Mainframe host is usually a very

large database (or databases)
sometimes called a back-end server

The server usually holds shared

applications (application/business logic)
sometimes called the middle-tier server

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 Benefits of 3-tier over 2-tier

The application logic in the middle-tier is more

independent of the client and the back-end server
it should be more robust

The application logic in the middle-tier can work

more easily with data from multiple sources.

Encourages multiple back-end servers

encourages data distribution

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 Problems

Much more complex:

network management, data integrity,
maintenance, development

Still (partially) dependent on platforms

e.g. the client may still be restricted to a certain
application server, but not (maybe) to any data
server

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 Examples
A real ATM network
the ATM machines are the clients (as before)

the middle-tier servers provide certain processing

checking balances, money transfer requests
directing queries to the relevant back-end server

back-end server(s)
specialized by account type
very robust concurrency control, transaction processing

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continued 21
 Many Web applications are 3-tier:
the Web browser is the client software

the embedded components in Web pages (e.g.

Java applets) come from the middle-tier

the back-end server contains the

database/groupware

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 2.5. Locating the Business Logic
Fig.2.12, p.60

Server
Client
Business Logic
Presentation Logic
Database Logic
Business Logic
DBMS

Data
base
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 Three ways of distributing the business
logic (i.e. the program code):
locate it entirely on the client (fat client)
locate it entirely on the server (fat server)
split it between the client and server

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 Fat Server Advantages

Easier to update the application logic since

clients not involved.

Data is better hidden from clients.

Easier to manage and debug since data and

code is centrally located.

Reduces bandwidth problems since data

processing stays on the server.
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continued 25
 Better for mission-critical applications when

fault-tolerance and stability are important.

Encourages client simplicity and

compatibility since the server must be able
to work with many types of client.
e.g. serve Web pages without ActiveX

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 Fat Client Advantages

The server is unaffected when updates

are done to the clients application logic
the server will be more stable

Easier to program
less networking
more direct access to client platform
features, such as GUI

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 2.6. Locating the Data
Fig.2.14,p.69

Multiple Servers
Client
Database Logic
Presentation Logic
DBMS
Business Logic
Database Logic
DBMS Data
Data Data
base
base base
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 Issues

Dividing up the data.

Transparency of the distribution.

Data integrity / synchronisation /

consistency.

Data administration / management.

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 Transaction Processing

A transaction is a sequence of actions which

takes a system (usually a database) from
one consistent state to another.
e.g. change a customers record

A transaction should possess the ACID

properties:
Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability

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continued 30
 Recovery and concurrency mechanisms are
necessary, typically implemented in a
Transaction Processing Management (TPM)
system.

TPMs become very complex when data is

distributed.
ACID must be distributed as well

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 2.7. Multi-tier Model Fig.2.9,p.53

Middleware

Physical Network
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 Common New Features

Asynchronous connectivity
e.g. asynchronous RPCs

Data distribution using replication

Name/directory services for resource location

independence

More complex data types

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 More complex analysis
e.g. data mining, network characteristics

Authentication services
you must 'prove' who you are to the system

Distributed file system(s)

Time services

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 Examples
Domain-specific:
ODBC, SQL, Oracle Glue

Groupware middleware:
Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes

Object middleware:
CORBA, DCOM (more on these in part 2)

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 Mult-tier Web Applications
The Web browser is the client software on the
first tier.

Web page components come from the second

tier.

The third tier is a database front-end for a series

of fourth tier heterogeneous databases
the third tier database may have been constructed
with data mining techniques
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 3. Client/Server Summary

3.1. Recurring Issues

3.2. Advantages of Client/Server

3.3. Disadvantages of Client/Server

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 3.1. Recurring Issues

LAN, WAN, Internet scaling

Data distribution/replication
Distributed processing
System management/maintenance
Choice of middleware
Standards / open systems

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 Whats an Open System?

An open system:
complies with industry standards for
programming, communication, networking,
presentation, etc.

is designed with portability/interoperability in

mind

is scaleable

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 3.2. Advantages of Client/Server
Mainframe functionality can be made widely
available
cost benefits

Processing and data are localised on the server

reduces network traffic, response time,
bandwidth requirements

Business logic can be distributed (in 3-tier model)

reuse, portability

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 Encourages open systems

Present-day systems are too large and

involve too many users to be located on one
machine.

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 3.3. Disadvantages of Client/Server
The server becomes a bottleneck

Distributed applications are much more complex

than non-distributed ones
i.e. in development, run time, maintenance, upgrades

Requires a shift in business practises

local, simple data distributed, open, complex data

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 4. Standards Organizations

POSIX: Portable Operating Systems Interface

family of standards developed by IEEE

POSIX working groups have standardised C, UNIX

shell, networking API for sockets, real-time, threads,
etc.

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 The Open Group
consolidation of X/Open company and Open
Software Foundation (OSF)

consortium of vendors and industrial/government

users

developed API for UNIX, including XTI (X/Open

Transport Interface) network protocol

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 Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
community of network designers, operators,
vendors, and researchers
concerned with the evolution of the Internet
architecture
e.g. sockets API for IP version 6 (IPv6)
128-bit addresses, simpler header, multicasting,
authentication and security

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 ISO (International Organization for Standards)
main standards organization
e.g. communications protocol: the Open Systems
Interconnection (OSI) reference model

OMG (Object Management Group)

object-oriented standards
e.g. CORBA

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 5. DCE
The Distributed Computing Environment
developed by the OSF (late 1980s)
open
very extensive features (and complex)

Basic programming feature is the Remote

Procedure Call (RPC)
other features: name/directory services,
authentication, security, data pipes

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 DCE RPC

Client Server
Application Application Remote
RPC
code code Procedure
Stub Code Stub Code

RPC runtime RPC runtime

library library
Input Output

Network
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 Using RPC

The data structures to be passed as arguments of

the RPC call are used by a compiler to generate
the client and server stub code.

The data structures are written in a special high-

level language (simplified C types), which are
easily converted to network packets.

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 DCE Client/Server Model (v.2)
Fig 1.10, p.27
Client Server
Distributed Distributed
DCE Application DCE Application
Executive Services Data Sharing
OS and Network OS and Network
Interface Interface

Network
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 DCE Architecture Fig. 1.9, p.23
Applications
PC Integration Dist. Services

Security DFS: Dist. File Services Mgmt

Naming Time Future Core
Services Services Services

RPCs
Presentation Services
Threads Services
OS
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 5.1. Distributed File System (DFS)

Problem: how to allow a user on one system to

modify data stored on a file in another system?
User = client
Distant data is managed by a file server

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 Issues

Access security and protection

user authentication (Kerberos) + user control
Data reliability
Data availability
Performance
Management

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 5.3. More Details
There are several books from OReilly on different
aspects of DCE:
"Understanding DCE"
"Guide to Writing DCE Applications"
"Distributed Applications Across DCE
and Windows NT"
"Introduction to OSF DCE" (in PSU library)

We will look at simple RPC on UNIX later in the

course.

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