What is client server paradigm?
Client server architecture is mostly referred for distributed applications, wherein one application request a service from another application. Generally, the requesting application is called client and application providing services is called server. Server applications are capable of providing services to large number of clients e.g. google’s gmail server is capable of serving large number of gmail clients (web client or mobile client etc). Client and server may be residing at different geographical locations and connected to each other via internet like facebook server may be running (or hosted) in USA and we can able to access facebook using web client from Singapore.
In layman’s term, anybody who is capable of providing the services is known as a server and system who is in need of service(s) is known as client. The server is capable of serving the request of its clients.
How client & servers work in tandem?
- Client raises the request to the server or service
- Server receives the request
- Server process the request
- Server prepare the response and sends back to the Client.
- Client parses the response
- Request response process is completed.
Generally, Server machine are more advance in their processing power than standard home computers. E.g. server machine have high end processors/cores, RAM, hard disks etc. The server’s hardware machine cannot perform anything on its own. The server machines are dumb terminals. The Server machine is like Human being without brain.
Where is brain of Server machine?
We develop software, which provides the services to client e.g. mailing server like hotmail or yahoo or FTP Server. The Software gets installed on Server machine, which uses the hardware capabilities of the server machine. The Software running on the Server machines makes the server machine special. The hardware capabilities of server increase the processing power and hence decrease processing time to service the requests. Evidently, server machines have high end processors, graphics, memory capabilities etc.
Example of Client Server paradigm:
- The Services like GMail, Facebook, Yahoo, Amazon, Google act as Servers
- Web or mobile client like login account of GMail or Facebook or Yahoo will act as Client.
