Experiment-3

Aim :- Introduction to Client-Server Architecture, Peer- to- Peer Networking, Hybrid Networking, Direct Cable Connection.

Client-Server Architecture:
The client-server software architecture model distinguishes client systems from server systems, which communicate over a computer network. A client-server application is a distributed system comprising both client and server software. A client software process may initiate a communication session, while the server waits for requests from any client. Client-server describes the relationship between two computer programs in which one program, the client program, makes a service request to another, the server program. Standard networked functions such as email exchange, web access and database access, are based on the client-server model. For example, a web browser is a client program at the user computer that may access information at any web server in the world. The client-server model has become one of the central ideas of network computing. Most business applications being written today use the client-server model. So do the Internet's main application protocols, such as HTTP, SMTP, Telnet, DNS, etc. In marketing, the term has been used to distinguish distributed computing by smaller dispersed computers from the "monolithic" centralized computing of mainframe computers. But this distinction has largely disappeared as mainframes and their applications have also turned to the client-server model and become part of network computing. Each instance of the client software can send data requests to one or more connected servers. In turn, the servers can accept these requests, process them, and return the requested information to the client. Although this concept can be applied for a variety of reasons to many different kinds of applications, the architecture remains fundamentally the same.

The most basic type of client-server architecture employs only two types of hosts: clients and servers. This type of architecture is sometimes referred to as two-tier. It allows devices to share files and resources. The two tier architecture means that the client acts as one tier and application in combination with server acts as another tier. When both the client- and server-software are running on the same computer, this is called a single seat setup. Specific types of clients include web browsers, email clients, and online chat clients. Specific types of servers include web servers, ftp servers, application servers, database servers, mail servers, file servers, print servers, and terminal servers. Most web services are also types of servers.

Peer-to-Peer Networking:
A peer-to-peer (or P2P) computer network uses diverse connectivity between participants in a network and the cumulative band widthof network participants rather than conventional centralized resources where a relatively low number of server provide the core value to a service or application. P2P networks are typically used for connecting nodes via largely ad hoc connections. Such networks are useful for many purposes. Sharing content files containing audio, video, data or anything in digital format is very common, and real time data, such as telephony traffic, is also passed using P2P technology. A type of network architecture is known as peer-to-peer, because each host or instance of the program can simultaneously act as both a client and a server, and because each has equivalent responsibilities and status. Peer-to-peer architectures are often abbreviated using the acronym P2P. Both client-server and P2P architectures are in wide usage today. You can find more details in Comparison of Centralized (Client-Server) and Decentralized (Peer-to-Peer).

A pure P2P network does not have the notion of clients or servers but only equal peer nodes that simultaneously function as both "clients" and "servers" to the other nodes on the network. This model of network arrangement differs from the client-server model where communication is usually to and from a central server. A typical example of a file transfer that is not P2P is an FTP server where the client and server programs are quite distinct: the clients initiate the download/uploads, and the servers react to and satisfy these requests. However, the news server system acted in a clientserver form when individual users accessed a local news server to read and post articles. The same consideration applies to SMTP email in the sense that the core email relaying network of Mail transfer agents follows a P2P model while the periphery of e-mail clients and their direct connections is client-server.

ADVANTAGES:
Peer-to-peer networking has the following advantages over client/server networking: Content and resources can be shared from both the center and the edge of the network. In client/server networking, content and resources are typically shared from only the center of the network. A network of peers is easily scaled and more reliable than a single server. A single server is subject to a single point of failure or can be a bottleneck in times of high network utilization. A network of peers can share its processor, consolidating computing resources for distributed computing tasks, rather than relying on a single computer, such as a supercomputer. Shared resources of peer computers can be directly accessed. Rather than sharing a file stored on a central server, a peer can share the file directly from its local storage. Peer-to-peer networking solves the following problems: Allows the processing resources of edge computers to be utilized for distributed computing tasks.

Allows local resources to be shared directly, without the need for intermediate servers. Allows efficient multipoint communication without having to rely on IP multicast infrastructure.

Hybrid Networking:
A hybrid network is a local area network (LAN) containing a mix of both wired and wireless client devices. In home networks, wired computers and other devices generally connect with Ethernet cables, while wireless devices normally use WiFi technology. It refers to any computer network that contains two or more different communications standards. In this case, the hybrid network uses both Ethernet (802.3) and Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g) standards. A hybrid network relies on special hybrid routers, hubs and switches to connect both wired and wireless computers and other network-enabled devices.

Direct Cable Connection:

A direct cable connection is a link between the input/output (I/O) ports of two computers by using a single cable rather than a modem or other interfacing device. Direct Cable Connection (DCC), is a feature that allows a computer to transfer and share files (or connected printers) with another computer, via a connection using either the serial port, parallel port or the infrared port of each computer.