Client Server

Systems
 Definition:
A Client/Server computing is a software-based
architecture which enables distributed computing
resources on a network to share common resources
among groups of users at intelligent workstations.
 According to the definitions, there are four building
blocks of a C/S system:
 Intelligent workstations (clients) as the user’s contact point
 Common resources (Servers) performing specialized tasks for
devices requesting their services.
 Networks connecting the clients and servers.
 Software applications connecting there three components to
create a single (logical) architecture.
Benefits of Client/Server computing:
 Adaptability:
It has the ability to adapt the computing environment to meet the needs of an ever-
changing business environment.
 Reduced operating costs:
Expensive large systems can be replaced with less expensive smaller ones
networked together in a C/S environment.
 Platform Independence:
With C/S systems comes the need for open systems and industry standards which
frees you from a single vendor’s proprietary hardware and software environment.
 Improved Performance:
With more processing power scattered throughout the enterprise, you expect to
process information more quickly with faster response time. With open networked
systems and lower component costs, you can quickly add resources where they are
needed to easily fix performance bottlenecks and increase OLTP times.
 Easier data Access and Processing:
With the advent of GUIs, the major benefits are reduced staff training costs and the
spreading of computer usage to a wider audience. With more interactivity, more
people are able to access more data more quickly than ever before.
 Decentralized Operations:
Decentralizing IT operations puts computing power and data access in the hands of
the users, transforming clerical workers into knowledge workers.
Costs of Client/Server computing:
 New Hardware:
C/S computing requires the replacement of older character
terminals and the purchase of servers.
 New Software:
To empower workers, investment in productivity tools can quickly
add up to large sums. Also every year major upgrades are
introduced every year.
 New Networking:
Laying LAN and WAN infrastructures is only part of the cost. The
rest is found in network operating systems and their support staff
which is ongoing cost.
 New Training:
Whenever there is a change, education and training is required to
realize the benefits. An investment in new workstations, operating
and networking systems, requires a similar investment in new
skills training for employees.
Developers and system integrators will be asked
to develop systems that should meet the
following ends:
 Make the system platform and protocol independent.
 Enable connections across systems and users.
 Hide the process and make the application
transparent.
 Secure business transactions.
 Ensure future growth as the user demand increases.
 Enable Internet and intranet access.
Two-tiered architecture:
 A two-tiered architecture is the traditional C/S
environment that divides the application into the
GUI (client) and the Data (Server). The GUI can
be developed using a product like Visual Basic
or PowerBuilder and the Data can be setup
using a DBMS.
 The GUI is often referred to as the Presentation
Layer. In the 2-tiered architecture, all the pieces
of the application are either on the client (tier 1)
or server (tier 2).
 The advantages of two-tiered systems are there are only
two components, the client and the server to deal with.
So in most cases there will be only two vendors, the GUI
vendor and the DBMS vendor. Developers do not have
to learn multiple products. Development time is faster.

 The disadvantages of two-tiered systems are if the

business rules are written on the DBMS, then changing
the DBMS (say from Oracle to Sybase) requires the
rules to be changed. The same applies for the rules
residing on the client. You cannot change from Visual
Basic to PowerBuilder without redoing the business rules
for PowerBuilder. Also scalability of the application is a
major problem.
Three-tiered architecture:
 A three-tiered architecture is when an
application is divided into three logical
categories or tiers. The components of this
architecture are:
 The Presentation (GUI) or User services.
 Business rules or Business services.

 Data Server or Data services.

 1. Presentation (GUI) o User services:
This layer makes calls to business rules
tier to act upon the data and request
business objects in a business-like way.
This tier is more concerned with providing
and presenting the users with solutions to
business problems than with the details of
the way in which the problem was solved.
 2. Business Services tier or Business rules:
This tier encapsulate the business rules and
process, thus, providing clarity of purpose for
each individual object. A collection of detailed
business objects, called components are mixed
with many other components at this level.
Various business solutions call upon one or
more of these business components, thorough
the user-services tier, to provide a solution.
 3. Data services Tier or Business Data:
Data business objects or servers are
thought of only in terms of databases. The
data services tier consists of data in any
form.
 The disadvantage of three-tier architecture is the
setup cost. Also the administration of the three-
tiered system can be more complex than the
two-tiered one. Also, the technologies used are
newer and the skill set in the industry is often
scarce and hence expensive.
 The three-tiered architecture is mainly used for
Enterprise-wide applications.
 The actual selection of the architecture should
be done only after examining the user’s goals,
the application, the size, scalability needs,
growth pattern of the organization, etc.