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A computer network diagram of clients communicating with a server via the Internet. Both the clients and the server are nodes (communication points) on the network. The arrangement of the nodes in a network is called the network topology.

The client–server model is a distributed application structure in computing that partitions tasks or workloads between the providers of a resource or service, called servers, and service requesters, called clients.^[1] Often clients and servers communicate over a computer network on separate hardware, but both client and server may reside in the same system. A server is a host that is running one or more server programs which share their resources with clients. A client does not share any of its resources, but requests a server's content or service function. Clients therefore initiate communication sessions with servers which await incoming requests.

The client–server model was developed at Xerox PARC during the 1970s. It is now prevalent in computer networks. Email, the World Wide Web, network printing are typical examples of the model.

Description [edit]

The client–server characteristic describes the relationship of cooperating programs in an application. The server component provides a function or service to one or many clients, which initiate requests for such services. The model assigns one of two roles to the computers in a network: Client or server. A server is a computer system that selectively shares its resources; a client is a computer or computer program that initiates contact with a server in order to make use of a resource. Data, CPUs, printers, and data storage devices are some examples of resources.

This sharing of computer resources is called time-sharing, because it allows multiple applications to use the computer's resources at the same time.

Clients and servers exchange messages in a request-response messaging pattern: The client sends a request, and the server returns a response. To communicate, the computers must have a common language, and they must follow rules so that both the client and the server know what to expect. The language and rules of communication are defined in a communications protocol. All client-server protocols operate in the application layer.

Whether a computer is a client, a server, or both, it can serve multiple functions. For example, a single computer can run web server and file server software at the same time to serve different data to clients making different kinds of requests. Client software can also communicate with server software on the same computer.^[2] Communication between servers, such as to synchronize data, is sometimes called inter-server or server-to-server communication.

Comparison with peer-to-peer architecture [edit]

In the client-server model, the server is a centralized system. The more simultaneous clients a server has, the more resources it needs. In a peer-to-peer network, two or more computers (called peers) pool their resources and communicate in a decentralized system. Peers are coequal nodes in a non-hierarchical network. Collectively, lesser-powered computers can share the load and provide redundancy.

Since most peers are personal computers, their shared resources may not be available consistently. Although an individual node may have variable uptime, the resource remains available as long as one or more other nodes offer it. As the availability of nodes changes, an application-layer protocol reroutes requests.

See also [edit]

• Observer pattern
• Pull technology
• Push technology
• Servent
• Service-oriented architecture
• Standalone server
• Thin client

Notes [edit]