Client–server model: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 06:52, 27 January 2025

Revision as of 06:53, 27 January 2025

Line 1:

{{Short description|Distributed application structure in computing}}{{More citations needed|article (some sections)|date=March 2024}}[[File:Client-server-model.svg|thumb|250px|A computer network diagram of clients communicating with a server via the Internet]]

The '''client–server model''' is a [[distributed application]] structure that partitions tasks or workloads between the providers of a resource or service, called [[Server (computing)|servers]], and service requesters, called clients[[client (computing)|client]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://java.sun.com/developer/Books/jdbc/ch07.pdf|publisher=Sun Microsystem|title=Distributed Application Architecture|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110406121920/http://java.sun.com/developer/Books/jdbc/ch07.pdf|access-date=2009-06-16|archive-date=6 April 2011}}</ref> Often clients and servers communicate over a [[Computer networking device|computer network]] on separate hardware, but both client and server may be on the same device. A server [[Host (network)|host]] runs one or more server programs, which share their resources with clients. A client usually does not share any of its resources, but it requests content or service from a server. Clients, therefore, initiate communication sessions with servers, which await incoming requests.

Examples of computer applications that use the client–server model are [[email]], network printing, and the [[World Wide Web]].

==Client and server role==

The server component provides a function or service to one or many clients, which initiate requests for such services.

Servers are classified by the services they provide. For example, a [[web server]] serves [[web pagespage]]s and a [[file server]] serves [[computer filesfile]]s. A [[shared resource]] may be any of the server computer's software and electronic components, from [[Computer program|programs]] and [[Data (computing)|data]] to [[Microprocessor|processors]] and [[Data storage device|storage devices]]. The sharing of resources of a server constitutes a ''service''.

Whether a computer is a client, a server, or both, is determined by the nature of the application that requires the service functions. For example, a single computer can run a web server and file server software at the same time to serve different data to clients making different kinds of requests. The client software can also communicate with server software within the same computer.<ref>The [[X Window System]] is one example.</ref> Communication between servers, such as to synchronize data, is sometimes called. D ne..''[[inter-server]]'' ooror ''server-to-server'' communication.

==Client and server communication==