client/server

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 does the Internet's main program, TCP/IP. 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.

In the usual client/server model, one server, sometimes called a daemon, is activated and awaits client requests. Typically, multiple client programs share the services of a common server program. Both client programs and server programs are often part of a larger program or application. Relative to the Internet, your Web browser is a client program that requests services (the sending of Web pages or files) from a Web server (which technically is called a Hypertext Transport Protocol or HTTP server) in another computer somewhere on the Internet. Similarly, your computer with TCP/IP installed allows you to make client requests for files from File Transfer Protocol (FTP) servers in other computers on the Internet.

Other program relationship models included master/slave, with one program being in charge of all other programs, and peer-to-peer, with either of two programs able to initiate a transaction.

Getting started with client/servers

To explore how client/servers are used in the enterprise, here are some additional resources:

How server virtualization improves efficiency in a client-server model: Here an experienced network expert explains how virtualization can optimize productivity in this expert response.

Slow response times from client/server PC's running IFS applications: How do you find out the culprit of a network delays when you see little bandwidth being used? Read this Q&A to see what an experienced network administrating expert has to say.

Learn more about Network Administration

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More resources from around the web: - The Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie-Mellon University offers an overview of client/server software architectures.

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