The Client/Server

Database
Presented by:-
RAVI RANJAN
09GCMA072
Client Server Technology
• The term client/server was first used in the 1980s
in reference to personal computers (PCs) on a
network.
• The actual client/server model started gaining
acceptance in the late 1980s.

• The client/server software architecture is a

versatile, message-based and modular
infrastructure that is intended to improve
usability, flexibility, interoperability, and
scalability as compared to centralized,mainframe,
time sharing computing.
• Client - A client is a single-user workstation that
provides presentation services and the appropriate
computing, connectivity and the database services and
the interfaces relevant to the business need.
• Server- A server is one or more multi-user processors
with share memory providing computing, connectivity
and the database services and the interfaces relevant to
the business need.
“Client/server computing is the most effective source for
the tools that empower employees with authority and
responsibility.”
 Client/Server Systems

• Networked computing model

• Processes distributed between clients and
servers
• Client–Workstation (usually a PC) that
requests and uses a service
• Server–Computer (PC/mini/mainframe) that
provides a service
• For DBMS, server is a database server
 Components

• Clients
• Servers
• Communication Networks

Server

Client
 Client/Server Architectures
Client does
extensive processing
• File Server Architecture

• Database Server Architecture

• Three-tier Architecture
Client does little
processing

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 File Server Architecture

• All processing is done at the PC that requested the

data
• Entire files are transferred from the server to the
client for processing
• Problems:
– Huge amount of data transfer on the network
– Each client must contain full DBMS
• Heavy resource demand on clients
• Client DBMSs must recognize shared locks, integrity checks, etc.

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 Figure 9-2 File Server Architecture

FAT CLIENT

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 Advantage of Client/Server
Technology
• Improved information access

• Increased productivity

• Quick response to changing market place

• Rapid application development

 Two-Tier Database Server Architectures

• Client is responsible for

– I/O processing logic
– Some business rules logic
• Server performs all data storage and
access processing
 DBMS is only on server

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 Advantages of Two-Tier Approach

• Clients do not have to be as powerful

• Greatly reduces data traffic on the network
• Improved data integrity since it is all processed
centrally
• Stored procedures  DBMS code that
performs some business rules done on server

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 Figure 9-3 Two-tier database server architecture

Thinner
clients

DBMS only
on server

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 Diff between fat & thin client
Clients and servers may be ``fat’’ or ``thin’’. Fat clients use up space on
each client they run on, may have complex installation requirements, etc
(e.g. Netscape 3.0). Thin clients have reduced functionality, but are easier
to manage .The network computer model favours thin clients. A fat client
is a client that contains a lot of software and does a lot of processing. An
example of a fat client is a workstation running Microsoft Word, editing a
document that is stored on a file server. Although a server is involved,
most of the software and processing occur on the client workstation. A fat
server is a server that runs a lot of software and does a lot of processing. A
classic mainframe application is an example of a fat server. Almost all the
processing occurs on the server. The client simply displays data and
accepts user input. (In mainframe applications, even input editing is done
on the server.)
 Three-Tier Architectures

GUI interface Browser

Client (I/O processing)

Application server Business rules Web Server

Database server Data storage DBMS

Thin Client
 PC just for user interface and a little application
processing. Limited or no data storage (sometimes no
hard drive)
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 Figure 9-4 Three-tier architecture

Thinnest
clients

Business rules on
separate server

DBMS only on DB
server

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 Advantages of Three-Tier
Architectures
• Scalability ( Middle tier can be reduce the load on a data base server by
using transaction processing monitor to reduce the number of connections
to a server)
• Technological flexibility ( Easier to change DBMS engine, middle tier can
even be moved to a different platform)
• Long-term cost reduction ( middle tier can reduce costs as can substitution
of modules within an application rather than entire application)
• Better match of systems to business needs ( New modules can bulit to
support specific needs rather than building more general, complete
applications)
• Improved customer service ( Multiple interfaces on different clients can
access the same business application)
• Competitive advantage ( The ability to react to business changes quickly by
changing small modules of code rather than entire applications can be used
to gain a competitive advantage)
• Reduced risk

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 Conclusion
• Client server basically is used for
communication from one system to another.
• One client can communicate with more than
one server at a time.
THANK YOU