Computer Network Architecture

Kaushalya Gnanathilake
4 min readFeb 25, 2021
Figure 01 [Source : https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pqJ8jz7lwns/maxresdefault.jpg ]

Hello guys, in this article I’m going to describe you about the definition of computer network architecture, it’s types , advantages and disadvantages.

Definition Of Computer Network Architecture

Computer network architecture is required to support distributed data processing with multiple computers in a network.

It is a highly structured framework in which a defined set of layers and protocols can be used to analyze, design and implement networks.

Types of Computer Network

There are two of the most widely used types of computer network architecture.

Figure 02 : Types of Computer Network [Source : https://www.javatpoint.com/computer-network-architecture]

(01) Peer-to-Peer Architecture (P2P)

Figure 03 : Peer-to-Peer Architecture [ Source : https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Example-of-a-peer-to-peer-network-scenario_fig1_243774238]

Definition

Peer to peer is a network in which interconnected computers share resources with each other without a centralized administration system.

Advantages

. Easy to install and configure

. Users control own shared resources

. No dedicated server

. Inexpensive to purchase and operate

. No dedicated administrators

. Difficult to handle uneven loading

. No additional software of equipment

Disadvantages

. Limited or no security

. Decentralized — No central repository for files and applications

. Hard to back up

. Not practical for large networks

. Hard to maintain version control

(02) Client Server Architecture

Definition

Client-server architecture is also known as a computer network architecture because every request and all the services connected to it are distributed over a network. The unique feature of client server architecture is many clients request and receive service from a centralized server.

How it works ?

The client computer send requests for data to the server computer via the internet. Then the server accepts the request and it is processed .The request data packets are delivered back to the client computer. The server computer has the ability to manage a number of clients. It is one special feature of a server computer. A single client can connect to multiple servers at one time frame, here each server provides different services to the client.

Figure 04 : Client Server Architecture [ Source : https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Structure-of-the-centralized-server-client-model_fig5_328468453]

Advantages

. Centralization: All the information needed for the network is located in a single location. This is major benefit for the network administrator. All the problems in the entire network can be fixed in one place. Therefore it makes more easier to update data and share resources.

. Easy to maintain : Client-server architecture is distributed model. It is representing dispersed responsibilities among client computers integrated though a network. So Client server architecture easy to replace, repair and upgrade. Also It is relocate a server while client remains unaffected.

. Security : Server computers have higher quality resources and control access. By that ensures that only clients can access or handle the data.

Disadvantages

. Requires specialized softwires.

. Requires more powerful, expensive for the server computer.

Types Of Client Server Architecture

There are different types of client server architecture that can be named as follows.

(i) One tier architecture

In one tier architecture the data logics and user interface are exist in a same system. It is cheaper to maintain such an architecture.

Figure 05 : one tier architecture [ Source:https://sites.google.com/site/clientserverarchitecture/types-of-client-server-architecture ]

(ii) Two tier architecture

In two tire architecture client server environment user interface is stored at client machine and database are stored on server.

Figure 06 : two tier architecture [ Source:https://sites.google.com/site/clientserverarchitecture/types-of-client-server-architecture ]

(iii) Three tier architecture

In three tier architecture client server environment an additional middle-ware is used that means client request goes to server through that middle layer and the response of server is firstly accepted by middle-ware then to client.

Figure 07 : three tier architecture [ Source:https://sites.google.com/site/clientserverarchitecture/types-of-client-server-architecture ]

Conclusion

In this article I focused you guys about the Peer-to-Peer Architecture (P2P), Client Server Architecture and it’s types.

So dear readers I think this simple article will be useful for you, see you later.

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Kaushalya Gnanathilake

Undergraduate Student at Faculty of Information Technology, University of Moratuwa