Client/server

Though the client/server concept is often used by various applications within a single machine, the idea is much more defined in a network. In network terminology, the client/server model offers a convenient means of interconnecting software intended to be distributed over different locations. It is very common for many transactions to use the client/server concept. For instance, when someone checks their bank account from a computer, the computer acts as the client and forwards the request to an online bank. The bank’s program then serves a response to the user in which the requested information is displayed. The client/server model has become a predominate function in network computing. Many applications intended for both personal and business use were designed with this concept in mind. In most cases, both the client and server are part of a larger program or system. As it relates to the internet, a web browser acts as a client that requests specific services to a web server, a process known as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). In similar fashion, a computer that relies on TCP/IP for a connection enables a user to make client requests to FTP servers found in other computers connected to the internet.