The term client/server was first used in the 1980s in reference to personal computers (PCs) on a network. 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. A client is defined as a requester and a server is defined as the provider of services. A single machine can be both a client and a server depending on the software configuration.

 

Client/server architecture:

 

As a result of the limitations of file sharing architectures, the client/server architecture emerged. This approach introduced a database server to replace the file server. Using a relational database management system (DBMS), user queries could be answered directly. The client/server architecture reduced network traffic by providing a query response rather than total file transfer. It improves multi-user updating through a GUI front end to a shared database.

 

Two tier architectures:

 

With two tier client/server architectures, the user system interface is usually located in the user's desktop environment and the database management services are usually in a server that is a more powerful machine that services many clients. Processing management is split between the user system interface environment and the database management server environment. The database management server provides stored procedures and triggers.

 

Three tier architectures:

 

The three tier architecture emerged to overcome the limitations of the two tier architecture. In the three tier architecture, a middle tier was added between the user system interface client environment and the database management server environment. There are a variety of ways of implementing this middle tier, such as transaction processing monitors, message servers, or application servers. The middle tier can perform queuing, application execution, and database staging.

 

Stand-alone Customized Software:

 

UFS can build customized, stand-alone applications for deployment across a company-wide intranet, or for use on single-user machines. Visual-Basic type applications for streamlining your company's procedures and business rules means greater productivity and more profits. In addition, needs specific software makes workers more productive and more happy. A positive work environment is a direct result of making repetitive tasks easier with the user of technology.