Have you ever heard of terms like Client-Server, 🤔Let us go on a journey of understanding What is Client, Server, and Client Server Architecture🚀

Client👨‍💻📱

A client is a computer that requests information from another computer or server. The client can be anything: a Laptop, Smartphone, Tablet, or Desktop. The server doesn't need to be in a remote place away from the client. The server and client can also be in one system and communicate and connect via interprocess communication techniques, such as Internet Sockets and the Internet Protocol Suite. A client can communicate with servers in a Distant location.🌎

Types of Client

1. Thick Client🖥️

   A computer or machine that performs bulks and bulks of data processing operations on its own is called a Thick client. They do not rely on servers. A personal Computer is a common example of a thick client. They are also called Rich clients or fat clients.

2. Thin Client🌐

   A thin client generally processes data provided by an Application Server. Its role is to present the data provided by the server. Web applications like office web apps are examples of thin clients.

3. Diskless node💾🔗

   It is a hybrid of Thick client and thin client. It processes data locally but relies on a server for storing the data.

Server🖥️📡

A server is a computer that provides information to another computer called a client. On a computer network, this process is called Cllient- Server Architecture. Servers provide various services like media streaming, file sharing, etc. A single server can handle multiple clients. Typically servers are database servers, file servers, print servers, etc.

Client Server Architecture⚙️📶

Now let's see how this architecture works. First, you make a request to the server over the Internet. The query goes to the server, which processes it and returns a response to the client. The client's browser then displays the response on the screen. Let's understand this with an example: you ask your friend to pass you a book. Your request for the book is like the client's request, and your friend handing you the book is like the server's response. This is how Client-Server Architecture works.

HTTP Request-Response Cycle🔁

We saw what is Client-Server Architecture. But how they communicate is now the big question. Let’s have a breakdown of this🛠️

Components of HTTP Request-Response Cycle

1. Client: The entity (like a web browser, mobile app, or REST client) that starts the request.🖥️

2. Server: The machine or service that handles the request and sends back a response.📡

3. HTTP Methods: Indicate the action to be taken on the resource (such as GET, POST, PUT, DELETE).🛑✍️

4. URL (Uniform Resource Locator): Indicates the resource's location on the server.🌍

5. Headers: Metadata included in the request or response, such as content type, authorization, and cookies.📄

6. Body: The data sent in the request (for POST, PUT) or response (like HTML content, JSON).📝

Steps of HTTP Request-Response Cycle

1. Client Sends a Request:

   • The client creates an HTTP request.

2. DNS Resolution:🌐➡️🔢

   • The browser converts the domain name (e.g., www.example.com) into an IP address using the Domain Name System (DNS).

3. TCP/IP Connection:🔗

   • A TCP connection is set up between the client and server on port 80 (HTTP) or 443 (HTTPS).

4. Server Receives the Request:📩

   • The server reads the request and processes it based on the method, headers, and URL.

5. Server Generates a Response:⚡

   • The server carries out the requested action (e.g., querying a database or retrieving a file).

6. Server Sends the Response:📤

   • The server sends the response back to the client over the established connection.

7. Client Processes the Response:✅

   • The client receives and processes the response.

Web Servers🌐🖥️

A web server is both software and hardware that accepts requests through the HTTP or HTTPS protocol. The resources sent from a web server can be files or static content available on the server, or they can be generated at the time of the request by another program.

Web Hosting🏠🌍

Web hosting is a service that makes your website accessible on the Internet. Imagine you are renting land to build a house; that land is the web hosting. The house is the website, and the street address is the domain name. Web hosting provides allocated space on a server so that anyone on the internet can access your site.