Custom Development | Client/Server Applications:-

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. This approach introduces a relational database management system (RDBMS) using which user queries could be answered directly. The client/server architecture reduces network traffic by providing a query response rather than file transfer. It improves multi-user updating through a GUI front end to a shared database. Knowledge Architects provides solutions to customers based on their infrastructure and needs. We work with our customers to determine the best application deployment strategy and deliver client/server based solutions using any of the following models:

	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. The two tier client/server architecture is a good solution for distributed computing when work groups are defined as a dozen to 100 people interacting on a LAN simultaneously.
	Three tier architectures. The three tier architecture (also referred to as the n-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 three tier client/server architecture improves performance for groups with a large number of users (in the thousands) and improves flexibility when compared to the two tier approach.
	Three tier architecture with transaction processing monitor technology. The most basic type of three tier architecture has a middle layer consisting of Transaction Processing (TP) monitor technology. The transaction is accepted by the monitor, which queues it and then takes responsibility for managing it to completion, thus freeing up the client. TP monitor technology also provides - the ability to update multiple different DBMSs in a single transaction - connectivity to a variety of data sources including flat files, non-relational DBMS - the ability to attach priorities to transactions - robust security Using a three tier client/server architecture with TP monitor technology results in an environment that is considerably more scalable than a two tier architecture with direct client to server connection.
	Three tier architecture with an application server. The three tier application server architecture allocates the main body of an application to run on a shared host rather than in the user system interface client environment. The application server does not drive the GUIs; rather it shares business logic, computations, and a data retrieval engine. Advantages are that with less software on the client there is less security to worry about, applications are more scalable, and support and installation costs are less on a single server than maintaining each on a desktop client. The application server design is typically used when security, scalability, and cost are major considerations.