As always, if you have an article on what you have done with your network send it to me and I will publish it in an issue of NetworkNewz. I am also still looking for some articles on using other operation systems in your network. If you like Linux or the Mac send me an article telling me why they are better than Windows.

Patrick Stoddard
NetworkNewz Editor

In the past, a client/server network has been used to refer to the relationship between a host computer and the clients that depend on it for security. In a local area network it has also been described as an association between a computer acting as a server of the data and applications, and the client that requests the data and applications.

In new network environments the client/server takes on a more specific definition. That being a relationship in which the server plays a more sophisticated role on the network, performing most of the processing that the clients had done in the past, while still retaining its data storage responsibilities.

To fully understand a client/server network, it can help to understand what happens in a traditional network environment. The file-server will process the data and applications in a totally one-sided fashion. All data manipulation takes place on the host, and the clients will just display the results of the server. Because the client is incapable of manipulating the data it is limited in its capabilities.

In a standard client/server relationship, the clients perform virtually all the data processing. The server will respond to data and application requests from the client by playing the role of an intelligent high-speed disk system, and by forwarding the requested information to the appropriate client. This means that the server must first locate the requested files on its disks, then transfer them through its own memory and over the network to the client that has made the request.

When a user wants to access data on the server the server sends the needed application software to the memory of the requesting client and then sends the groups of data associated with the application to the client. This method gives users the data they need but at the expense of efficiency. Since entire files are sent across the network, rather than just the needed data, too much of the network bandwidth is used.

In a client/server network, developers separate their applications into two components, a "front end" and a "back end," with both the client and server sharing the processing demands according to which is best suited for the task. This separation of responsibilities allows client/server networks to more efficiently use an organization's network bandwidth.