Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Relating to a computer system architecture: Describes a model where tasks or workloads are partitioned between service providers, called servers, and service requesters, called clients. These clients and servers communicate over a computer network, often on separate hardware, but both roles can exist on the same machine.

Usage

• The term is primarily used as an adjective to describe a type of network architecture, application model, or relationship between computing devices.
• It is commonly used in the fields of computing, information technology, and networking.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • Most modern web applications use a client-server model.
  • The company is migrating its infrastructure to a client-server architecture.
  • In a client-server relationship, the client sends a request and the server provides a response.

Advanced Usage

• "client-server application": A software application structured so that the client part (user interface and local processing) runs on a user's computer, while the server part (data storage and core logic) runs on a remote server.
  • Email programs are classic examples of client-server applications.
• "client-server protocol": A set of rules defining how clients and servers communicate.
  • HTTP is the fundamental client-server protocol for the World Wide Web.

Variants and Related Words

• Client (n): A computer or program that requests a service or resource from a server.
  • The web browser acts as a client when you visit a website.
• Server (n): A computer or program that provides a service or resource to clients.
  • The file server stores all the company's documents.
• Client/Server (n): Sometimes used as a noun phrase to refer to the model itself.
  • The shift from mainframes to client/server revolutionized business computing.

Synonyms

• Distributed computing: A broader field that often uses client-server models.
• Networked architecture: A general term for systems where components communicate over a network.

Related Phrases

• Thin client: A client computer that relies heavily on a server for its computational tasks.
  • The school uses thin clients that depend on a central server for all software.
• Fat client / Thick client: A client that performs the bulk of data processing operations itself.
  • A traditional desktop application is often a fat client.

Related Idioms/Concepts

• Request-response pattern: The fundamental communication pattern in client-server systems, where the client initiates a request and the server sends back a response.
  • The entire web is built on the request-response pattern.

Adjective

1. relating to a computer system in which a central server supports a number of networked workstations