Understanding Web Servers Vs. Client-Server Architecture

The moment a user searches for a website or browses the internet, the search results get loaded on the screen within minutes. Ever wondered what runs behind the screen and how your queries are responded to? Client-server architecture and the web server play key roles in this scenario.

Though both are involved in the delivery of web content, they have their own different organization and responsibility, creating a difference between a web server vs. client-server. 

In this article, we will help you understand what web servers are and how they are different from the client-server architecture, as well as learn when to use them. Let’s perform a detailed, head-to-head comparison between web servers and client servers.

Overview: Web Server vs. Client Server

At a high level, a web server is a system that relies upon to deliver website content, and client-server architecture is a broader model of how devices (clients) communicate and access a central server. Both are required in the current web-based applications; however, they have different roles and functions differently.

Understanding Web Servers

A web server is an HTTP or HTTPS-based hardware or software architecture system that delivers web content to users. It expects requests from the browser, processes the request, and sends back related requests, like HTML pages, images, or videos. The main role and purpose of a web server is to store and make web pages available to the users.

It is essential to understand that there are virtual web servers and physical web servers. The virtual web servers concern the ability to host multiple servers on the same hardware, while the physical web servers concern the actual rack-mounted boxes that host websites.

For hosting websites, you can choose from many different web server software native products. 

Most Popular Web Server Solutions

Here are a few key examples:

1. Apache HTTP Server: It’s one of the most popular open-source web servers known for their flexibility and popularity.
2. Nginx: Another free web server is Nginx, popular due to its high speed, stability, and high workload conditions. Many connections can be established and processed at once.
3. Microsoft IIS (Internet Information Services): The web server created by Microsoft and widely used for hosting on the Windows platform.

How Web Servers Work?

A web server operates through a straightforward process:

1. Request: A user or client enters a website address in the browser.
2. Processing: An HTTP request is passed to the web server, where it is ‘handled’ and analyzed to find out which resource the client wishes to access—it could be a webpage, a file, etc.
3. Response: The HTTP data is then sent back from the server in the form of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc., and can be viewed from the client’s browser.

This request-response cycle takes a few milliseconds at a time, and the same cycle occurs every time the user goes to a new page or requests some elements, such as images or forms. 

Understanding Client-Server Architecture

Client-server architecture is a system where numerous clients interact with a server to access services, resources, or data. The client sends requests and waits for a response while the server handles the request and sends out a response accordingly. This model is vital in understanding how many systems can work, including websites, databases, or even email services.

Features Of Client-Server Architecture

There are certain important features of client-server architecture, which are as follows:

1. Centralized Control: It signifies that all data and other resources are stored on the server, and it will generate and process the requests of any clients trying to have access to the server’s resources.
2. Scalability: Another advantage of using the client-server architecture of the system is that scalability is simple. Because here users are added to the clients or the resources are increased in the server as per the need.
3. Security:  Centralized control enables better security since all information and resources are backed up in one central location, i.e., the server.

Common Use Cases

There are many applications in which client-server architecture is used:

1. Web Browsing: The browser of your computer is the client upon sending the HTTP request to a website, and the web server is the server.
2. Email Services: Email clients like Outlook or Gmail access an email server to send or receive emails.
3. Databases: Most database management systems, such as MySQL Server Data Tpye, Oracle, and others, use the client-server architecture, where the server is the main component dealing with data storage and all the activities initiated by clients to get the required information.

Comparing Web Servers vs. Client-Server

An analysis of the differences between web servers vs. client-server architectures

Web Servers vs. Client-Server: When to Use Which?

– Web Servers

A web server is used when users want to host a website and deliver content to the client. For instance, if you are working on a project such as developing a website or an online platform in which users need to view static or dynamic content, it is the web server you reach out for.

For example, to get the best web hosting for bloggers or eCommerce websites, the optimal option is a web server such as Apache or Nginx since your main objective is to deliver HTML files along with images and other web assets.

– Client-Server Architecture

The client-server model is used for more complicated implementations of the system that involve various forms of services and protocols such as databases, emails, etc. Additionally, it is used when users and clients request data from the server, and the server responds with that data.Example: When developing a banking system, the client-server architecture is highly suitable since the system will involve the transfer of secure data and credit information of the users in a database. Further, it also provides more services than web page requests, such as account management and the execution of transactions.