NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
Client-Server Network
It is also known as a server-based network. In this setup, servers are special, powerful
computers that provide ‘services’ to the client computers on the network. These services might
include:
Providing a central, common file storage area
Sharing hardware such as printers
Controlling who can or cannot have access to the network
Sharing Internet connections
The Client or workstation is the machine which let the users access the services on the
server.
Advantages of Client-server
It is very secure.
Backup is in one central place
Disadvantages of client-server
The network is congested when many clients request services from the server
If the server fails, the whole network goes down
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Peer-to-Peer Network
The Peer-to-Peer network does not distinguish between client and server instead
each node can either be a client or a server depending on the whether the node
is requesting or providing the services. Each node is considered as a peer because they
have equal status.
Advantages of peer-to-peer
There are less signal in the network.
There is no need for a server because severs are more expensive.
Disadvantages of peer-to-peer
Security for individual files is less
Backup is made way difficult since the data is not in one central place. It is saved
on different computers.
Differences Between Client-Server and Peer-to-Peer Network
1. There is a server and specific clients in the client-server network model whereas,
in peer-to-peer each node can act as both server and client.
2. In the client-server model, the server provides services to the client. In peer-to-
peer, each peer can provide services and can also request for the services.
3. In the client-server model, sharing information is more important whereas, in peer-
to-peer model connectivity between peers is more important.
4. In the client-server model, data is stored on a central server whereas, in peer-to-
peer each peer has its own data.
5. The client-server model is more expensive to implement than peer-to-peer.
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