Client Server & Peer to Peer (OCR A Level Computer Science)
Revision Note
Written by: Neil Southin
Reviewed by: James Woodhouse
Client-Server
What is a Client-Server Network?
Powerful and reliable ‘server’ computers control the network and ‘serve’ the clients with services such as files, email, web access, etc.
Clients connect to the servers to access network services
In this setup, the server hosts, delivers and manages most of the resources and services to be consumed by the clients
Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
Easier central management | Single point of failure - if the server goes down, services could be unavailable |
Scalability: new clients can be added easily | It can be expensive to set up and maintain - often need dedicated teams of people to maintain them |
Higher reliability as resources are managed centrally |
|
Use case: larger organisations where centralised control is needed, and reliability and security are paramount
Client computers connected to different servers
When to use a client-server network
The choice between client-server and peer-to-peer depends on the specific needs and resources of the network in question
Security, cost, ease of setup, and maintenance requirements should be considered
Peer-to-Peer
What is a Peer-to-Peer Network?
This is the simplest type of network
In this setup, all computers in the network share equal responsibility, and there is no central server
All machines have equal status
Each machine is the responsibility of that machine’s user in terms of security, backup, etc.
Data is often spread around the network, with each user being responsible for their data
Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
Easy to set up and less expensive than client-server as no administrative staff are needed | Lack of central control can lead to security issues and vulnerabilities |
No dependency on a central server | Not suitable for large networks as it can have performance issues |
Data can be shared directly between systems without the need for a central server |
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Use cases: home networks, small businesses, or for specific applications like file sharing
Peer to peer network example setup
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