Client Server & Peer to Peer (OCR A Level Computer Science)

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

• 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

• Use cases: home networks, small businesses, or for specific applications like file sharing

Peer to peer network example setup