Difference between Client and Server


In a client-server architecture, clients request services from a server. Servers provide the requested service to their clients. However, clients and servers are separate programs running on different machines.

  • A client is a piece of software that runs on a device and gives the user access to a server. The server provides the requested services upon request from the customer. A web browser, like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, is a customer that asks a web server for webpages.

  • A server is a piece of software that runs on a device and makes services available to other devices which is connected to a network. It receives customer requests, and handles them, also provides the requested data or issues. A web server is a piece of software which responds to the customer requests by storing and delivering web pages and other sites via the internet.

Clients act as the front end, and servers remain at the back end. Clients are in charge of delivering the user with data, whereas servers are in charge of storing and managing the data.

Read this article to find out more about Clients and Servers and how they are different from each other.

What is a Client?

A computer device that asks a server for services is known as a customer. The customer is the front end element in client and server architecture which communicates with the user and sends requests to the server. The back end which satisfies or gives the customer's requests and offers the needed services is knowns as the server.

Initiating and managing requests for resources or services from a server is the primary responsibility of a client. The client software is in charge of informing the user, structuring requests, and processing server responses. The client-server design is popular because it offers scalability and allows for the separation of duties because multiple clients can send requests to the same server.

What is a Server?

A server is a computer software or device that offers services to other devices connected to a network. A server's primary liabilities include accepting and completing customer requests as well as storing and managing data.

The crucial benefit of using servers is that they give you a central position to manage and store your data, which makes it simpler for you to maintain. also, it offers an advanced position of trust ability because they can keep running indeed if one of the customer does not. These are suited for large- scale operations because they can handle massive volumes of data and serve a large number of guests.

Servers play a pivotal role in the customer-server architecture because they provide other networked gadgets access to services. customer requests are entered by servers, which also reuse them and store and manage data.

Difference between Client and Server

The following table highlights the major differences between Client and Server −

Characteristics

Client

Server

Definition

A computer device which asks a server for services is known as a customer. The customer is the front end element in client and server architecture which communicates with the user and sends requests to the server.

A server offers services to other devices connected to a network. A server's primary functions include accepting and completing customer requests as well as storing and managing data.

Support of Login

Clients support the login of single users.

Servers support multiple user login.

Example

Some of the examples of client are laptops, desktop,etc.

Some of the examples of server are web servers,database servers, and file servers.

Performance

The client performance is less when we compare it with the server.

The server performance is high when we compare it with the client.

Tasks

The task mainly includes the requesting services.

The tasks are more complex in the server when we compare to a client. Because it fulfills the client request, and it stores and processes the large datasets, and the data analysis.

Configuration

It contains the simple hardware configuration, because it performs the simple tasks like the generating the request which are raised by the client.

It is quite opposite to the client when it comes to the configuration. It uses the most advanced hardware configuration because it performs the most complex tasks which are requested by the client.

Functionality

It completely depends on the services of server because the server generates the services requested by the client.

It sends the requested services to the client based on their requirements.

Conclusion

In a client-server architecture, a client and a server differ primarily in terms of their function. A client is a hardware or software program that asks a server for resources or services. A hardware or software program that offers customers services or resources is known as a server.

Through a network, clients and servers converse with one another to exchange data and carry out various functions. Typically, communication is started by clients, while servers await and handle requests. With the help of this architecture, resources can be distributed more effectively, and data can be managed more securely and centrally.

Updated on: 02-Mar-2023

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