Fat client system

Client/server is a term used to describe a computing model for the development of computerized systems. This model is based on the distribution of functions between two types of independent and autonomous processes; servers and clients.

Fat-client is a computer that does not necessitate a connection to a server system to run although they can benefit from being connected to a network and a server. Fat client system means most of the functional modules of the application are performed on the clients. In other words it is a networked computer with most of the resources installed locally. In fact, majority of thick clients have their own operating system and software applications and can be used offline i.e. when not connected to any network or server.

In a thin-client model, all of the application processing and data management is carried out on the server. The client is simply responsible for running the presentation software.
Fat client system

Computer server

Server computers are designed to support a computer network that allows users to share files, applications and hardware resources.

The client computer consumes information provided by the server computer. There is two way interaction between the client and server computer, such that the client can also send information back to server computers.

Typically, the client is a local personal computer and the server is usually a more powerful computer that houses the data.

As server computer is normally used to serve other computer in the network in terms of file storage and resources management, data communications, printing management and other computer functions.

Servers are oriented to carrying large workloads, which may consist of either single complex applications – usually a scientific or engineering application – or handling many small jobs, such as would occur in building a large web server.

There are many types of servers:
• File servers
• Print servers
• Web servers
• Mail servers
• Database servers

Characteristics of a server computer include the following:
• It can communicate with other networks.
• It enhances communication speed within the network.
• It has high-end CPU power with a large capacity in the hard drive.
• Some have more than one CPU, providing parallel processing capabilities.
• It has a large memory capacity.

A server computer could be either a high end microcomputer or a powerful microcomputer with minicomputer like functions.

Supercomputer consist of hundreds to thousands of processors and usually terabytes of memory and petabytes of storage.

At low end, a server may be little more than a desktop computer without a screen or keyboard and cost a thousand dollars.

Computer server