Application Architectures:

1) Host-based :Server performing all four functions.

2) Client-based :all data on the server must travel to the client for processing (cause
network circuits overload)

3) Client-server :Enable software and hardware from different vendors to be used together
although it is defficult. It requires the use of MIDDLEWARE.

Advantage: scalable.
Disadvantages:
generates more network traffic; difficult to test program
and software.
Thin Clients versus Thick Clients
Another way of classifying client-server architectures is by examining how
much of the application logic is placed on the client computer.
A thin-client approach places little or no application logic on the client (e.g.,
Figure 2.5), whereas a thick-client (also called fat-client) approach places all
or almost all of the application logic on the client (e.g., Figure 2.3).
4) Peer-to-peer
All computer act as both a client and a server and perform all four
functions.

cloud computing,
a company contracts with another firm to provide software
services over the Internet, rather than installing the software on its own servers.
The
company no longer buys and manages its own servers and software, but instead
pays a
monthly subscription fee or a fee based on how much they use the application.

Server virtualization requires special software on a physical computer that will

host the different logical servers.

WEB
Email
POP3
the email message must be copied to the client
computers hard disk and deleted from the mail server.
IMAP,
email messages can remain stored on the mail server after they are read.