Suggest an editImprove this articleRefine the answer for “What is client-server architecture?”. Your changes go to moderation before they’re published.Approval requiredContentWhat you’re changing🇺🇸EN🇺🇦UAPreviewTitle (EN)Short answer (EN)**Client-server architecture** is a way of organizing how applications work over a network, where some devices (clients) request data or services, and others (servers) provide them. **Key point:** the client always initiates the request and the server waits for requests and responds to them; client and server are roles, not necessarily separate computers.Shown above the full answer for quick recall.Answer (EN)Image**Client-server architecture** is a way of organizing how applications work over a network, where **some devices (clients) request data or services, and others (servers) provide them**. The simplest way to put it: **the client asks, the server answers**. --- ## Who is the client and who is the server ### Client A **client** is a program or device that: - initiates the request - wants to get data or a service Examples of clients: - a browser - a mobile app - an email client - a program that calls an API --- ### Server A **server** is a program or computer that: - accepts requests from clients - processes them - sends back responses Examples of servers: - a web server - a mail server - a database server - an API server --- ## How client-server architecture works A typical scenario: 1. The client sends a request (for example: "give me the web page") 2. The server accepts the request 3. The server processes it (looks up data, checks access) 4. The server sends a response 5. The client shows the result to the user Important: **the client does not know how the server does its work internally**, and the server does not care exactly how the client will display the result. --- ## Real-life example When you visit a website: - the browser is the **client** - the website is the **server** The browser sends an HTTP request The server returns HTML, CSS, images The browser renders the page --- ## Why client-server architecture is used ### Main advantages: - **centralized data** (everything is stored on the server) - **easy updates** (the server changes, clients keep working) - **security** (access control lives on the server) - **scalability** (it can serve many clients) --- ## What matters for an interview - Client and server are **roles**, not necessarily separate computers (one program can be both a client and a server) - The client **always initiates the request** - The server **waits for requests and responds to them** --- ## Short answer for an interview A convenient phrasing: > **Client-server architecture is an interaction model where client applications send requests and servers process those requests and return responses, providing data or services.**For the reviewerNote to the moderator (optional)Visible only to the moderator. Helps review go faster.