In general, client/server is a style of computing that
distributes the workload of a computer application across several cooperating
computer programs. This type of computing separates user-oriented,application,
and data management tasks. Client/server is mainly a software concept that
includes a set of service providers and service requesters. In client/server
computing, individual software components act as service providers, service
requesters, or both. These software services communicate witheach other via
predefined interfaces.
Major advantages of the client/server approach are as
follows:
·
Flexible
configuration. With the deployment of standard communication interfaces,
there are many possibilities for distributing and planning a client/server
installation: from a centralized configuration to a highly distributed system.
·
Workload
distribution. Since application servers work in parallel and communicate
with the database, user can be evenly distributed based on their jobs tasks.
Also, there is the possibility of deploying dedicated application servers to
specific business areas.
·
High
scalability. Client/server permits users to adapt the capacity of their
hardware according to the performance needs of their businesses, such as adding
additional application servers when there is an increase in number of users,
when additional modules start production, and when the database becomes larger.
This enables companies to protect software and hardware investments.
One of the widely used client/server configuratins with the
R/3 system is the three-tiered architecture (see the picture below), which
separates a system’s computers into three function groups: presentation,
application, and database. Since client/server is a software concept, it must
be clear that an service requester of the database services.
 |
| SAP R3 three tiered client-server architecture |
With the three-tiered architecture, each group is set up to
support the demands of its functions. The central server contains the database,
widely known as the database server. Application servers include the processing
logic of the system, including services such as spooling, dispatching user
requests, and formatting data. The tasks related to presentation of the data
are handled by the presentation servers, which typically are personal computers
or workstations, enabling easy access to the system.
Communication among the three tiers or server types is
accomplished with the use of standard protocol services, such as the ones
provided by TCP/IP or CPIC.
CPIC stands for Common
Programming Interface Communication and includes standard functions and
services for program-to-program communication with the ABAP programming
language.
The section entitled “R/3 Basis Software” in the next post i
will shows in greater detail the services, processes, and components of the
client/server architecture of SAP R/3.
- What is SAP R/3
- SAP AG: The Company Behind R3
- SAP Service Overview
- SAPnet-R3 Front End (OSS)
- SAP Partners
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