Who asks and who answers.
WHAT A CLIENT IS
Software making a request.
WHAT A SERVER IS
Software answering requests.
WHAT THAT MEANS
Both are roles, not necessarily separate machines.
WHAT A SERVER MACHINE IS
Hardware built for continuous operation, typically running server software.
WHAT ARCHITECTURES EXIST
Client and server, where a central system serves many clients Peer to peer, where systems serve each other Multi-tier, where presentation, logic and data are separated
WHY THAT LAST ONE
It allows each layer to be changed, secured and scaled independently.
WHAT A THIN CLIENT IS
A device doing little processing, with work performed centrally.
WHAT THAT SUITS
Environments needing central control and simple endpoints.
WHY IT MATTERS IN SUPPORT
It determines where a problem can be.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH FOR ANY PROBLEM
Whether it affects one client, all clients, or the server.
WHY
That single question eliminates most possibilities immediately.
