Fat client and thin client

1. Thin Client

Thin clients (Thin client) refer to a basic computer terminal in the client-server network system that does not require an application. It communicates with some protocols and servers, and then accesses the local area network. The advent of the Internet as an application platform provides an entirely new area for enterprise applications: A internet/intranet-based application uses a thin client that contains only one browser. This browser is responsible for interpreting, displaying, and processing the application's graphical user interface (GUI) and its data. Such an application only needs to be installed on a Web server, the user can automatically receive the upgrade. The idea that a solution needs to be deployed only once, even for thousands of users, is fascinating, especially because Internet technology has helped us alleviate some of the barriers of traditional applications, such as firewalls and support for multiple platforms. The thin client transmits its mouse, keyboard and other input to the server processing, the server then sends back the processing result to the client display. Different clients can log on to the server at the same time, simulating a working environment that is independent of each other and on the server. In contrast, the normal client will do as much local data processing as possible, communicating only the necessary communication data to the server (or other client). 2. Fat client (Rich or Thick client), is relative to the "thin Client" (Thin) (Web-based application), it is installed on the client machine configuration of a rich interactive user interface, such as Oracle, The Client management tool for the DB2 database. A typical rich client consists of one or more applications running on the user's PC, where the user can view and manipulate the data, handle some or all of the business rules-while providing a rich user interface to respond. The server is responsible for managing access to data and is responsible for executing some or all of the business rules. This model also has some "variants" that deal primarily with the physical location of business rules and data. The point is that a rich client application runs on the user's computer. 3. Fat client and thin client comparison

The difference between a fat client and a thin client is whether there is a lot of business logic that needs to be placed on the client.

c/S structure, the main logic program placed on the client, many times the server refers to the database server, so is the fat client

In the B/s structure, the business logic is placed on the server, the client has only a browser, the server sent to the client only followed the HTML rules of the string, which is a thin client. Of course, if you use an applet or something like that, it's equivalent to putting some business logic on the client.

Above are the traditional sense of fat thin client, with The rise of Ajax represents the era of the fat client is coming again,

Using the Ajax method to develop the web system, the development of the server is greatly reduced, the main work is done in JavaScript, even the table is created in the client, the client is a big fat. Previously developed applications, basically in the client code, feel back to that era, this is probably the political spiral upward meaning it.

(stand-alone) → (fat client + server) → (thin client + server) → (fat client + server)

I think that Ajax has a big advantage is to reduce the server-side pressure, put a lot of work on IE to complete, in fact, a way to divert work.

Fat client and thin client