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Client Server

The Client-server concept is the basis of most networking. Simply, a "client" such as a person or software application needs information. It asks a "server" (which may be a computer or another software application) to provide the information.

For example, if you are banking online, you (the client) may request your bank balance. Your request is passed to your bank’s database (the server), which looks up the information and sends it to you. If the database did not have the information, it would become a client and ask another database for the information, which it would then pass on to you.

When you click on a link to a website, your browser is becoming a client and the web server is the server.