Understanding Application Architecture: An Overview

Abstract

This chapter provides a broad overview of the different types of application architecture, including the advantages and disadvantages of each. It examines single-tier, two-tier, three-tier, and n-tier applications and describes how they fit into a modern enterprise. Then this chapter covers these architectures from a traditional point of view and showcases these application architectures with an emphasis on distributed applications. This includes a discussion of each of the application layers (presentation, business, and data) and how they interact with each other across network boundaries. Finally, the chapter throws the Microsoft .NET Framework into the mix and displays the power that this new development framework provides developers. This serves as an introduction to the application architecture you will be creating throughout the rest of the book.