2-tier architecture
2-tier architecture
(also two-tier architecture)
2-tier architecture definition
Software architecture model where the interface runs on a client while the data layer is stored on a server. The client is on the first tier, and the server and web application are on the second tier. The client applications interact with the server directly, as opposed to three-tier architecture, where a third application is added as an intermediary.
Advantages
- Easy to develop applications
- Good performance due to the client being physically close to the server.
Disadvantages
- Limited number of users — difficult to scale.
- Client applications depend on the database structure and therefore are difficult to redesign.