System Architecture....the ethreal way

It was late Thursday night, I was still awake .Something was preventing me from getting a sleep. My mind was full of confusion. My thoughts were rolling from my last company job and the present life at IIT VGSOM.These thoughts of mine have no boundary, and also no limit.I was thrilled at the power of Human brain which could store all my past experiences., and presented it to me when ever I required.

I was, in fact relating my brain with the lesson  that was taught in the class relating to computer architecture.

I was excited on the human imagination which led to the invention of computers.

I still have doubts on the same, so I decided to have a chat with my mind(brain) to clear my doubts.

Its a communication between mind and material.

I: Why is it that , we see only a part of the computer system .Though I know there are huge processes between what we perceive and what the reality is??

Mind: "PAADHOSYEHAAVABHATH PUNAH THRIPAADASYAAMRITHAM DIVI"

I: Now what that means??

Mind: Its the nature of nature by which only one quarter i.e. a small portion is revealed, three-quarters of it are in space unrevealed.

I:  But why is it so? Why not we get to know each and every details??

Mind:" NA THATHRA CHAKSHURGACHATHI NA VAAK GACHHATI NO MANO".

meaning the eye or words nor mind can traverse that journey into the realisation of the Reality.

I: Its getting too complex and I want to travel that journey.

Mind: Then you must be open to what I tell you.

I : Agreed.

Mind: Lets start with param sunya. That is void. We call it void as it has no matter no mind. Means no information.

I: Ok

Mind: Same as matter consist of anu(atom) as its smallest entity.An information consist of data as its smallest unit.Same as the anu (atom) combines to form material which we can see, touch,and use. Datas combine to form information which we perceive,  think, imagine and reciprocate.

I: This are the activities which our brain does for us. So how a computer do this??

Mind: Exactly. Just like our brain can store and analyze data, the computer do this by the interaction of software and hardware.

I: But how do this interaction takes place??

Mind: This require a common platform. 

I: What is this platform all about??

Mind: For example to board a train you need to be in the same platform where the train arrives. Here we call this platform as OS(operating System). 

I: What about the data ?? how I get to know it??

Mind: Just like a train you have boarded, you have some thoughts which you could communicate to your fellow passenger only in the language which both of you are conversant with.

I: So here the data is the thought I have .

Mind: Exactly , and the language is called the application.

I:What if I need to communicate with other systems also??

Mind: You are going right. The whole computer architecture is divided into 3 tier system.

Tier-1

Where both data and application reside in the same system or the same platform.

Its like you talking with me i.e you talking with yourself.

This tier architecture is fine for the personal application.

Tier 2

In this form the data is separated from the applications and stored in different platform.

here the data is centralized and also known as server and the each system has its own application and has the ability to copy the data and provide responses.This systems which can copy the data is called client.

Its like you giving a speech and all listeners who could access it provide comments by analyzing it with their own analytical power.

In actual the server could be-Oracle/My SQL/DB2

The applications : could be Business logic, presentation logic.

and connect the client machines to server using TCP/IP protocol.

We just send a request and have access to the data. the request could be in form of a HTTP protocol.

I : Oh fine ...means it means the same data now could be used by many. Its really great.

Mind: No....it has a limitation , as the number of user of data increases. Each sending request and hence create bottle neck.Its like all of a sudden every one start asking questions to the  speaker and creates a hullabaloo.

 I: So what is the solution to this??

Mind: Tier-3 architecture

Here the application has been split in to two parts.

-One that handles user interface.

-The other which has complex business logic.

its like a boss keeping a able secretary who knows whom to give what and who knows every one's work.

Most of the data exchange happens between the data server and the centrally located application server. So since they are in same location so data transfer is neither expensive nor slow.

So instead of getting volume of data the client now get only a subset of data which is only of his importance.

I : Can you sight some example of it?

Mind:An ERP product like SAP or Oracle e business suite is an application of this tier, with the ERP client software on every user's desk.

I: But it will be really a cumbersome problem to install ERP client software on every system??

Mind : You are absolutely right , tats the reason we use multitier system where we have a web server that converts the data traffic from the application server to a format that is universally understood by anyone who has a web browser.

I: But if the data is accessible to every one then any one could stole it, destroy it....

Mind:Your concern for your data is protected by a security guard and line of fire ...

I: What actually is it??

Mind: Its actually a firewall server which stand as a gatekeeper between public internet and company's local area network.Hackers trying to reach the company's server would be denied access.

I: Its really amazing....just as we do our thoughts protected from outside ,our creation, the computer, also has this ability.

Mind:  Now I hope your anxiety is over....

Only thing that I wants to tell you, the creator is within us....its only when we do realize its ability to move steps ahead.

 Now its time that I get in you as you have a class tomorrow.