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N-Tier Architecture

Short introduction to Multi-Tier Architecture

Multi-tier architecture (often referred to as n-tier architecture) or multilayered architecture is a client–server architecture in which presentation, application processing, and data management functions are physically separated. Using an N-tier architecture, web developers can create modular applications.

N-Tier Architecture - Tutorial provided by AppSeed.

βœ… Common layers​

In a multilayered architecture the most common used layers are:

  • Presentation layer - the visual part of a web application
  • Application layer - the server-side of a web application
  • Database layer - the persistence layer where information is saved and updated

βœ… Presentation layer​

This layer handles the user interaction. This part of the application is usually built-in HTML and Javascript in various technologies and frameworks:

  • React - the popular Javascript framework built by Facebook
  • Vue.js - The Progressive JavaScript Framework
  • jQuery

βœ… Application layer​

Represents the server-side of the application and can be developed in many programming languages:

βœ… Database layer​

The majority of web apps requires a type of storage to save the relevant data:

  • MySql - the popular open-source database engine
  • SQLite - the lite version of MySql
  • MongoDB - a document-based engine

βœ… Common Architectures​

In web development the most used architectures are:

βœ… Single Tier architecture​

The web application is served only once by the server, and runs entirely on the client-side

Single Tier architecture

βœ… Two Tier architecture​

Sometimes named Full-Stack architecture

Two Tier architecture

βœ… Resources​