Three-tier architecture

In a three-tier architecture (also known as a multi-tier architecture), there are three or more interacting tiers, each with its own specific responsibilities.

Three-Tier Architecture

• Tier 1: the client contains the presentation logic, including simple control and user input validation. This application is also known as a thin client.
• Tier 2: the middle tier is also known as the application server, which provides the business processes logic and the data access.
• Tier 3: the data server provides the business data.

These are some of the advantages of a three-tier architecture:

• It is easier to modify or replace any tier without affecting the other tiers.
• Separating the application and database functionality means better load balancing.
• Adequate security policies can be enforced within the server tiers without hindering the clients.

Three-tier architecture is an architectural deployment style that describe the separation of functionality into layers with each segment being a tier that can be located on a physically separate computer. They evolved through thecomponent-oriented approach, generally using platform specific methods for communication instead of a message-based approach.

This architecture has different usages with different applications. It can be used in web applications and distributed applications. The strength in particular is when using this architecture over distributed systems. In this course work, I will furthermore invest this through the example of three-tier architecture in web applications.