Web Development - What is Client Server Model

Summary

In this Learning Journal session, the presenter explains the concept of taking a simple web page to the Internet to make it a website accessible globally. They discuss the necessity of a web server, which acts as a listener and responder to client requests over the Internet. The video introduces the client-server model, where the browser is the client and the web server is the server, emphasizing the server's role in delivering web pages. The session promises more in-depth information on web servers in future videos.

Takeaways

• 🌐 A website is a collection of web pages and can be as simple as a single HTML page.
• 🏠 To make a website accessible to others, it needs to be hosted on the Internet, not just on a local machine.
• 💻 The first requirement for hosting a website on the Internet is a computer with an Internet connection.
• 🔄 An additional necessity for making a website available online is a web server.
• 🤔 A web server is a piece of software that listens and responds to user requests over the Internet.
• 🏢 The client-server model is fundamental to how websites work, with the client (browser) sending requests and the server (web server) providing responses.
• 🔑 An Internet service provider assigns a unique IP address to a computer when it connects to the Internet.
• 🚪 A web server acts as a listener, waiting for and responding to incoming requests, much like someone at home to answer the door.
• 🌐 The browser, as a client, sends a request to the server, which is identified by an IP address, to access web pages.
• 🔍 The script introduces the concept of a web server and sets the stage for further exploration in upcoming videos.

Q & A

What is the minimum requirement to create a website?

The minimum requirement to create a website is a single HTML page.

Why can't others access a website hosted on a local machine?

Others cannot access a website hosted on a local machine because it is not connected to the Internet, and thus not publicly available.

What is the first logical thing needed to take a website to the Internet?

The first logical thing needed is a computer with an Internet connection.

Why is a web server necessary for making a website accessible on the Internet?

A web server is necessary because it listens and responds to incoming requests from users over the Internet, allowing them to access the website.

What is the role of an Internet service provider in making a website accessible?

An Internet service provider assigns a unique IP address to the computer when it connects to the Internet, which is necessary for the website to be accessible.

What is the client-server model in the context of web technology?

In the client-server model, the client (like a web browser) sends a request, and the server (like a web server) returns an appropriate response.

What happens when a user types a website's address into their browser?

When a user types a website's address into their browser, the browser sends a request to the server hosting the website to retrieve the requested page.

What is the problem if a web server is not running on a computer hosting a website?

If a web server is not running, it cannot listen to and respond to incoming requests, meaning users cannot access the website.

How does the browser know where to send a request when a user enters a website's address?

The browser sends a request to the IP address associated with the website, which is provided by the domain name system (DNS) when the website's address is entered.

What is the fundamental function of a web server?

The fundamental function of a web server is to listen for incoming requests from clients and respond by serving the appropriate web pages or resources.

Why might a website's address be difficult to use if it's just an IP address and file name?

A website's address might be difficult to use if it's just an IP address and file name because it is not human-friendly and can be hard to remember compared to domain names.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Introduction to Web Technology and Hosting

The video begins by welcoming viewers back to the Learning Journal's web technology core concepts series. It explains that a website can be as simple as a single HTML page, but to make it accessible on the Internet, more is needed. The presenter introduces the necessity of a web server to host a website online, posing questions to engage the audience about what a web server is and why it's essential. The discussion highlights the client-server model, where the client (a web browser) sends a request, and the server (a web server) responds by providing the requested web page. The video concludes by promising a deeper dive into web servers in upcoming episodes.

Keywords

💡Website

A website is a collection of related web pages, including multimedia content, typically identified with a common domain name and published on at least one web server. In the video, the speaker uses a simple web page as an example of a website, emphasizing that while anyone can create a website and run it locally, it becomes accessible to others only when it is hosted on the Internet.

💡Web Page

A web page is a document accessible on the World Wide Web, usually written in HTML and capable of containing text, images, and other multimedia content. The video script mentions a single HTML page as the simplest form of a website, suggesting that even a single page can constitute a website.

💡Internet

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the Internet protocol suite to communicate between networks and devices. The video discusses the necessity of connecting a website to the Internet to make it accessible to users worldwide, highlighting the Internet as the medium that enables global access to web resources.

💡Web Server

A web server is a software or hardware that uses HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) to serve content to clients. In the context of the video, the speaker explains that a web server is essential for hosting a website on the Internet, as it listens for and responds to incoming requests from clients, such as web browsers.

💡IP Address

An IP address is a unique numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. The video script uses the analogy of an IP address to a telephone number, illustrating how it is used to identify and reach a specific device on the Internet, such as a web server hosting a website.

💡Client-Server Model

The client-server model is a distributed application structure that partitions tasks or workloads between the providers of a resource or service, called servers, and service requesters, called clients. In the video, the client-server model is central to explaining how web browsers (clients) request web pages from web servers (servers), and how the servers respond with the requested content.

💡Browser

A browser, short for web browser, is a software application for accessing information resources on the World Wide Web. The video script describes the process of a user starting a browser and typing in the address of a website to request a web page, positioning the browser as the client in the client-server model.

💡HTML

HTML, or Hypertext Markup Language, is the standard markup language for creating web pages and web applications. The video uses 'myfirstpage.html' as an example of a web page file, indicating that HTML is the language used to structure and present content on the web.

💡Local Machine

A local machine refers to a personal computer or device that is used for local operations and is not directly connected to a network. The video script mentions running a web page on a local machine, which means the website is accessible only to the user of that machine and not to others on the Internet.

💡Internet Service Provider (ISP)

An Internet Service Provider is a type of company that provides services for accessing the Internet. In the video, the speaker mentions that when a computer is connected to the Internet, the ISP assigns a unique IP address to that computer, which is necessary for the computer to be identifiable and reachable on the Internet.

💡Request

In the context of web technology, a request is a message sent from a client to a server to initiate a transaction or a series of transactions. The video script describes the process where a browser sends a request to a web server, asking for a specific web page, illustrating the interaction between client and server in the client-server model.

Highlights

A website is a collection of one or more web pages, which can be as simple as a single HTML page.

A website can be run on a local machine, but it needs to be taken to the Internet to be accessible by others.

To make a website available on the Internet, a computer with an Internet connection is required.

An Internet connection alone is not sufficient; a web server is also necessary.

A web server is a piece of software that listens and responds to end users over the Internet.

An Internet service provider assigns a unique IP address to a computer when it connects to the Internet.

The IP address is like a telephone number, allowing browsers to send requests to the computer.

A web server is needed to listen to and respond to incoming requests, similar to someone answering the door.

The client-server model is fundamental to how a website works, with the browser as the client and the web server as the server.

The browser sends a request for a web page, and the web server returns the appropriate response.

The video provides a high-level understanding of how a website operates using the client-server model.

An upcoming video will delve deeper into the concept of a web server.

The video series is part of Learning Journal, aimed at educating on web technology core concepts.

The importance of taking a local website to the Internet to make it accessible globally is emphasized.

The video explains the role of a web server in the context of making a website live on the Internet.

The analogy of a telephone number is used to describe how IP addresses facilitate communication between computers.

The necessity of a web server to handle incoming requests is compared to the need for someone to answer a door.

The video concludes with an invitation to continue learning about web technology in future episodes.

Transcripts

Welcome back to web technology core concepts at Learning Journal.

In the earlier session, I said, a website is a collection of one or more web pages.

So, a website could be as simple as a single HTML page.

Right?

If you have a web page, you can create a website and run it on your local machine.

However, no one else on the planet will be able to access your website until you take

it to the Internet.

Right?

So let's talk about taking your website to the Internet.

I have this simple web page.

This page is my website.

It is not that great, but this is what I have.

How can I take this website to Internet?

What do I need?

Just think about it.

Tell me at least one logical thing.

Yes, you are right.

The first thing that I need is a computer with an Internet connection.

We all have such computers.

But unfortunately, that is not enough to make my website available over the Internet.

I need at least one more thing.

That is a web server.

I am sure you are wondering with some questions.

What is a web server? and why do we need them?

Let us try to understand the need for a web server and then we will try to define a web

server.

Suppose I have a single page website on my laptop.

I saved it at the following location.

Now I want to make it available to the Internet.

So I connected my laptop to the Internet.

As soon as I connect my laptop to the Internet, my Internet service provider will assign a

unique IP address to my computer.

On the other side, you are sitting somewhere on this planet with another computer.

You also connected your machine to the Internet.

Technically, there is a connection between our computers

and both of them have two different unique IP addresses.

Right?

You should be able to start a browser on your laptop and type my website's address.

And there comes a series of problems.

The first problem is this.

What is the address of my website?

Well, it could be the IP address of my laptop and the file name.

Let's assume that the first problem is solved.

Now you can type this address into the web browser.

The browser will look at the IP address.

The IP address is like a telephone number.

If the browser knows the IP address, It can send some data to the computer with

that address.

Right?

So the browser sends a request to my computer asking for the myfirstpage.html page.

That request reaches to my computer.

And here comes the next problem.

No one is there to listen to that request.

It is same as a guest is knocking at my door, but there is no one in the house to listen

and respond.

So We need to have a software that keeps listening and responding to such requests.

That's what the web server is.

So at the fundamental level, we can think of a web server as a piece of software

that listens and responds to the end users over the Internet.

It may not be the most appropriate definition for a web server,

but this is what a web server means at a high level.

So the website works using a client-server model.

In this model, as the name suggests, there are two actors.

Client and Server The client sends a request, and the server

returns an appropriate response.

In case of our example, the browser is the client.

It sends a request for the myfirstpage.html page.

The web server is the server.

It listens for the request and returns the myfirstpage.html page to the browser.

Great!

The example gives you a high-level idea of how a website works,

and we also talked about the client-server architecture.

We will talk a little more about a web server in an upcoming video.

See you again in the next video.

Thank you for watching Learning Journal.

Keep learning and keep growing.