Every developer has one ultimate goal, which is to create great apps that will meet the user’s needs and requirements. As a result, the developer will need to apply tools to ensure they build reliable apps. Such tools include application support, application performance management- APM, and log in management tools. However, to apply all these tools and create a stable app, the developer must have a great understanding of the whole concept of web application architecture. This guide explores all the details you need to learn about the architecture context and how you can apply the concept while developing varied apps.

What is web application architecture?

Simply put, web application architecture is a simplified way in which the application components interact with related databases, user interfaces, and middleware systems. As a result, several apps can work at a go due to such interactions. The web application architecture is significant as it enhances app security, strength, efficiency, ad scalability.

The process is as described below:

A user navigates through a URL of a given web page, then select the enter option. Through the browser, the user will then access the specific page after the server sends files to the browser as a response. Once the browser responds, it then displays the page requested by the user, allowing the user to navigate through the website. All these processes happen within a few seconds.

Components of Web Application Architecture

The web application architecture is made up of different components working together to execute different functions and to ensure the app meets the user’s requirements. These components include the following:

• Web App Servers

Web app servers are used to process requests from users and when sending documents back to the browser. For this action to happen, web app servers rely on backend infrastructure, better known as the job queue, cache server, and database, among others. Above all, there must be at least two servers connected to the load balancer to control all the processes.

• Data Warehouse

Every top developer understands that the basis of a modern app revolves around data, i.e., analyzing the collected and stored data.

In the data warehouse, the processes happen in three phases, as described below:

• The data firehouse receives data that provides a platform for taking and absorbing data ready for processing.
• The next step involves sending raw, processed, and more data to cloud storage.
• Finally, the third phase involves sending processed and more data to the data warehouse.

From the description, a data warehouse is a form of online storage where data is exchanged via the internet. The same data warehouse can be used to keep files of varied forms, such as images and videos.

• DNS

Also known as Domain Name System, DNS is a significant system in web application architecture as it simplifies the process of searching the domain name and IP address where a specific server receives the request sent by the user.

• Databases

As the name suggests, this web application architecture component offers a platform for performing varied computations such as deleting, updating, searching, adding, and organizing, among others. Here, the job servers interact directly with the web app servers.

• CDN

Also known as the content delivery system, CDN helps with sending images, JavaScript files, CSS files, ad HTML files. In the processes, it helps t deliver the end server content through the world where people can access different sources.

• Load Balancer

This component handles anything to do with horizontal scaling. It does this by sending an answer to the user once a direct incoming request is initiated to one of the several servers. Since web app servers align like several mirror copies facing each other, the server initiates the requests in the same manner, enabling the load balancer to divide tasks evenly.

• Services

There reaches a point when a web application creates a different form of the app known as services. While these services aren’t visible like other web app components, they interact with other web components and related services to enhance the efficiency of the web app.

• Job Queue

This web app architecture component is optional, and it is made up of two components; the servers and itself. The servers help with processing jobs waiting in the queue. Since the servers have to handle many jobs in the queue, most of which aren’t of a significant impact, it filters the queue, handling jobs based on the schedule.

• Caching Service

Of course, in web app development, there needs to be storage space for searching and storing data. Therefore, caching service offers space for searching and keeping the data. Every moment a user navigates through the servers and gets some information, the actions performed are stored in the cache, making it easy for the user to load future requests easily. Therefore, with caching, you can access the previous results whenever you need to perform an action easily. This implies that caching service is significant in the following events:

• When accessing the same results for a given request
• When the computation processes are slow
• When the user is likely to perform computation several times

• Full-Text Search Service

The full-text search service is also one of the web app architecture components, but optional. It is an effective component because most web apps support the search-by-text function, prompting the app to send significant results to the user. Of course, this component relies on keywords to search the required data from the many documents available.

How does Web Application Architecture Work?

In web app development, there is always the server and the client side with two programs running at a go. The programs are:

• The code on the server side is responsible for responding to all HTTP requests
• The code on the browser side is responsible for responding to user input.

The developer is the one who decides the code to use on the server side and what code will fit on the browser side based on the functions and tasks. The languages applicable on the server side include JavaScript, Python, Java, C#, PHP, and Ruby on Rails.

Note: A code that can respond to any HTTP request can run and function fully on the server side. Other significant details you need to know about the server-side code include the following:

• It creates the page requested by the user
• Store data such as pages, tweets, and user profiles, among others
• The user cannot see it unless otherwise.

The languages applicable on the client side include HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. The user’s browser then analyzes the languages, making it easy for the user to see and edit the details. What’s more, the communication is only through HTTP requests, and it cannot analyze files direct from the server.

Different Forms of Web Application Architecture

Web app development is in two forms; backend and frontend development.

Frontend: Forms of web app architecture

• Server-Side Rendered Application (SSR)

This involves executing the client-side JavaScript framework website to HTML and CSS on the server. Through this tool, the developer can achieve the most significant tasks while speeding up the browser’s speed.

• Single-Page Applications (SPAs)

The SPAs help with simplifying the programmer’s tasks. With SPAs, the user doesn’t need to load more pages when performing an action on the web page. Instead, they simply interact and get content updates from the current page. Therefore, SPAs improve the overall user experience by minimizing interruptions and boosting active interaction.

Backend: Forms of Web application Architecture

• Serverless Architecture

Serverless architecture means the whole infrastructure is supported by other providers since there is no need to configure and administer servers running management software. The third party, therefore, offers an outsourcing server and infrastructure management as an option.

This form of web app architecture requires the developer to work with third-party cloud infrastructure services for all the required services. This system is perfect for a developer who doesn’t want to manage and support the servers & the hardware.

• Microservices

This is one of the service-oriented architectures – SOA, which deals with simple services to perform a single functionality. The developers can save time and cost through microservices; hence it is quite efficient and productive.

Note: Microservices components aren’t interdependent because they don’t necessarily require the same programming language. Therefore, as a developer, you can decide to pick any technology you love that can make the microservice architecture easy and quick.

Conclusion

The success of web app development is connected to the web app architecture as it enhances reliable communication for all users. If you are on the move to creating the best web application architecture and don’t know how to go about everything, reach out to web application development company : Aalpha Information Systems for more professional and technical help.

Also check: eCommerce Architecture