Some definitions first: Client-server computing and e-commerce

Introduction
The purpose of this research blog is to delve into e-commerce applications and investigate the pervasive usage of the client-server computing model that has been utilized by many systems to underpin this type of system.

Before going into detail, it is worthwhile researching and defining exactly what client-server computing and e-commerce actually is.



Client-server computing

The Wikipedia article[1] summarizes client-server computing thus, "Client-server is computing architecture which separates a client from a server, and is almost always implemented over a computer network.". A simplified yet detailed description of this computing model is described by Morgan[2] as a distributed computing system where a one program (on a client computer) communicates with another (on the server computer) for the purpose of exchanging some type of information.




According to Morgan, a typical data exchange commences with the client program making a request to the program running on the server. The server then prepares the response, with the actual processing that occurs being dependant upon the type of program, underlying data store and so on. Once the information has been prepared a response is sent by the server back to the client, therefore completing the request-response cycle.

E-commerce
E-commerce is the practise of utilzing computer networks, such as the internet, as a marketplace for activities directly or indirectly associated with the selling of goods and/or services. The Wikipedia e-commerce article states, "Electronic Commerce is exactly analogous to a marketplace on the Internet. Electronic Commerce (also referred to as EC, e-commerce eCommerce or ecommerce) consists primarily of the distributing, buying, selling, marketing and servicing of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks". Brain[4] has written a great e-commerce primer at the website "HowStuffWorks".

References:

[1] Wikipedia, Client-server computing, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Client-server_computing
[2] Eric Lease Morgan, Infomotions, http://www.infomotions.com/musings/waves/clientservercomputing.html
[3] Wikipedia, E-Commerce, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-commerce
[4] Marshall Brain, HowStuffWorks, http://communication.howstuffworks.com/ecommerce.htm