Web Application Architecture – Choose The Right Type In 2024

Calibraint

Author

December 27, 2022

Last updated: April 10, 2024

Table of Contents

Web Application Architecture – Introduction

Have you ever wondered how effectively a web application can scale? An effective, quality-driven web application architecture has become the de-facto definition of a good product, as it is critical for data and information flow to meet business objectives.

To satisfy the company’s demands and goals, one must comprehend the concept, characteristics, and behavior of architecture. It serves as a template for data and information flow that can be used to effectively solve business problems. Hence a well-thought-out architecture with an intuitive interface ensures a seamless user experience.

Nevertheless, an increased number of internet users has opened the gates for many technological revolutions and when the action is carried out with the internet, the user engagements are expected to grow massively.

However, a common internet user gets to visualize the application only after having a rigid interaction with a series of components, such as the User Interface, middleware systems, and Database. Hence a framework that coordinates and binds these interactions together is the typical web application development architecture.

What Is Web Application Architecture?

Web application architecture defines the intricate connections and interactions among databases, servers, and applications within a system. It plays a pivotal role in deciding how the system’s functionality and logic are divided between the server-side and client-side components. In essence, the architecture serves as the blueprint that seamlessly integrates all elements of the application, encompassing the user interface and interactions, as well as the underlying operations and processes at the software’s core.

The Difference Between Software Architecture Vs. Software Design

Software architecture and software design are two distinct concepts, often misunderstood to be interchangeable. Let’s clarify their differences:

Software architecture serves as the backbone of a system, defining the high-level components and their interactions. It addresses the “Where?” and “How?” aspects of the system. During the architectural phase, crucial decisions are made, such as determining the overall approach, implementing business requirements at a high level, arranging servers effectively, selecting data storage solutions, and identifying necessary components.

On the other hand, software design is concerned with the detailed design of individual modules and their functionalities. It delves into the “How?” of the software development process. Once the architectural decisions have been made, software designers come into play to define functions, classes, interfaces, and other intricate aspects of the application. This level of design handles specific components and fine-grained details.

For example, when creating an API, software design involves writing the API specification, which then enables front-end and back-end developers to work efficiently during the coding phases, following the established guidelines.

Web Application Architecture: Traverse Through The Untold

The biggest challenge that stays ahead of a developer after gathering the client’s requirements is to finalize the architecture of web applications and the components. Thus choosing the best appropriate ideas determines the gain of the benefits of web application.

This column is hence a detailed exploration of the fundamentals of web application development architecture, how it works, its types, the components, and its future trends.

So let’s get started!

The market trends shift over time, customer expectations evolve, and a company’s growth is never-ending. Hence every web app idea needs architecture to lay a powerful foundation, and without it, your business application will be diving into the big ball of mud architecture anti-pattern.

Web App Architecture determines the way how the software logic is being divided between the server and the client, and the modes in which they communicate with each other. In simple words, when a user types a URL and goes ahead with the search, the browser requests for that particular page, responding to the request, and the server sends back the file to the browser, after which the file gets executed by the browser.

Well, this happens within a fraction of seconds. Thus, web application architecture makes it simple for the user to interact with the website where choosing a suitable type can benefit the business enormously.

Web Application Architecture – The Working

All the web application components are made by running two sets of code simultaneously – that is on the client-side & server-side.

Client-Side Code: The code in the browser which works on the input of the user.

Server-Side Code: The code in the server which works as per HTTP request.

As a matter of fact, it is the responsibility of the web developer to decide the role of the code on the server with respect to the role of the code on the browser. HTML, CSS & Javascript frameworks are used for writing client-side code.

Nonetheless, these codes can be seen by the user and it responds to user input. While C#, Java, Javascript, PHP, Ruby, and Node.js are all server-side codes, these codes build the page that the user has requested and also store the user data, which is kept safe and never shown to end-users.

Are you at a crossroad looking for a web architect for your business application? Calibraint being the best web application development company in India has the finest architects that can assist you in determining the framework and architectures that will best serve your business needs.

Image Reference: Wikipedia

Components Of Web Application Architecture

As stated above, web app architecture comprises several components and these components of web application architecture fall under two categories i.e; User Interface App Components & Structural Components.

User Interface App Component

Dashboards, Notifications, Reports/Statistics, Logs, Configuration, Tracking Settings, etc are User Interface App components which have nix to deal with massive functions. In short, the user Interface app components are more precise on the UI layouts.

Structural Component

Structural Components are those components that deal with the functionality of the application and these components are the major contributor to the development process. These components are classified into:

Client Component
Server Component
Database Server

Client Component: The browser or client components allows the user to interact with the application. These are built by HTML, CSS & Javascript and do not require any operating system revisions.
Server Component: It’s the core hub that handles and supports the app logic and multi-layer application. These components are created by C#, Java, Javascript, PHP, Ruby, & Node.Js.
Database Server: The database server stores, retrieves, and gives away the required information. Furthermore, it can also provide the app logics and information which is managed by web application servers.

Importance Of Selecting The Appropriate Web Application Architecture

Selecting the appropriate web application architecture is crucial for the success and sustainability of a web application. The architecture serves as the foundation that determines how the application will function, scale, and adapt to changes. Here are some key reasons highlighting the importance of choosing the right web application architecture:

Scalability: Choosing the right web application architecture ensures scalability, allowing the system to handle increased loads and user demands efficiently, preventing performance bottlenecks and downtime.
Security: Proper architecture selection enhances security by implementing robust measures, protecting against common web vulnerabilities, and ensuring data integrity, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches.
User Experience: The architecture directly impacts user experience, influencing factors such as page load times, responsiveness, and overall performance. A well-designed architecture contributes to a seamless and enjoyable user interaction.
Maintainability: Appropriate architecture simplifies maintenance and updates, making it easier for developers to add new features, fix bugs, and adapt to evolving technology trends without disrupting the entire system.
Cost Efficiency: The right architecture optimizes resource utilization, reducing unnecessary expenses related to hosting, infrastructure, and maintenance. This ensures a cost-effective solution aligned with the application’s needs and growth trajectory.

What Are The 3 Main Components of Web Application Architecture?

The three main components of web application architecture follow a layered approach, each handling specific tasks:

Presentation Layer (Front-End): This layer focuses on how users interact with the application. It’s responsible for displaying the user interface (UI) and handling user input. Technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are commonly used to build the presentation layer.
Business Layer (Back-End): This layer handles the core logic of the application. It processes user requests, interacts with the database, and implements the application’s business rules. Programming languages like Python, Java, and C# are often used for back-end development.
Data Layer: This layer is responsible for storing and managing the application’s data. It typically involves a database management system (DBMS) like MySQL or PostgreSQL. The data layer provides a way for the business layer to access and manipulate data.

These three layers work together to deliver a functional and user-friendly web application. The user interacts with the presentation layer, which sends requests to the business layer. The business layer then processes the request, interacts with the data layer as needed, and generates a response. Finally, the response is sent back to the presentation layer and displayed to the user.

Types Of Web App Architecture

It’s indeed a good idea to choose the best architecture for your app while keeping many things in mind, such as app logic, features, functionality, and business requirements. The correct architecture will enable the developer to achieve the best results from the web application components while also achieving the app’s goal. In short, the objective of your product as a whole is defined by its architecture.

Web applications can hence be classified into the following types of web app architecture, as shown below:

Single Page Application

The simple yet popular architecture that does dynamic performance by drawing the important element & content from the server rather than completely loading the new page is called a single page application.

Microservices

An independently deployable, lightweight structure that executes a specific single functionality is called the microservices. The developer can build fast and reliable applications with microservice architecture frameworks. To add on, a developer also has the advantage of choosing the technology, as the components in microservices architecture are independent.

Serverless Architectures

The application built with serverless architectures executes without any link with infrastructure-aided tasks. The developer need not manage the backend server as these applications are harnessed by third-party cloud infrastructure services.

Web Server Architecture

Web Server Architecture is defined as the architectural layout that supports the design, development & deployment of web servers. The purpose of the web server is to complete the request made by the browser & mobile app. The requests are made using a secure HTTPs protocol and the request is either related to page resources or REST API.

The web server architecture structure includes physical capacity like storage, computing power, memory, performance, and app tiers that include the various types of apps anywhere either inside the server, across the network, or the operating systems.

Java Web Application Architecture

Being the most versatile programming language, Java stays as the top-picked and exclusive developer’s choice while building an app in an enterprise development environment. Adding on, the essential requirement of an application determines the intense complex nature of the web app architecture. Irrespective of the solution being either simple or more informative, the Java web app architecture is the preferred choice of every developer to get the desired result.

The added advantage of opting for java web application architecture is that it has the potential to combine and work with Java native tools and frameworks to deliver great applications. Be it a simple or multi-tier enterprise web solution, developers have the ease of picking tools and frameworks of their choice.

Node.js Web Application Architecture

Node.js Web Application Architecture has become the most comfortable choice for many developers. The language being written in JS and Javascript being used in frontend components eventually makes it easier for the developer to program back-end and front-end-user interfaces.

The complete Node.js Web Application Architecture is based on the pattern of the model-view like Model-View-Controller (MVC), the Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM), and the Model-View-Presenter (MVP). This language allows the pattern for identifying code elements and integration.

However, it is a known fact that Node.js was designed with the intention of giving away a splendid integration. Thus, it becomes the organization’s choice to leverage the framework to connect plenty of services through a single user interface.

Cloud-based Web Application Architecture

The wide benefits of cloud-based modern web application architecture have made every developer move towards it. The greatest advantage of having this type of development is data decoupling where the application based on the cloud runs on both local servers and the cloud.

Some of the features of cloud-based web application architecture include fast scalability and out-of-box monitoring features. Cloud-based web application architecture also gives away readily accessible services to the user, with simple API’s through the internet medium.

.NET Web Application Architecture

This architecture of web applications handles cross-platform support, Docker containers, microservices, and side-by-side versioning. The biggest advantage of opting for the .NET framework is that it doesn’t require database code to store data. Some of the beneficial features of the .NET framework include less coding and increased reuse of code, deployment, reliability, and integration with legacy systems.

PHP Web Application Architecture

The most popular yet the most simple one is PHP Web Application Architecture. It is considered to be the least complex and greatest functional architecture. Effective unit testing, security, ease of working with databases, & more importantly speed are some of the best unique traits of PHP-based web applications.

AngularJS Web Application Architecture

Angular JS is an open-source MVC framework like Javascript where its architecture works well in HTML and TypeScript as both platform and framework. Some of the benefits of Angular JS-based web applications include two-way binding, ease of routing, integration, and unit testing.

Also, check out Angular Components Interaction Methods – A Quick Study & Template Driven & Reactive Forms – Angular “An Overview”

Python Web Application Architecture

The easy-to-understand coding for server-side scripting has become the best choice for developers who initiate their first development project. Hence, the dynamic behavior and shortcode capabilities have made it the best fit for prototypes. The developers hence get to have the ease of performing custom web application development using the python framework.

Attributes For The Best Web Application

Although designing an architecture is just the first stepping stone, the architectural patterns you choose will have a significant impact on the success of your web application. Hence here are a few best practices that you can follow to avoid such situations:

– Maintain Consistency in Performance Uniformly

– Should Support Tracking Analytics & A/B Testing

– Indulge Security Standards

– No Loopholes For Failure

– Fast Response Time

– High Scalability

– Avoid Frequent Clashed

– Automated Deployment

Top Web Application Frameworks 2024

To be successful in the long run, every web app should be designed effectively with the consumers in mind. Web application frameworks assist developers to understand and meet the demands of their users while also allowing them to create a successful app. Not only does architecture play a part in development, but so does the correct web framework. The main web application frameworks that you should be aware of are:

Play
Django
Angular
METEOR
ASP.NET
Ruby on Rails
Spring
CodeIgniter
Laravel
Express

Closing Lines:

Right attributes build the right application and thus ensuring the above capabilities while creating a web application is significant. Nonetheless, the evolution of technology & frameworks has evolved the performances of web applications. Additionally, the appropriate choice of components & architecture of web applications determines the very performance of the web application.

The architecture of a modern web application is inextricably linked to its success. Keeping up with the changing requirements is a difficult endeavor, and even a tiny error can cost you your product’s life. Hence, a competent and experienced architect who understands the limitations and challenges that the requirement comes with is vital to designing a modern web application architecture. Well, without a doubt picking the right architectures also covers the future scope for scalability.

Do you have a web application idea and are looking for a perfect firm to pace? Calibraint as a web app development company, exercise diverse strategies and execution to give away a splendid experience. Talk with our experts today to empower your trade!

Frequently Asked Questions On Web Application Architecture

What Are The 3 Types Of Web Architecture?

Single-page web apps, Multi-page web apps and Microservices architecture are the three main types of web architecture.

What Is The Best Architecture For Web Applications?

Microservice Architecture! Microservice architecture can communicate with other services through APIs to solve complex business problems.

What Are The Types Of Web Application Architectures?

Single-page web apps, Multi-page web apps, Microservices architecture, Serverless architecture, Progressive web apps and Isomorphic web apps are few among the types of web application architecture.