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Example of Computer System Architecture


Drawings

Brief Description:

depicts an illustrative computer system architecture that may be used in accordance with one or more illustrative aspects described herein. 

Detailed Description:

Figure 1 illustrates one example of a system architecture and data processing device that may be used to implement one or more illustrative aspects described herein in a standalone and/or networked environment. Various network nodesdata server 110, web server 106, computer 104, and laptop 102 may be interconnected via a wide area network 108 (WAN), such as the internet. Other networks may also or alternatively be used, including private intranets, corporate networks, LANs, metropolitan area networks (MANs) wireless networks, personal networks (PANs), and the like. Network 108 is for illustration purposes and may be replaced with fewer or additional computer networks. A local area network (LAN) may have one or more of any known LAN topology and may use one or more of a variety of different protocols, such as ethernet. Devicesdata server 110, web server 106, computer 104, laptop 102 and other devices (not shown) may be connected to one or more of the networks via twisted pair wires, coaxial cable, fiber optics, radio waves or other communication media

The term “network” as used herein and depicted in the drawings refers not only to systems in which remote storage devices are coupled together via one or more communication paths, but also to stand-alone devices that may be coupled, from time to time, to such systems that have storage capability. Consequently, the term “network” includes not only a “physical network” but also a “content network,” which is comprised of the data–attributable to a single entity–which resides across all physical networks

The components may include data server 110, web server 106, and client computer 104, laptop 102. Data server 110 provides overall access, control and administration of databases and control software for performing one or more illustrative aspects described herein. Data serverdata server 110 may be connected to web server 106 through which users interact with and obtain data as requested. Alternatively, data server 110 may act as a web server itself and be directly connected to the internet. Data server 110 may be connected to web server 106 through the network 108 (e.g., the internet), via direct or indirect connection, or via some other network. Users may interact with the data server 110 using remote computer 104, laptop 102, e.g., using a web browser to connect to the data server 110 via one or more externally exposed web sites hosted by web server 106. Client computer 104, laptop 102 may be used in concert with data server 110 to access data stored therein, or may be used for other purposes. For example, from client computer 104, a user may access web server 106 using an internet browser, as is known in the art, or by executing a software application that communicates with web server 106 and/or data server 110 over a computer network (such as the internet). 

servers and applications may be combined on the same physical machines, and retain separate virtual or logical addresses, or may reside on separate physical machines. Figure 1 illustrates just one example of a network architecture that may be used, and those of skill in the art will appreciate that the specific network architecture and data processing devices used may vary, and are secondary to the functionality that they provide, as further described herein. For example, services provided by web server 106 and data server 110 may be combined on a single server

Each componentdata server 110, web server 106, computer 104, laptop 102 may be any type of known computer, server, or data processing device. Data server 110, e.g., may include a processor 112 controlling overall operation of the data server 110. Data server 110 may further include RAM 116, ROM 118, network interface 114, input/output interfaces 120 (e.g., keyboard, mouse, display, printer, etc.), and memory 122. Input/output interfaces 120 may include a variety of interface units and drives for reading, writing, displaying, and/or printing data or files. Memory 122 may further store operating system software 124 for controlling overall operation of the data server 110, control logic 126 for instructing data server 110 to perform aspects described herein, and other application software 128 providing secondary, support, and/or other functionality which may or may not be used in conjunction with aspects described herein. The control logic may also be referred to herein as the data server softwarecontrol logic 126. Functionality of the data server software may refer to operations or decisions made automatically based on rules coded into the control logic, made manually by a user providing input into the system, and/or a combination of automatic processing based on user input (e.g., queries, data updates, etc.). 

memory 122 may also store data used in performance of one or more aspects described herein, including a first database 132 and a second database 130. In some embodiments, the first database may include the second database (e.g., as a separate table, report, etc.). That is, the information can be stored in a single database, or separated into different logical, virtual, or physical databases, depending on system design. Web server 106, computer 104, laptop 102 may have similar or different architecture as described with respect to data server 110. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the functionality of data server 110 (or web server 106, computer 104, laptop 102) as described herein may be spread across multiple data processing devices, for example, to distribute processing load across multiple computers, to segregate transactions based on geographic location, user access level, quality of service (QoS), etc. 

One or more aspects may be embodied in computer-usable or readable data and/or computer-executable instructions, such as in one or more program modules, executed by one or more computers or other devices as described herein. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types when executed by a processor in a computer or other device. The modules may be written in a source code programming language that is subsequently compiled for execution, or may be written in a scripting language such as (but not limited to) HTML or XML. The computer executable instructions may be stored on a computer readable medium such as a nonvolatile storage device. Any suitable computer readable storage media may be utilized, including hard disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, and/or any combination thereof. In addition, various transmission (non-storage) media representing data or events as described herein may be transferred between a source and a destination in the form of electromagnetic waves traveling through signal-conducting media such as metal wires, optical fibers, and/or wireless transmission media (e.g., air and/or space). various aspects described herein may be embodied as a method, a data processing system, or a computer program product. Therefore, various functionalities may be embodied in whole or in part in software, firmware and/or hardware or hardware equivalents such as integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), and the like. Particular data structures may be used to more effectively implement one or more aspects described herein, and such data structures are contemplated within the scope of computer executable instructions and computer-usable data described herein. 


Parts List

102

laptop

104

computer

106

web server

108

network

110

data server

112

processor

114

network interface

116

RAM

118

ROM

120

input/output interfaces

122

memory

124

operating system software

126

control logic

128

other application software

130

second database

132

first database


Terms/Definitions

modules

databases and control software

nonvolatile storage device

method

servers and applications

server

data server software

user input

time

additional computer networks

second database

physical networks

devices

separate physical machines

hardware

software application

similar or different architecture

networks

various functionalities

overall operation

memory

system design

illustrative computer system architecture

client computers

data processing device

particular tasks

form

electromagnetic waves

radio waves

data processing system

scope

non-storage

routines

aspects

user

information

gate arrays

computer network

aka, remote desktop

firmware and/or hardware or hardware equivalents

users

scripting language

cloud-based environments

rules

source

various network nodes

computer

suitable computer

data server

web server

processor

geographic location

various transmission

remote-access

separate virtual or logical addresses

storage capability

reading

functionality

laptop

illustration purposes

combination

source code programming language

optical fibers

networked environment

one or more communication paths

computer-executable instructions

MANs

hard disks

overall access

input/output interfaces

magnetic storage devices

system architecture and data processing device

indirect connection

internet

instructing data server

internet browser

known LAN topology

specific network architecture

various aspects

ROM

same physical machines

other functionality

CD-ROMs, optical storage devices

conjunction

instructions

remote computers

single entity–which resides

such data structures

network

quality

program modules

physical databases

control logic

computer software

user access level

one or more program modules

LANs

first database

one or more illustrative aspects

one or more aspects

variety

mouse

execution

control and administration

single database

automatic processing

storage media

operations or decisions

particular data structures

device

logic

metropolitan area networks

other purposes

data processing devices

particular abstract data types

skill

client device

components

queries

FPGA

RAM

input

different system environments

secondary, support

writing

PANs

network architecture

network interface

other networks

keyboard

services

operating system software

systems

such systems

addition

programs

just one example

embodiments

processing load

personal networks

corporate networks

separate table

part

component

metal wires

wide area network (WAN)

Computing Architecture

twisted pair wires

example

fiber optics

access data

one or more externally exposed web sites

medium

interface units and drives

single server

printer

multiple computers

drawings

integrated circuits, field

ethernet

other communication media

local area network

web browser

HTML or XML

standalone

other application software

wireless transmission media

other device

computer program product

private intranets

performance

one or more computers

data

software

stand-alone devices

signal-conducting media

objects

destination

computer-usable data

data updates

system

air and/or space

multiple data processing devices

service

data structures

other devices

type

different protocols

remote storage devices

coaxial cable

concert

transactions