Definition
The 2-tier architecture is a software architecture model in which the interface operates on a client while the server stores the data layer. The client is on the first tier, and the web application and the server are on the second tier. Unlike the 3-tier structure, the client application communicates directly with the server.
2-Tier Architecture Benefits
- Makes the development of applications easy.
- Decent performance since the client is close to the server.
2-Tier Architecture Drawbacks
- Restricted user capacity due to scaling issues.
- Client applications are difficult to redesign as they rely on the database structure.