N-Tier Architecture in Cloud Computing

Any application comprises the presentation layer, application layer and data layer. The presentation layer is the interface with which users interact. It could be any page of a website. The application layer consists of all the logic that is associated with the application or system. All the information is stored in the data layer and the relevant information is fetched from this layer. 

These layers can be combined in different ways. The next video will help you understand this concept and explain the different ways in which these layers are combined.

You saw in the video the different ways in which an application can be modelled. There are four ways: 1-Tier System, 2-Tier System, 3-Tier System and N-Tier System.

In the 1-Tier System, the presentation, application and data layers are combined. Any change in one layer will need a new version of the entire application.

In the 2-Tier System, the presentation and application layers are usually combined. The data layer is separate from these two layers.

In the 3-Tier System, the presentation, application and data layers are separate from each other. Since these layers are separated from each other, any changes and scaling up or down can be done in each layer independently.

The N-Tier system, also known as a distributed application, is an upgraded version of the 3-Tier System. In addition to the three layers discussed above, they contain additional layers. Since all the layers are separated from each other, they are highly scalable across each layer. These systems make full use of cloud computing.

Additional Reading

N-Tier Architecture - You can read more about N-Tier architecture and the advantages of using the same.

Now, in the next segment, you will learn about service models.