Modern Web Application Architecture | Updated List of Components, Models, & Types

Table of Content

• Introduction to Web Application Architecture
• Layers of Web App Architecture
• Different Types of Web Application Components
• Different Models of Web Application Architecture Diagram
• Different Types of Web Application Architecture
• Modern Web Application Architecture Best Practices
• FAQs About Web Application Architecture
• Need Help With Modern Web App Development?

Web Application is a term that is snowballing nowadays. The News Release by GlobeNewswire also states a growth expectation of 34% CAGR in the Web App’s Market Share, i.e., $7,600 Million by 2026.

But we’ve got a question for you here; even in the current web application ratio of 1.13 billion, the performance conflict under each business domain has changed scenarios vigorously. Will your existing web architecture work out for your business with a rise of 34% CAGR? Even if your current answer is a ‘no,’ there is nothing to worry about! Because we are here to help you with this only, building a web app is a significant step to scale your business – but its web architecture is what sets the core.

It Includes performance, scalability, reliability, and many other crucial components helping you with lucrative business statics. This is why favoring a good web application architecture is necessary, if you don’t want to dive deep into these technical terms you can even request a free quote from our experienced Modern Web Application Developer. 

When moving to a progressive web app architecture, there is a long list of components, models, & types to decide from, which is why we already have a curated index with proven success and scalability records. So, let’s move further!

Introduction to Web Application Architecture

Before directly hoping to web application architecture, let’s first get the difference between a web app vs website:

Website:
Includes fixed content that is mainly marketing-focused, including products, services, and future visions. 

The static web server offers only read mode for web visitors.

A single web page doesn’t ask for user authentication.

Web-Based Application:

Its architecture includes multiple forms of content, designed explicitly for end-to-end user discussion and less for marketing purposes.

Web-based applications offer both reading and information manipulation for web visitors. Often let users access web app components via authentication, including for ‘Web Portals’ and ‘E-store’. Moving forward to; What is a Web Application Architecture?

Architecture is an essential yet sensitive base in web application development, as it defines the interaction between web applications, databases, and all other middleware components. 

web application architecture describes a mechanism that ensures the entire application responds correctly to the user’s request. For example, when a user requests a particular service/product/URL on a web browser – the server sends all the reliable web files to the browser as the response. 

Ultimately, the conclusive result is when the user can interact with their selected website. The same procedure goes with web application development – but the point of concern here is the backend architecture of web applications, which might not include specific responses per user inputs.

Hence, a modern web app architecture must include all the sub-components, and external applications interchanges aligning with robustness to tackle the increased number of users effectively and securely. 

Layers of Web App Architecture

The Web Application Layer is basically the most preferred web application design procedure that allows web app developers to make changes in a required layer without affecting the overall application and high-level components of a system.

This layered modern web app architecture also enables developers to edit, debug, manage, and re-usage code. The four common layers of web application’s architecture include:

1. Presentation Layer (PL):

Presentation layer is the foremost layer in creating structural diagram architecture. The PL is the display layer on which the user makes the first interaction, making the overall experience more straightforward for web visitors. 

It includes UI components and architecture components to get input from the users’ side and deliver the results as per the users’ request. The system architecture diagram’s PL layer mostly gets built in HTML, CSS, Java, and PHP. 

2. Business Logic Layer (BLL)

First, with the help of PL we drove clients’ interest and input – now, data exchange is necessary for responding to it, and that’s precisely what this BLL layer of architecture server does. 

The business Logic Layer is also known as Domain Logic, and the Application Layer processes the clients’ queries from the browser and directs the way to access the requested data. 

3. Data Service Layer (DSL)

After gathering information from BLL, the data service layer helps with the transmission of data to the presentation layer. This DSL layer also protects the application information by splitting the business logic layer from the client side. 

4. Data Access Layer (DAL)

In the system architecture diagram, this layer provides a simplified way to access the stored data; present in the storage part of the application, such as; binary and XML files.

Accessing this layer allows you to manage operations such as reading, editing, creating, and deleting. This Data access layer is also combined with the Business logic layer delivering the correct output from databases used for the web.

Different Types of Web Application Components

When building web applications, numerous components are coded together to form an entirely responsive, robust, and user-friendly modern web application. There are primarily four models of web application components:

1. Structural Components in Web Application Architecture:

No matter what size of web app design you are going for, the important thing is the structure you decide for the application. This structural component of a web application includes a web app server, database server, and clients’ server determining the user interactions within the application. 

These components are primarily created in HTML, CSS, and JS that enhance overall web app design. Also, if you have specific front-end design requirements tailored to your business guide, you can ask our dedicated front-end developers for assistance. 

2. User Interface Components in Web Application Architecture:

UI interface components are a significant factor in creating good web architecture that succeeds for a longer period. These user interface components contribute to the dashboard, widgets, settings, notifications, and many other visual elements that improve the user experience and make it engageable. 

3. Client Components in Web Application Architecture:

When a client runs the application, these components get displayed on their web browser; unlike other components, you don’t need an operating system or specialized device-related adjustments to make it interactive for end-users. 

4. Server Components in Web Application Architecture:

The server component mostly has at least two parts: app logic and database. These components can also be built into one web or a combination of web programming languages and frameworks, such as .Net, NodeJS, PHP, Python, Java, and Ruby on Rails.

Different Models of Web Application Architecture Diagram

When you create web applications, from simple HTML pages to complex applications, there are several patterns the architecture offers to make the modern web application work quickly and effectively. 

But as the web application turns complex, there are some factors the application web developer must consider to ensure that the web server and the database can handle the increased traffic and services without compromising user experience. 

Here are the 3 most preferable models of web application:

One-tier Architecture (1 Web Server and 1 Database):

This model is mainly suggested when you’ve just begun your web architecture development, as this model involves placing all the components, including files and technology, on a single server.

One-tier architecture includes client, server, and database side all in one place to make them work on the same device. Such models also contrast with multi-tiered architecture, making the presentation, business, and data layers accessible on required devices. 

Two-tier Architecture (2+ Web Servers and Databases):

There are currently many web applications based on two-tier architecture as they offer more flexibility, scalability, and securable application services for clients and you. 

This Two-tier architecture splits the presentation layer into two components: the client on the first tier, the web application server, and the database on the same server. 

In this, the client sends requests from the first tier, and after that, the request gets received by the second tier (web tier) application and executes the data and business logic for the web application. 

Three-tier Architecture (1 Web Server, 1 Application Server, and 1 DataBase Server)

It is three layered architecture handling the web architecture design. First, it takes a request from the client side, then sends it to the database, and once it gets a specific response, this application model returns it to the presentation layer. 

If application servers are more than three and represented in individual tiers. This type is also known as Multiple-tier or the N-tire. N-tire has the same architecture as the three-tier; but belongs to the distributed apps with the distributed business logic to all the existing tiers.

Different Types of Web Application Architecture

The architecture used for a web application is the attribute that decides whether you’ll scale or fail! The right web architecture provides powerful ground that can hold high traffic and easy integration. Also, the architecture defines the performance, scalability, and security of the entire software application. The main 3 web application architecture that works robustly are:

1. Microservices Architecture:

Microservices architecture for web applications; is a set of specific architectural solutions designed to break down complex web services into distinct, independent service blocks that integrate well with web API. 

This architecture helps to make applicants scale easier and faster as each responsibility gets divided to personalized experts and can also push new features without negatively affecting the entire portal architecture.

2. Serverless Architecture:

Serverless computing is a popular web architecture. Developing a web app using this architecture offers numerous advantages to developers, including higher scalability, more flexibility, and optimized dynamic web server runtime.

This web application architecture defines similar building and running of applications but without managing the infrastructure. In serverless architecture, the entire server management gets done by AWS itself, so the developer won’t need to worry about operating servers or runtimes, either in the cloud or on-premises

3. Service-oriented Architecture:

SOA is an architectural approach in which applications use services available on the network. This web application architecture works through a network call over the Internet. SOA’s application logic uses common communication standards to speed up and streamline application service integrations.

Each service in SOA is a complete business function in itself. The benefits are published, making it easy for the developers to assemble their apps using those services. Note that SOA is different from microservice architecture.

Modern Web Application Architecture Best Practices

Wondering which one will work the best for you? Here are some best practices to consider that will help you to figure out the same:

Clarity of Your Web Application: 

No matter how complex your web app structure is, it should be understandable and straightforward to navigate.

Web Application Scalability:

Moving to another architecture doesn’t stand for reduction or any kind of compromises in web application scalability; so you better keep all components optimized and well-scalable aligned according to the business needs. 

Web Application Security & Reliability: 

The architecture of a modern web application must include security standards and strategies that enable resilience, reliability, data protection, and consistent performance of the application.

Need a few examples of web applications? Here are our proven web application case studies that helped businesses from around the globe to scale higher traffic and sales.

Need Help With Modern Web App Development?

Our team of dedicated web application developers can help out! With success in 250+ web application projects, our IT experts have a significant history of user-friendly UI/UX and multiple encryption techniques to tailor web applications as per your business needs. To explore vital opportunities with modern web app development, get in touch with us now!