The three-tier model in e-commerce application architecture

e-Commerce

Describing and Analyzing the Three-Tier Model

The three-tier model of data, business logic and presentation layer have been represented in a wide variety of formats and structural variations, yet all rely on databases being the foundation with servers managing the interpretation and analysis of data. The three-tier model has been used to define how programming languages as diverse as Active Service Pages (ASP), C# and Java (J2EE) are used in creating enterprise applications (Ghahramani, 2004).

Defining the Three-Tier Model and External Systems Implications

Common across all definitions of the three-tier model is the role of database servers, including the role of database management systems (DBMS) (Ghahramani, 2004). The DBMS is also relied on for creating data models that support the query-based application requests from applications that reside at the business logic layer of the model (Grabs, Bohm, Schek, 2004). This business logic layer is also responsible for creating a more effective platform for supporting client-based applications that reside at the presentation layer of the model. The client machine applications at the presentation layer often rely on HTTP, J2EE and CORBA-based architectural calls to provide integration back to business logic on application servers (Ghahramani, 2004). The integration of the client machine protocols to the database server level is increasingly becoming more diverse and forcing integration to a wide variety of database architectures and applications. This is making the integration technologies between the application server or business logic layer and database server layer more challenging yet also more valuable in scaling e-commerce applications at the presentation layer as well (Ghahramani, 2004). The speed of integration that unifies databases and business logic is also accelerating, as software companies look to create more data- and functionality-rich applications at the client level of the three-tier model as well. Examples of this would be the pervasive use of database queries to support the integration of geographic and demographic data in market research and analysis applications (Adnan, Longley, Singleton, Brunsdon, 2010). The reliance on external systems is increasing as users are requiring more intensive analysis and data management functionality at the presentation layer of the model as well. External systems are fueling a higher level of expectations therefore as to what these applications will be able to provide in the future as well