In a typical web system, which path does a user request usually follow?
Options
- Browser, DNS, load balancer, app server, database (Correct option)
- Database, then browser, then server, and back again
- Server, then CDN, then printer, then the browser
- Browser directly to the database, and nothing else
Answer
Browser → (DNS, load balancer) → application server → database → response back to the browser
Why
- The browser asks DNS for the IP address of the site.
- The request reaches a load balancer, which picks one application server.
- The application server runs the business logic and queries the database (or a cache).
- The response travels back the same way.
The browser never talks to the database directly, because that would be insecure.
Remember
Browser → load balancer → app server → database.