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Client–server and peer-to-peer

OCR GCSE Computer Science (J277) · Computer systems (Paper 1) › Networks, connections and protocols › Networks and topologies

Practise Client–server and peer-to-peer. 12 exam-style questions on this subtopic, at up to four difficulty levels, with full mark schemes and a progress tracker. Free, no account needed.

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Sample questions

Written for this site in the style of OCR exam questions. They are not taken from real past papers.

Question 1Easy3 marks
(a) State the role of a server in a client–server network.[1]
(b) State the role of a client in a client–server network.[1]
(c) In which type of network do all the computers have equal status?
Tick (✓) one box.[1]
  • Client–server
  • Peer-to-peer
  • Both types of network
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)
  • to provide services / resources to clients, e.g. files, printing, web pages, email / to manage the network
(b)
  • it requests services / resources from the server
(c) Answer: Peer-to-peer
Question 2Medium4 marks
Describe two advantages of a client–server network compared with a peer-to-peer network.[4]
Show the answer and mark scheme
  • files are stored centrally
  • so they are easy to find / can all be backed up in one place
  • security is managed centrally
  • e.g. user accounts, passwords and access levels are set up on the server
  • software can be installed / updated centrally
  • so every client has the same version without visiting each computer
  • servers are powerful
  • so they can handle requests from many users
Question 3Hard4 marks
Some large software updates are shared using peer-to-peer file sharing over the Internet.
(a) Explain how peer-to-peer file sharing allows a very large file to be downloaded quickly by many people at the same time.[3]
(b) Give one legal issue that can arise from peer-to-peer file sharing.[1]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)
  • the file is split into many small pieces
  • each user downloads different pieces from many peers at the same time
  • users who already have pieces also upload them to others
  • so the load is shared and does not depend on the bandwidth of one server
(b)
  • copyrighted films / music / software may be shared without permission, breaking the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

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