Based on a classification of client-server structures, the book systematically reflects current development trends and essential facts of programming methods and environments for distributed systems. This guide facilitates the selection of appropriate programming methods that allow for the construction and programming of complex and demanding client-server and distributed applications. The distributed algorithms presented go beyond the client-server model and explain the advantages and limitations of distributed programming. The description of the most widely used servers in practice vividly illustrates the operation and functionality of client-server and distributed systems.

New in the 4th edition is a section on service-oriented architectures (SOA). Their significance is increasing due to web programming platforms, as they enable the realization of SOA through new software applications.