Centralized Computing

Centralized computing refers to a computing model involving a central computer or server with high computing capability and sophisticated applications/software. The central server connects to client computers that have very low processing capability, so when a task needs to be performed, the clients simply send requests to the central server, which then performs most of the processing. The connection between the central server and clients can be either direct or over a network.

As all requests are processed by a central server, the centralized computing model has lower efficiency and higher risk of failure, compared with the decentralized or distributed computing model. However, the centralized model provides higher security and reliability, as all the data is stored and tasks are performed on a central server.