Node.js Architecture – Elements, Workflow, Benefits, & More

Node.js has been downloaded more than 1 billion times worldwide and is now the preferred choice for software architects. But, what is the cause behind this recent hype of Node.js? Node.js is a Javascript runtime environment that has grown into a household name among developers. The parallel code execution and scalability features are among the reasons behind Node.js’ ever-rising popularity. 

In 2009, Ryan Dahl first laid the foundation of Node.js while the OpenJS Foundation has now taken responsibility for its development in its hands. The primary purpose of Node.js is to construct applications specifically used in scalable networks. In this blog, we will go deeply through the Node.js architecture and its workflow. We will also learn how the Node.js framework can help programmers to create different applications. 

Introduction to Node.js

Node.js is an open-source cross-platform architecture designed for creating server-side networking applications. The applications developed in Node.js are written in Javascript and can be executed using Node.js runtime on Linus, OS X, and Windows. Additionally, Node.js offers a comprehensive library of different Javascript modules, which makes it easier to create web applications to a large extent.

In simple terms,

Node.js = Javascript Library + Runtime Environment

With the help of Node.js, front-end developers can effortlessly create both client-side as well as server-side code. This attribute of Node.js has proven to be quite beneficial for developers and enables them to write codes efficiently. While writing the codes, programmers do not have to worry about switching to a new language.

It is essential to note that Node.js is a runtime environment and not a library or framework and it stands among the most crucial Javascript runtime environments. Node.js has helped many businesses grow faster and cut unnecessary expenses. Additionally, it has made a variety of individuals and firms able to operate their applications quickly and effectively.   time to enroll in a You can take a course on Node.js course to develop a better understanding of this runtime environment.

Understanding the Server Architecture for Node.js

Node.js can handle multiple concurrent clients by using one of the well-known techniques known as the “single-threaded event loop” structure. With this method, a single thread in Node.js can carry out multiple tasks at a go.

The two primary pillars of the Node.js processing model are the Javascript Callback function and the event-based construction.

Let us now examine each of the components that together make up the Node.js architecture. We will also discover the various operations a Node.js web server can perform.

Elements of the Node.js Architecture

• Requests: A client sends a request to the server in order to access a web page or other resources. The requests in Node.js can be divided into two different groups on the basis of projects that a user requires to carry out in a web-based application. The non-blocking (simple) and blocking (complex) requests fall into these categories.

• Node.js Server: The Node.js server basically acts as a server-side application. It has three primary purposes inside a Node.js architecture. These purposes include accepting user queries, handling requests, and delivering results to the respective clients.

• Event Queue: The event queue in a Node.js architecture is used to store requests received from clients. The event queue also serves its purpose of routing these requests toward the event loop. This entire process takes place in a sequential manner and only one request is passed at a time.

• Thread Pool: A thread pool inside Node.js architecture contains the entire collection of open threads that perform multiple tasks inside the server to fulfill client requests. 

• Event Loop: The function of an event loop inside Node.js architecture is to continuously accept requests from the clients. The event loop also handles these requests and sends back the appropriate responses to their respective consumers.

• External Resources: External resources are generally required in Node.js to handle blocked client requests. These resources are also used for purposes such as calculation and data storage.

The Node.js Architecture Workflow

Let’s understand the workflow of a Node.js architecture. 

In order to communicate with a web application, users make requests to the web server. A request can be termed either non-blocking or blocking. Such requests can include:

• Data queries
• Data deletion requests
• Data updation requests

Here is the Node.js architecture workflow with the steps involved in the operation :

• Step 1: The users ping the server first with non-blocking or blocking requests in order to carry out their operations.
• Step 2: The Node.js architecture then retrieves the incoming requests.
• Step 3: These incoming requests are initially visible in the event queue on the server side. 
• Step 4: The event loop receives these requests from the event queue. 
• Step 5: Afterward, each request is routed individually through the event loop. 

[This step determines whether the requests are simple enough to go forward without any outside assistance or if they require any help.]

• Step 6: The Event Loop present in the Node.js architecture processes simple requests or non-blocking actions such as I/O Polling. After this, the results of the mentioned actions are returned to the appropriate clients.
• Step 7: In the seventh step, the thread pool provides a single thread to a single complex Node.js request. This specific thread is in charge of completing a specific blocking request. It does that by taking the help of external resources. File systems, databases, or computing are examples of such external resources.
• Step 8: After the above procedure is complete, the Event Loop receives the response and delivers it back to the user.

Features and Benefits of Node.js Architecture

When contrasting the Node.js environment with other server-side languages available in the market, Node.js architecture provides its users with a wide range of advantages. These benefits offer an upper hand to Node.js over other platforms. 

1. Quick and easy to manage concurrent requests from clients: Node.js server effectively manages an enormous volume of incoming requests. It accomplishes this by making use of a thread pool and an event queue. You do not have to create any additional threads to achieve this.

2. Constructing additional threads is not required: The event loop present inside Node.js processes each request individually. Therefore, no additional threads inside the server are specifically required. An incoming blocked request can be managed by a single thread itself.

3. Less memory and resources are needed: Node.js server usually makes use of less memory space and resources inside your system. This is the result of the way Node.js performs and manages incoming requests. When each request is handled separately by the Node.js server, the entire procedure even becomes much more straightforward. When we compare other runtime environments built with different server technologies, all of the features mentioned above help Node.js become a much faster and more responsive platform.

Conclusion

By offering scalability, security, and high performance, Node.js has emerged as the most wanted technology by developers. In this blog, we first examined the internal structure and components of the Node.js architecture, along with its entire workflow. Additionally, we learned about its single-threaded layout and event loop system required to perform asynchronous code execution.