We discuss the interplay of low-x physics and QCD scaling violations by extending the unified approach describing inclusive structure functions and diffractive production in $\gamma* p$ interactions proposed in previous papers, to large values of Q2. We describe the procedure of extracting, from the non-perturbative model, initial conditions for the QCD evolution that respect unitarity. Assuming Regge factorization of the diffractive structure function, a similar procedure is proposed for the calculation of hard diffraction. The results are in good agreement with experimental data on the proton structure function $F_2$ and the most recent data on the reduced diffractive cross section, $x_P \sigma_r^{\D(3)}$. Predictions for both $F_2$ and $F_L$ are presented in a wide kinematical range and compared to calculations within high-energy QCD.