However, as technology progressed, they ended up becoming much larger than desktop computers, which made the term microcomputer somewhat farcical. Initially, such servers were connected to clients known as terminals that did not do any actual computing.
These terminals, referred to as dumb terminals, existed simply to accept input via a keyboard or card reader and to return the results of any computations to a display screen or printer.
The actual computing was done on the server. Later, servers were often single, powerful computers connected over a network to a set of less-powerful client computers. This network architecture is often referred to as the client-server model, in which both the client computer and the server possess computing power, but certain tasks are delegated to servers. As technology has evolved, the definition of a server has evolved with it.
These days, a server may be nothing more than software running on one or more physical computing devices. Such servers are often referred to as virtual servers. Originally, virtual servers were used to increase the number of server functions a single hardware server could do.
Today, virtual servers are often run by a third-party on hardware across the Internet in an arrangement called cloud computing. A server may be designed to do a single task, such as a mail server, which accepts and stores email and then provides it to a requesting client.
Servers may also perform several tasks, such as a file and print server, which both stores files and accepts print jobs from clients and then sends them on to a network-attached printer. To function as a server, a device must be configured to listen to requests from clients on a network connection. This functionality can exist as part of the operating system as an installed application, role, or a combination of the two.
Additionally installed roles or services increase which kinds of client requests the server can respond to. In another example, an Apache web server responds to Internet browser requests via an additional application, Apache, installed on top of an operating system.
When a client requires data or functionality from a server, it sends a request over the network. The server receives this request and responds with the appropriate information.
This is the request and response model of client-server networking, also known as the call and response model. A server will often perform numerous additional tasks as part of a single request and response, including verifying the identity of the requestor, ensuring that the client has permission to access the data or resources requested, and properly formatting or returning the required response in an expected way. There are many types of servers that all perform different functions. Many networks contain one or more of the common server types:.
File servers store and distribute files. Multiple clients or users may share files stored on a server. In addition, centrally storing files offers easier backup or fault tolerance solutions than attempting to provide security and integrity for files on every device in an organization.
File server hardware can be designed to maximize read and write speeds to improve performance. Print servers allow for the management and distribution of printing functionality. Rather than attaching a printer to every workstation, a single print server can respond to printing requests from numerous clients. Today, some larger and higher-end printers come with their own built-in print server, which removes the need for an additional computer-based print server.
This internal print server also functions by responding to print requests from a client. Application servers run applications in lieu of client computers running applications locally.
Application servers often run resource-intensive applications that are shared by a large number of users. Doing so removes the need for each client to have sufficient resources to run the applications. What is a server and what does a server do? A server is a computer that serves information to other computers. These computers, called clients, can connect to a server through either a local area network or a wide area network, such as the internet.
A server is a vital piece of your IT infrastructure. A server collects and sends information across a network. That can be a local network, like your business network, or a wider network across multiple locations. Any computer running the right software can be a server. Although when we hear the word server we think of enormous, high-powered machines that push and pull data across the web.
For the majority of business applications, the term server refers to a type of computer. Unlike a standard desktop computer, most servers lack a monitor, keyboard or mouse. In many cases, they also lack graphics and audio cards. Instead, the server comes with a high-powered processor, high-speed RAM and multiple hard drives, as well as a network interface.
Server hard drives typically operate at higher speeds than those found in desktops. The combination of high-speed hard drives, RAM and high-powered processors allows a server to offer significantly higher processing power and performance than desktop systems. Servers perform functions ranging from file storage and managing printers to offering database services.
Click Next twice more, and then wait for the Wizard to finish. Click the last option in the dialog box Just finish the Wizard and click Next. Click Finish to close the Wizard. Repeat this process for any other computer that you want to hook up to your home network server. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close.
0コメント