Servers
Servers
Server Basics
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A server is a powerful computer or system which provides resources, data, services, or programs to other computers, known as clients, over a network.
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Servers are designed to manage, store, send and process data 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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Major types of servers include web servers, file servers, database servers, mail servers, and game servers among others.
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A web server stores websites and delivers them to clients when requested.
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A file server stores and manages files, providing access to clients on the network.
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A database server provides database services and manages the databases of an organisation.
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A mail server manages and transfers emails over a network via protocols such as POP3, IMAP, and SMTP.
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A game server enables multiple players to join the same game environment.
Server Hardware
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Servers often have specialised hardware including multiple CPUs, high capacity RAM and large amounts of storage.
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Many servers also have redundancies, like duplicate power supplies and mirrored hard drives, to provide continuous service in the event of a failure.
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Servers are often located in a secure, air-conditioned environment known as a data centre. This helps to keep the servers cool and reduce the risk of overheating.
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Rack servers, tower servers, and blade servers are three common types of physical servers.
Server Software
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Server Operating Systems (Server OS) are specialised operating systems designed to support many users, offering features like high security, extensive administration and robustness.
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Examples of server OS include Windows Server, Linux (Ubuntu Server, CentOS), Unix and macOS Server.
Server Security
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Servers contain a large amount of sensitive data, making them a prime target for cyber-attacks.
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Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) are used to protect servers from threats.
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Regular patching and updates are crucial to keep the server software secure against known vulnerabilities.
Server Roles in Networks
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Servers play a critical part in a network since they provide resources and services to clients.
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In a client-server architecture, the server handles requests from multiple clients and responses are sent back across the network.
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Servers make data sharing more efficient and centralized, making it easier for multiple users to access the same files and applications.
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In the cloud computing model, servers are used to host services and data that are accessible over the internet.