Servers

Servers

Server Basics

  • A server is a powerful computer or system which provides resources, data, services, or programs to other computers, known as clients, over a network.

  • Servers are designed to manage, store, send and process data 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

  • Major types of servers include web servers, file servers, database servers, mail servers, and game servers among others.

  • A web server stores websites and delivers them to clients when requested.

  • A file server stores and manages files, providing access to clients on the network.

  • A database server provides database services and manages the databases of an organisation.

  • A mail server manages and transfers emails over a network via protocols such as POP3, IMAP, and SMTP.

  • A game server enables multiple players to join the same game environment.

Server Hardware

  • Servers often have specialised hardware including multiple CPUs, high capacity RAM and large amounts of storage.

  • Many servers also have redundancies, like duplicate power supplies and mirrored hard drives, to provide continuous service in the event of a failure.

  • 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.

  • Rack servers, tower servers, and blade servers are three common types of physical servers.

Server Software

  • Server Operating Systems (Server OS) are specialised operating systems designed to support many users, offering features like high security, extensive administration and robustness.

  • Examples of server OS include Windows Server, Linux (Ubuntu Server, CentOS), Unix and macOS Server.

Server Security

  • Servers contain a large amount of sensitive data, making them a prime target for cyber-attacks.

  • Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) are used to protect servers from threats.

  • Regular patching and updates are crucial to keep the server software secure against known vulnerabilities.

Server Roles in Networks

  • Servers play a critical part in a network since they provide resources and services to clients.

  • In a client-server architecture, the server handles requests from multiple clients and responses are sent back across the network.

  • Servers make data sharing more efficient and centralized, making it easier for multiple users to access the same files and applications.

  • In the cloud computing model, servers are used to host services and data that are accessible over the internet.