A server is a powerful computer that provides shared resources to client computers over a local area network or the internet. A server can also be defined as a computer or device on a network that manages network resources.
The variety of tasks that servers must perform is varied and complex, servers for large networks have become specialized to accommodate the expanding needs of the users; here in no order, i have listed some common server types.
The variety of tasks that servers must perform is varied and complex, servers for large networks have become specialized to accommodate the expanding needs of the users; here in no order, i have listed some common server types.
1. File and print servers: - These server types manage user access and use of file and printer resources that run on your computer. Print servers are set up on a network to route print requests from other computer workstations on the network. The server handles the print file request and sends the file to the requested printer where it is spooled before being printed. A print server allows multiple users on a network to share a single printer.
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2. Web server: - Also known as HTTP server, it gives users access to information from many computers that has internet access. The client computer runs an application called a browser that requests information from the web servers. Web browsers are programs, generally free, that are installed on computers and used to see/access the pages of a website located on the Internet or stored on a local hard drive, etc. These programs are usually free and can be downloaded from the internet.
Examples of web browsers
- Internet explorer
- Mozzilla fire fox
- Avant browser
- Windows safari
- Opera
- Netscape etc.
3. Database Server:-A database is an application that stores records that contain information and then it is used for the mangenent and the retrieval of that information. A database server is an application that is based on the client/server architecture or model. The application is divided into two parts: a front-end running on a workstation (where users collect and display the database information) and the back-end running on a server where the tasks such as data analysis and storage are performed. Many companies keep large database on the servers so that clients can ask the server to process a database search to generate a report.
4. Mail servers: - As the name suggests, these server types manage electronic messages between network users. These mail servers are very common nowadays and they move and store mail over corporate networks (via LANs and WANs) and across the Internet. Today, most people think of mail servers in terms of the Internet. Mail servers, however, were originally developed for corporate networks (LANs and WANs).
5. Fax Servers: - They manage fax traffic into and out of the network by sharing one or more fax modem boards. These server types accept documents from users, convert them into faxes, and transmit them, in addition to receiving fax calls and either storing the incoming documents or passing them on to the users on the network.
6. FTP Server:- An FTP server is a software application running the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), the protocol for exchanging files over the Internet. FTP works in the same way as HTTP for transferring Web pages from a server to a user’s browser and SMTP for transferring electronic mail across the Internet in that, like these technologies, FTP uses the Internet’s TCP/IP protocols to enable data transfer. FTP is most commonly used to download a file from a server using the Internet or to upload a file to a server (e.g., uploading a Web page file to a server).
7. Proxy Server: - A server that sits between a client application, such as a Web browser, and a real server. It intercepts all requests to the real server to see if it can fulfill the requests itself. If not, it forwards the request to the real server. Proxy servers have two main purposes:-
(1) Proxy servers can dramatically improve performance for groups of users. This is because it saves the results of all requests for a certain amount of time.
(2) Proxy servers also filter requests to block or disallow specific types of outgoing or incoming requests to the server.
(1) Proxy servers can dramatically improve performance for groups of users. This is because it saves the results of all requests for a certain amount of time.
(2) Proxy servers also filter requests to block or disallow specific types of outgoing or incoming requests to the server.
Note
We have other server types used on our networks depending mainly on the application that is to be run from a system.
We have other server types used on our networks depending mainly on the application that is to be run from a system.
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