What is a Server?
A server is often defined as a computer program that manages
and provides services to other programs in the same or other
computers. The various servers are game server, application
servers, database server, fax server, communications server,
file server etc. The computer in which the server program is
running is also called server. A single machine by itself can
act as a server or multiple machines can jointly act as a server
depending on the workload and it is down to the user to
determine which is the best method.
Servers act as a centralized gateway for resources and data.
Moreover servers can be accessed remotely and across multiple
platforms. Since multiple machines are controlled by the server,
any global change can be easily made at this single location.
Many servers are designed to operate over a long period of time
and often unattended. Compared to the normal work station
computers, servers have better hardware configurations which
includes a faster CPU providing a better processing power,
larger hard disk and faster RAM and uninterruptible power
supply. Also software limits are often overcome in servers due
to licensing.
In the computer world, servers are often used to represent the
ability to handle multiple operations or requests. Since server
provides services to multiple machines connected over a network,
fast network connections are mandatory for efficient operations.
It is not so common to see server machines with a graphical user
interface. In most cases, the long running servers do not need a
GUI and moreover this helps in avoiding unnecessary consumption
of resources. Servers often contain multiple power supplies and
hard disk as a security measure to provide backup.
Servers are normally rack-mounted and kept isolated in server
rooms. The boot up time for servers can be long compared to
normal workstations as the special operating systems running on
the server do extensive memory testing and verification. Many
system checks are executed while boot up so as to reduce failure
rate. Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris are some of the popular operating
system for servers.
The size of a server varies from a Blade server with minimal
physical space to a rack-mount server which can be quite large.
Multiple blade servers with various functionalities are often
clubbed together to provide operations similar to a
multi-operational rack-mount server and many businesses have
this kind of set up in a dedicated room. Intel server systems as
well as software available in the market are designed to
deliver high levels of performance. The rack mount Intel server
systems are widely used for energy efficient applications. AMD
servers with quad-core processors provide excellent
performance-per-watt efficiencies which makes them the ideal
choice for anyone who is wanting to keep running costs to a
minimum whilst still taking advantage of an excellent server.
BackupChain does provide
server backup software
which will ensure servers are promptly backed up. An FTP server
can be set up via a FTP d