Server Vs Host Vs Client
The deep unseen connection that connects the whole world
Host: This is a device such as a computer that connects to a network. Server: This is a piece of hardware or software that provides services to other devices or programs in the network. In a nutshell, a host shares and consumes network resources while a server provides services and shares network resources.
For Example: A mail server is a server that receive emails, store them and then sends them to the intended recipient. The host like Gmail, Yahoo mail, Outlook mails and any other E-mail service provider is the host that provides you the client with a simple interface that makes it easy for you sens or recieve e-mails.
What are the different types of Servers?
A server can be categorised as a Virtual server: is a partitioned part of a physical server with a dedicated amount of physical server resources to utilize (such as RAM, CPU, Storage space) and a Physical server: Operating on metal and electricity, housed in data centers by hosting companies to serve a variety of clients. There 12 types of server based on what services and features the server specializes in.
Types of server
- File Servers: Store and distribute files. Multiple clients or users may share files stored on a server. Devices responsible for the storage and management of data files. They allow other devices on the same network to access the files.
- Print Servers: management and distribution of printing functionality. a single print server can respond to printing requests from numerous clients.
- Applications Servers: run applications in lieu of client computers running applications locally. Programs in a network that provide the logic for the app.
- DNS Servers: servers are application servers that provide name resolution to client computers by converting names easily understood by humans into machine-readable IP addresses. A database of names and other DNS servers
- Web servers: hosts programs and data requested by users across internet/intranet. It respond to requests from browsers on client pc for web pages, or any web-based services. A program designed to server HTML pages or files. Example: web browser
- Mail Servers: receive emails sent to a user and store them until requested by a client on behalf of said user. Receive incoming emails from local users and remote senders. They also forward out-going emails to the intended recipient.
- Database servers: data is stored in databases. Databases need to be accessible to multiple clients at any given time and can require extraordinary amounts of disk space. Store and manage data used by other devices within the network.
- Virtual Servers: exists within specialized software called hypervisor that can run 100s/100s, of virtual servers all at once. It presents virtual hardware to the server as if it were real physical hardware. virtual server uses the virtual hardware as usual, and the hypervisor passes the actual computation and storage needs onto the real hardware beneath
- Proxy Server: acts as an intermediary between a client and a server, Often used to isolate either the clients or servers for security purposes. a proxy server takes the request from the client. Instead of responding to the client, it passes the request on to another server or process. The proxy server receives the response from the second server and then replies to the original client as if it were replying on its own. In this way, neither the client nor the responding server needs to directly connect to each other.
- Monitoring and management servers: to monitor or manage other systems and clients. keep track of all the traffic on the network, as well as the requests and replies of clients and servers, without interfering with those operations. will respond to requests from monitoring clients such as those run by network administrators watching the health of the network.
- FTP (File transfer ptotocole): to host a file exchange among users. allows users to upload files or download files after authenticating through an FTP client
- Dynamic Host Communication Protocol (DHCP): to configure the network settings of client computers. Instead of having to manually configure static IP address and other network settings to client computers in a large network, a DHCP server in the network configures dynamically these network settings to LAN computers.
- Sound server: Enables computer programs to play and record sound, individually or cooperatively.
- Media Server: Shares digital video or digital audio over a network through media streaming (transmitting content in a way that portions received can be watched or listened to as they arrive, as opposed to downloading an entire file and then using it)
- Catalog server: Maintains an index or table of contents of information that can be found across a large distributed network, such as computers, users, files shared on file servers, and web apps. Directory servers and name servers are examples of catalog servers.
