| | | | Can refer to either a software application (or server operating system) or the hardware on which it runs. In common usage it most denotes a computer in a network which is a shared resource amongst other computers and on which the server operating system runs. By definition, a server is an application or device that provides services to other applications, users and/or machines. Servers are able to run MS Windows operating systems but more usually run UNIX-based/derived ones such as Linux or Solaris. Servers can be subdivied into files servers (retrieve and store files), web servers - (host and send web pages to client computers), network servers (control and regulate network traffic) and print servers (manage one or more printers and print queues). Server hardware is generally higher specified and of a higher quality than that used in desktop machines, reflecting the essential, integral role that the server plays in business. Hard drives for example are generally SCSI or SAS interface and set up in a RAID array rather than the EIDE and SATA units typically found in desktops and have higher spin speeds and greater reliability. Processors are often present in dual, 4-way, 8-way and higher configurations to provide the necessary processing power. In contrast, servers don't usually run a demanding GUI (graphical user interface) and so a fairly basic graphics capability is the norm, usually on the system board rather than in an expansion slot. The fact that often servers are housed in a separate data room means that the large, heavy duty fans required to keep them cool don't need to be as quiet as those in their desktop counterparts - in fact functionality is the watch word in all respects, even down to cosmetic issues and servers cases are less "overdesigned" than desktops. | | | |
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