What is a "Provider"?

Question

What is the difference between a "Server" and a "Provider"? Is a provider always linked with Database only?

Answer 1

If you're talking about database queries, ie Access/SQL, then yes provider does refer to the way you connect to the DB, ie:

MM_Connection = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0; Data Source= c:\inetpub\wwwroot\db\test.mdb;"

The provider refers to the method (driver) which you connect to the db.

Server would refer to the SQL server. Since typically SQL servers are not located on the same machine as the website is, then you connect to the hostname/IP# of the SQL machine. Actually SQL is specifically designed to be fetch queries from another server. But accessing an MS Access DB, or a Dbase db, it needs to be on the same server. So thats where the provider (driver) comes into play.

But to confuse you anymore, it is also possible to connect to a sql server with a provider string:

"Provider=SQLOLEDB; Data Source=Your_Server_Name; Initial Catalog= Your_Database_Name; UserId=Your_Username; Password=Your_Password;"

Answer 2

A "Server" in the context of "Computers & Internet" is a machine/computer that stores data and performs computational and application operations.

A "Provider" is someone or some company that provides you with a service, e.g. ISP is an "Internet Service Provider" and like a webhosting provider which provides the users a server to host websites on.

A webhosting provider might provide access to a database (e.g. MySQL) for those that have a database need.

Answer 3

the company you have your internet account with...nothing is different between the two...nothing!

Answer 4

nothing