2007-12-13 04:01:55 · 7 answers · asked by ramz 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Computer Networking
A server is a computer that provides a "service" to another computer (called a "client"). This could be any number of services, like sharing disk space (nfs, cifs, smb, etc.), or allowing FTP (file transfer protocol) traffic, or perhaps it acts as a print server (i.e. your 'client' computer sends printouts to your print server and the print server then prints them on the printer, etc.).
Some places like to "cleanly" divide computers into catagories. Either a given computer is strictly a client and is not a server for anything (like say a desktop PC), or a computer is strictly a server (sits in the computer room and serves up whatever it serves up all day long) and is not a client for anything. It may not be dividied this cleanly. There may be situations where two machines are interdependant upon each other. So, for example, computer A serves up print services to computer B, but computer B serves up NFS to computer A. Which one is the client and which one is the server depends upon wether you are talking about printing or NFS.
2007-12-13 04:21:15 · answer #1 · answered by Damocles 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A server is a system on a computer network that performs a service for clients. Some of the more common functions are making files available to the users (hence them being commonly known as "file servers", often erroneously), serving up web pages or making information available to programs from a database. The "clients" may themselves also be servers - for example a web page getting information from a database. Though usually a dedicated machine that isn't used directly by a person, workstations (used by the network users, or a home PC) can also be servers, an example being in a peer-to-peer network like limewire, or a bit-torrent program. These act as "clients" by getting the files the user requests, and also as servers as they are also shared the files being downloaded with other users on the network.
For more information, see wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server_%28computing%29
2007-12-13 04:30:39 · answer #2 · answered by MH 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on who you ask.
To most it is a computer that runs one or more applications that provide a service to remote applications. A 'web server' then is a computer with local disk drives that house data and run an HTTP daemon or a programme that can send the data to a remote programme (generally a browser) when requested. A 'print server' would be a machine that runs one or more programmes that are capable of accepting data and routing them to the appropriate printer providing queuing and other print oriented capabilities.
To others the server is the application itself (like the HTTP daemon) and the hardware is just hardware.
2007-12-13 04:11:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A server is a computer which maintain a number of computer which are under this server . A server have many storage capacity that are share every domain computer .Server have high security and high spreed.
2007-12-13 04:34:20 · answer #4 · answered by rksaikat 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A server is a computer/device which provides information or services to computers on a network.
2007-12-13 04:05:54 · answer #5 · answered by ~Kumanan S 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A computer program that is responsible for accepting HTTP requests from clients, which are known as web browsers, and serving them HTTP responses along with optional data contents, which usually are web pages such as HTML documents and linked objects (images, etc.).
2007-12-13 04:06:01 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is a head of a group of computers normally Internet or LAN connections
2007-12-13 04:33:48 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋