Hello everyone !
Well, if you are any IT engineer or a one who is being in a process of making any computerized system or web site or any online stuff, then of course you need to have a good knowledge of Servers. A good choice made in accordance to our needs always has the capability to give good results. So here I go....
What exactly is a server?
A server can be called as a computer or a device on a network that manages network resources. Servers are often dedicated, meaning that they perform no other tasks besides their server tasks. On multi-processing systems, however, a single computer can execute several programs at once. A server in this case could refer to the program that is managing resources rather than the entire computer. Examples can be file servers, boot servers, web servers, application servers, database servers, license servers, print servers, installation servers, appliance servers, and even servers for particular applications etc. If I talk about the various “Types of servers” available then list is endless as computer world is growing day by day, almost every day we come to know about a new word. Still, for your reference, I have still collected few commonly known types of servers from the web. Obviously, they all are related to computers and web field. If I talk about other fields, there can be other types of servers. As of now, following is the list. I will keep on updating this list as with time, I will keep on finding more servers.
FTP File Servers: It is one of the oldest of the Internet services. A File server is a computer and storage device dedicated to storing files. Any user on the network can store files on the server. With a file server, the client passes requests for files or file records over a network to the file server. File Transfer Protocol makes it possible to move one or more files securely between computers while providing file security and organization as well as transfer control. This form of data services requires large bandwidth and can also slow a network if there is considerable large no. of users.
Telnet Servers: A Telnet server enables users to log on to a host computer and perform tasks as if they're working on the remote computer itself.
Web Servers: At its core, a Web server serves static content to a Web browser by loading a file from a disk and serving it across the network to a user's Web browser. This entire exchange is mediated by the browser and server talking to each other using HTTP.
Network Servers: A network server is a computer that manages network traffic.
Print Servers: A print server is a computer that manages one or more printers.
Audio/Video Servers: Audio/Video servers bring multimedia capabilities to Web sites by enabling them to broadcast streaming multimedia content.
Chat Servers: Chat servers enable a large number of users to exchange information in an environment similar to Internet newsgroups that offer real-time discussion capabilities.
Fax Servers: A fax server is an ideal solution for organizations looking to reduce incoming and outgoing telephone resources but that need to fax actual documents.
Groupware Servers: A groupware server is software designed to enable users to collaborate, regardless of location, via the Internet or a corporate intranet and to work together in a virtual atmosphere.
IRC Servers: An option for those seeking real-time discussion capabilities, Internet Relay Chat consists of various separate networks (or "nets") of servers that allow users to connect to each other via an IRC network.
List Servers: List servers offer a way to better manage mailing lists, whether they are interactive discussions open to the public or one-way lists that deliver announcements, newsletters, or advertising.
Mail Servers: Almost as ubiquitous and crucial as Web servers, mail servers move and store mail over corporate networks (via LANs and WANs) and across the Internet.
News Servers: News servers act as a distribution and delivery source for the thousands of public news groups currently accessible over the USENET news network.
Proxy Servers: Proxy servers sit between a client program (typically a Web browser) and an external server (typically another server on the Web) to filter requests, improve performance, and share connections.
More advanced form of servers are database servers, transaction servers and application servers.
Database Servers: A database server is a computer system that processes database queries. Client passes SQL (Structured Query Language) requests as messages to the server and the results of the query are returned over the network. The code that processes the SQL request & the data resides on the server allowing it to use its own processing power to find the requested data, rather than pass all the records back to a client and let it find its own data as was the case for the file server.
Transaction Servers: Clients invoke remote procedures that reside on servers which also contains an SQL Database engine. There are procedural statements on the server to execute a group of SQL statements (transactions) which either all succeed or fail as a unit. The applications based on transaction servers are called On-line Transaction Processing (OLTP) and tend to be mission-critical applications which require 1-3 second response time, 100% of the time and require tight controls over the security and integrity of the database. The communication overhead in this approach is kept to a minimum as the exchange typically consists of a single request/reply (as opposed to multiple SQL statements in database servers).
Application Servers: Sometimes referred to as a type of middleware, application servers occupy a large chunk of computing territory between database servers and the end user, and they often connect the two. Application servers are not necessarily database centered but are used to server user needs, such as download capabilities or regulating an electronic mail process. Basing resources on a server allows users to share data, while security and management services, which are also based in the server, ensure data integrity and security.
DNS Servers: A DNS server is any computer registered to join the Domain Name System. A DNS server runs special-purpose networking software, features a public IP Address, and contains a database of network names and addresses for other Internet hosts. At the top level of the hierarchy of all DNS servers, there is one kind of servers called as root servers which store the complete database of Internet domain names and their corresponding IP addresses.
Name Servers: Name servers accept requests from programs to convert domain names into IP addresses.
PS: As the size of this post became larger thn expected as usual so next post will cover more information about servers only. Also, above list will keep on updating..
Thanks !
