What is Server?
A server is a computer program or device. which provides data to another computer. It can provide systems for data on a local area network (LAN) or over a local area network (WAN) over the Internet.
We can also consider the parts of a computer on a network that manage network resources. The computer on the data server The physical computer running the server program is also known as a server.
There are many types of them, so their work is also different. For example – a file server – what you might also call a storage device, is dedicated to the files to be saved.
Whatever data is available on the Internet, whether it is website data, YouTube videos, photos, PDFs, everything is present on Feel’s server.
Some other main servers include web servers, mail servers, application servers, and database servers. There are also several types of servers, which we will talk about.
The server is really dedicated. This means that they do not do other work other than server assignments. However, on multiple operating systems, a computer can run multiple shared programs.
Advantages of Server
- All files are stored in a central location (data center)
- Peripherals in a computer network are centrally controlled
- Backup and network security are controlled centrally
- Any computer users can access shared data that is centrally controlled
Disadvantages of Server
- Requires a specialist of computer network operating system
- The server is expensive to purchase
- Requires specialist staff such as computer network manager
- If any part of the network fails a lot of disruption can occur
Why Server is needed
The server is a word that is always heard in the computer field. The name “Server” is derived from the word Serve which in Hindi means serving.
In fact, it serves as a web page for the user on his request. The question of why a server is needed will go a long way in understanding the server.
Let’s say you want to build a website online, you will need a place to connect it to an internet network. That place itself has not named a server and all websites use some kind of network server.
- Our server provides network security. When you create an individual or group account on the Website, your data is stored on the Website’s website servers. These network servers have the right to keep that data out of reach of any other user.
- The server always runs 24×7. A server is also found to work in case the hardware fails. If you talk about a personal computer, then the server automatically dies on power up. Thus it may lose your data, but the server is equipped with a lot of power supplies. For this reason, the effect does not affect normal system operation on the power supply turned off.
- The network server uses multiple hard drives working in RAID configuration instead of the solitary hard disk used in the computer to prevent data loss or any interruption in work, which is why the server has higher storage capacity.
- Network Server allows us to access the file store and multiple computers. The server is also called the computer used in the network. Servers generally have more memory, storage and processing power than client computers.
Types of Server
There are several types of servers. All servers have different functions. From website hosting to the security of internet networks and the service of email, video, all the work is done by the server itself. So let’s know about the many types of servers being used today.
- Web Server
- Application Server
- Proxy Server
- File Server
- Database Server
- Mail Server
- FTP Server
Web Server
This is the server software or hardware that runs all the websites. It is also called a computer program, its main function is to store, process, and deliver web pages to the user.
In this, hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) is used for internal communication. HTTP is also a protocol.
Application Server
It is a program that handles all the databases of the user and the organization’s back-end business application process.
It is a framework where an application server is used to develop and run all the applications properly. It exists in many types like- PHP, Java, and .NET frameworks.
Proxy Server
Which is known as “proxy”. It usually acts as a gateway between the user and the internet. When a user connects to a proxy server and requests a service from the server.
For example, a web page evaluates how to simplify this request and control its complexity. It acts as a mediator between the client program and the external server for network data filtering, network connection sharing, and data caching.
File Server
Usually, it provides a place to store files within a network. These files can be from any side.
From text documents to multimedia, photos. A computer can also be called a file server. Because it has the ability to store and manage data files. It has access to files on other computers on the same network.
Database Server
Suppose is a computer system whose function is to provide services related to accessing and retrieving data packets from the database.
It is similar to a warehouse, a database server is a server where all the website’s data and information is stored and maintained.
Mail Server
A mail server is a server that handles and delivers mail over a network in the internetwork. Mail server is also called mail server transfer agent (MTA).
Every single email that is sent by us passes through the mail server. When we send a mail, it reaches the other immediately. But the reality is that mail transfer is a complex process.
FTP Server
Its full name is File Transfer Protocol, whose task is to transfer files. When you send a file from one computer to another, the FTP protocol is used in this process.
How Server Work
Hopefully, by now you must have known about what is server is and about it. Whenever it comes to computer technology.
So it has many concepts which are very difficult to understand. But on the contrary, it is quite easy to know how to work server. So let’s look at how it works.
How the server works, there are some steps to make it work, about which we will now know:-
- Communicate to server
- Breaking the URL
- Converting Server-name to IP Address
- Send and Receive requests
Communicate to server
If you talk to the first point, then when you type the URL of a website in your internet browser.
For example- https://edifyclue.in then your internet browser communicates with the server hosting that website. So that the internet browser you requested can get the data to show that website.
Breaking the URL
Talking about the next point, after that the Internet browser breaks the URL entered by you into three parts. First Protocol (HTTP) Second Server-name (www.edifyclue.in) Third Filename (what is server).
Converting Server-name to IP Address
Now converts the server name of the URL you searched on the Internet browser into an IP address. Every website has a unique Internet Protocol address (IP), due to which the browser is able to connect to a server.
Send and Receive requests
Once the Internet browser and the server communicate with each other, the Internet browser sends the request made by you to the server and demands this web page.
All the files in the server are present in the form of HTML documents. From there your internet browser converts the data into a web page and after the request is received, displays it on your computer screen.
What does Server Down mean?
You must have heard the word server down or the server failed many times. So what does it mean and why is the server down, today we will get information about this.
In a client-server architecture, the responsibility of a server is always to serve its client. But whenever there is some fault in the server’s network, then we use such words.
This means that when we receive messages like server not found and server not responding. Then the computer user connected to that server does not get access to that server.
But there can be many reasons why a server goes down, some of the main reasons are network problems, application crashes, operating system crashes, power failure, DOS attacks. Apart from this, there can be many other reasons as well.
Conclusion
So hopefully, now you have understood what is server and how does it work? If you are a student of Computer Science or IT field, then this article can be very beneficial for you.
This article can also be very informative for people interested in technology. If you want us to write articles on such informative topics, then you must share your thoughts in the comment box below.