Have you ever wondered, what is a computer server? Different types of servers work best in different applications, but it all depends on what server solutions you're seeking.
A server is a computer.
The term "computer server" is somewhat misleading. All servers are computers. All servers work for other computers. The purpose of a server is to provide resources or run programs for other computers. While servers can function in peer-to-peer connections, a computer server is typically a computer designated specifically to perform server functions and not for everyday computing.
How do you use a computer server?
A computer server can function in many capacities. You might use a server as a file server, to store all your company's files in a central location so that users are editing one version of a file and not fifty local versions stored on their own desktops.
Computer servers can also host software. You might have a software program installed on the server that people can access directly from their desktops, but the software doesn't actually run on the desktop; it runs on the server. Servers can function as print servers, e-mail servers or Web servers. Server applications are myriad, and server solutions exist to meet almost any need.
A computer server may consist of only basic hardware.
Depending on the application, a computer server need not be particularly robust. For example, an older desktop computer can be retooled to serve as a file server. However, if you're running processor-intensive software for multiple users, you might want more than one top-of-the-line server with state-of-the-art hardware.
Server solutions run the gamut from simple to expensive. Some large corporations have entire specially cooled rooms with racks and racks of computer servers to function as file servers, Web servers, proxy servers and print servers. The more hardware you have, the more expense you'll have, and not just in hardware, but also in the related support infrastructure.
Web and mail servers.
For most people and businesses, it doesn't make sense to host Web and e-mail servers in-house. Hosted servers are relatively inexpensive, and they shift the responsibility of establishing and maintaining server infrastructure onto a third party.
When you're shopping for a hosted server, think about whether you need a dedicated server or a shared server. If you're going to need a lot of space or bandwidth to host large files, or you have specific security concerns, you might want a dedicated server, one that hosts only files and content for your organization. However, dedicated servers are extremely expensive. If your Web and e-mail needs are simple, a shared server comes at a substantial cost reduction and doesn't necessarily correlate with a performance drop.
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