About Server Computing

In computing, a server is a computer program or a device that provides functionality for other programs or devices, called “clients”.
This architecture is called the client–server model,and a single overall computation is distributed across multiple processes or devices. Servers can provide various functionalities, often called “services”, such as sharing data or resources among multiple clients, or performing computation for a client.

A single server can serve multiple clients, and a single client can use multiple servers.
A client process may run on the same device or may connect over a network to a server on a different device.
Typical servers are database servers, file servers, mail servers, print servers, web servers, game servers, and application servers.

Client–server systems are today most frequently implemented by (and often identified with) the request–response model: a client sends a request to the server, which performs some action and sends a response back to the client, typically with a result or acknowledgement.

Designating a computer as “server-class hardware” implies that it is specialized for running servers on it.
This often implies that it is more powerful and reliable than standard personal computers, but alternatively, large computing clusters may be composed of many relatively simple, replaceable server components.-Justplay

Strictly speaking, the term server refers to a computer program or process (running program).

Through metonymy, it refers to a device used for running one or several server programs. On a network, such a device is called a host.
In addition to server, the words serve and service are frequently used, though service and servant are not.
The word service (noun) may refer to either the abstract form of functionality, e.g. Web service. Alternatively, it may refer to a computer program that turns a computer into a server, e.g. Windows service. Originally used as “servers serve users” (and “users use servers”), in the sense of “obey”, today one often says that “servers serve data”, in the same sense as “give”.

For instance, web servers “serve [up] web pages to users” or “service their requests”.

The servers are part of the client–servers model; in this model, a server serves data for clients.

The nature of communication between a client and server is request and response.
This is in contrast with peer-to-peer model in which the relationship is on-demand reciprocation.

In principle, any computerized process that can be used or called by another process is a server, and the calling process or processes is a client.

Thus any general purpose computer connected to a network can host servers.
For example, if files on a device are shared by some process, that process is a file server.
Similarly, web server software can run on any capable computer,

and so a laptop or a personal computer can host a web servers.

Like us on FACEBOOK