Servers
A server is a type of computer that is most similar to a desktop pc. A server will consist of one ore more motherboards inside of a server rack. A server will usually have few external connections, with the exception of networking connections, normally in the form of an Ethernet port.
Uses of a server
A server is used to share and control a resources within a computer network. A server many perform one or more of the following functions:
- File sharing and access control
- Printer and other device sharing
- Internet and LAN access control
Advantages
A server allows:
- the sharing of hardware such as printers, so that multiple computers can use the same device.
- the tracking and management of devices, such as the use of printer credits to control how much people print.
- the use of a network storage and user profiles so that a user can log on to any computer in a network and they will have access to their storage.
- network backup and recovery of files, so that individual users are not required to implement their own backup polity.
- network roll-out of software and operating system updates, saving technicians the time it would take to walk around and install software manually on each machine.
Disadvantages
- Expensive to set-up and maintain
- Requires expert knowledge to install and maintain
- If the serve goes down then the whole network will go down