The Server types Main are mail, web, proxy, DNS, FTP, Char, databases, Telnet, SIP, cluster, dedicated, shared, cloud, image, audio / video and groupware.
A server is basically a computer that is at the service of other machines that are known as clients or users. In computer language there are certain terms that have very specific meanings. That is the case of server or 'server', as it is also known by its English name.
Its function is to attend and respond to requests made by other computers. It is precisely from their function that their name is detached, since they are at the service of others. These computers are able to offer customers a wide variety of information as well as a number of program management.
Because they can receive simultaneous demands from thousands of users, servers are much more powerful machines than a regular computer. These computers must have a greater memory capacity, both RAM and storage. Servers should always remain on, otherwise they would not render their service to other computers.
It is then based on the information required by the clients that have been born different types of servers. They demand information of all kinds such as electronic messages, text files, applications, audios, videos, images, programs and even database queries, among others.
Mail server
This type of server functions as a virtual mail office that is responsible for storing, sending, receiving and performing all operations related to customers' emails.
These machines have programs that have a set of rules that are defined by the user. It is through this configuration that determines the way in which the mail server must react to a specific message. Mail servers also have several types.
- POP3 : They are the ones that are in charge to retain the received emails until the user of the account reviews its mail. At that time, the messages are transferred to the computer.
- SMTP : These are the ones who manage the outgoing emails. Used in combination with a POP3 or IMAP server.
- IMAP : This is the type of server that allows you to work with e-mail messages without having to download them before on the computer. Thanks to this it is possible to preview the messages as well as delete them and organize them without downloading them.
Web server
This server takes care of storing mainly the HTML files of a web page. HTML documents include texts, images, videos, presentations and all kinds of information. These files are in a special format that only the browsers of the clients can visualize.
The communication through the Network between the server and the browser follow rules called"HTTP protocol". Web servers also have several types. These are.
- Apache : Is the most used type of web server in the world. It is a multiplatform system that has versions for the most important operating systems. It is open source and free use. And also, stands out for its performance, stability and safety.
- Microsoft IIS : This type of server only works with Windows systems. It offers SMTP, NNTP, FTP and HTTP / HTTPS services. It is thus able to convert a computer into a web server either for the Internet or for an intranet.
- Sun Java System Web Server : This is also a distributed cross-platform server with open source licenses. It is available for all major operating systems and has support for PHP, JSP and Java Servlet, CGI, NSAPI and ColdFusion technologies.
- Nginx : This type of server works on Windows and Unix operating systems. It is very light, stable and high performance. It is distributed under open source BSD license.
- Lighttpd : Like Ngnix, this web server is quite light and fast. It is specially designed to be used in environments where speed is very important. Therefore, it consumes little RAM. It is multiplatform and free software.
Proxy Server
This is a server that acts as an intermediary between an Internet explorer like Explorer, Chrome or Firefox and Internet. This means that the server receiving the order does not know who the client is claiming the information. Of this connection between these two elements is that it depends that the users can or can not access the data.
DNS Server
These servers are the ones in charge of managing the web domain names. Your job is to associate the domain names of web pages with the IP address of the computer where the web page you are looking for is hosted.
When you type the name of a page in a browser, the computer sends this domain name to the DNS server, which belongs to the Internet provider, in order to return the result.
FTP server
FTP is the acronym for 'File Transfer Protocol', which stands for File Transfer Protocol. This type of server is used to transfer files between computers, that is, from one client to another.
The process occurs when client 1 sends a request to the FTP server and it sends a file to client 2 to be downloaded. For this, both clients must have installed a program called FTP. FTP servers are used to upload information from web pages to web servers, such as files, images, videos, backups, among others.
Chat Server
This is the type of server that is dedicated to managing and maintaining the exchange of information between users in well-known chats. One of the most popular chat servers is Internet Relay Chat (IRC). These are several separate server networks that allow real-time connection between users.
Database Server
These are computers that are prepared to offer storage services, hosting and managing databases that are used by one or more customers. These servers also perform tasks related to the analysis of data and its manipulation, storage, among others.
Telnet Server
Telnet (Telecommunication Network) is a network protocol that allows you to log in to any computer remotely. The work of the Telnet server is to allow this communication. In this case, access is given without any graphical interface and the main objective is to solve remote faults.
SIP server
This type of server, also known as Proxy SIP or Registrar, is responsible for establishing the connection of telephone calls over the Internet. This is the main component of an IP PBX, which handles the configuration of all SIP calls on the network.
SIP servers store the IP address that is to be accessed to establish communication with a user. This is basically the purpose of this type of server, since it does not transmit neither audio nor video.
Cluster Servers
Many times a single server does not give enough to manage the demand of so many customers. That is why there are cluster servers, which are nothing more than a set of servers that are dedicated to the same task.
They are teams that specialize in storing information, so they have great capabilities to store data. The goal of creating a server cluster is to prevent loss of information due to other server problems.
Dedicated Servers
This type of servers are used for web hosting. It consists of renting a complete server for the exclusive use of a company. In this way a complete control of the server is available to enjoy all the resources of the machine.
The great advantage of these servers is that there is a greater amount of disk space, which allows you to perform more actions within the configuration of the web page. Of course, dedicated servers are more expensive than shared servers.
Shared Servers
Unlike dedicated servers, shared servers are those in which multiple clients share the use of a server. It is usually the most used to host websites since its cost is more affordable than dedicated servers.
Cloud Servers
The function of this type of servers is to rent a space for the users to save information. They are basically used to store large amounts of data and thus protect it from being outside the company's main computers. This type of server is used by many companies to safeguard their most valuable information, where they are usually backed up.
Image Servers
With the increasing use of the Internet and the birth of new web pages, new types of servers have also been born. One of them has been the one of images. These teams specialize in allowing the hosting of large amounts of images without consuming resources from the web server. Thus, the storage of photographs is separated from other data on the web.
Audio / Video Servers
This is the type of server that is responsible for adding multimedia capabilities to websites. This means that it allows the transmission of multimedia content in the form of streaming, ie in streaming.
This is a continuous information delivery technique that has become popular in recent years. It is thanks to these servers that users can watch a video that is being downloaded as it is displayed, without the need to download completely beforehand.
Groupware Servers
It is a server that has been designed to allow collaborative work between several computers. Groupware servers have software that allows users to work together.
The big advantage in this case is that the collaboration takes place via Internet or corporate intranet, which means that users can work with each other regardless of their location. Files processed and data stored on this type of server can be altered and retrieved by workgroup members at any time.
Classification of servers according to their size
There are other servers that we can differ from the previous ones by their size, these are:
Tower Servers
These servers are vertical and standalone units that consist of all the traditional components of a server. That is, hard disk, processors, motherboard, network board, among others. Tower servers are the most basic of the market and are the most recommended for those looking for a first server.
They are very similar to a common computer in the sense of cost and space. And they are ideal for small businesses that have limited space, but still need to monitor the resources in their network. They are also the best choice for businesses looking to reduce their vulnerability to intrusions and attacks that occur through a central location.
Rack Servers
This type systems is based on a model that has expansion slots, known as mezzanine, which are used to add network interface cards, among other things. These components are stacked in the same way that a CD organizer stacks the disks.
It is a configuration that uses space more efficiently. In addition, these servers increase the scalability of the infrastructure by allowing the addition of new servers as needed. Rack servers are ideal for small businesses that already have experience in the world of servers. Or even for midsize companies that need to have more servers.
Blade Servers
Blade servers are the most compact of the three systems, as they are organized in the form of small boxes and are projected into modules. This allows you to accommodate more servers in a small space. That is, you can install multiple Blade servers vertically in a single cabinet.
This type of server has more data processing and consumes less energy, as different servers share both power and cooling. This also reduces expenses.
References
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