Server (computing)

When talking about computers, a "Server" may refer to either a physical piece of computer hardware or a piece of software (a computer programme) that offers certain capabilities to "clients," which are other programmes or devices. The client–server model is the name given to this particular architecture. Servers are able to offer a variety of capabilities, which are often referred to as "services." These services might include the sharing of data or resources among several clients as well as the performance of computation for a single client. Many users may be served by a single server, and a single user can access numerous servers at the same time. It's possible for a client process to operate on the same device, or it might connect to a server that's running on a separate device through the network. Database servers, file servers, mail servers, print servers, web servers, gaming servers, and application servers are all examples of common types of servers.

The request–response model is typically the most common method for implementing client–server systems and is also frequently used to identify these kinds of systems. In this model, a client makes a request to the server, which then carries out some action and sends a response back to the client, typically with a result or an acknowledgment. By referring to a computer as "server-class hardware," it means that the computer has been optimised for the task of operating servers. This often indicates that it is more powerful and dependable than regular personal computers, although huge computing clusters may also be made of a large number of very basic and replaceable server components. Another possibility is that this is the case.