

The word service (noun) may refer to either the abstract form of functionality, e.g. In addition to server, the words serve and service (as verb and as noun respectively) are frequently used, though servicer and servant are not. On a network, such a device is called a host. Through metonymy, it refers to a device used for (or a device dedicated to) running one or several server programs. Strictly speaking, the term server refers to a computer program or process (running program). Operation Ī network based on the client–server model where multiple individual clients request services and resources from centralized servers A kind of DAEMON which performs a service for the requester, which often runs on a computer other than the one on which the server runs. The Jargon File defines " server" in the common sense of a process performing service for requests, usually remote, with the 1981 ( 1.1.0) version reading: The use of "serving" also dates to early documents, such as RFC 4, contrasting "serving-host" with "using-host".


In computing, "server" dates at least to RFC 5 (1969), one of the earliest documents describing ARPANET (the predecessor of Internet), and is contrasted with "user", distinguishing two types of host: "server-host" and "user-host". In earlier papers, such as the Erlang (1909), more concrete terms such as " operators" are used. The use of the word server in computing comes from queueing theory, where it dates to the mid 20th century, being notably used in Kendall (1953) (along with "service"), the paper that introduced Kendall's notation. 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. Designating a computer as "server-class hardware" implies that it is specialized for running servers on it. Ĭlient–server systems are usually 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 acknowledgment. Typical servers are database servers, file servers, mail servers, print servers, web servers, game servers, and application servers. A client process may run on the same device or may connect over a network to a server on a different device. A single server can serve multiple clients, and a single client can use multiple servers. Servers can provide various functionalities, often called "services", such as sharing data or resources among multiple clients, or performing computation for a client. This architecture is called the client–server model.
#Issues with a server setup for multiple users software#
In computing, a server is a piece of computer hardware or software ( computer program) that provides functionality for other programs or devices, called " clients". First WWW server located at CERN with its original sticker that says: "This machine is a server.
