Server application

A server is any arrangement of hardware or software designed to present services to clients. When used alone, the term typically refers to a computer which may be running a server operating system, but is commonly used to refer to any software or committed hardware capable of providing services.

Usage

The word server is used quite generally in information technology. Consider the multi platform software known as the "Apache HTTP Server". This software runs on many modern computers which may not normally be called servers (like laptops for instance), but the host computer is also a server. particularly, the combination of the
Hardware computer and the Apache software can be called a web server.

Inside the hardware sense, the word server classically designates computer models intended for running software applications under the heavy demand of a network surroundings. In this client-server configuration one or more machines, either a computer or a computer appliance, share information with each other with one acting as a host for the other.

While nearly any personal computer is skilled of acting as a network server, a committed server will contain features making it more suitable for production environments. These features may include a faster CPU, increased high-performance RAM, and typically more than one large hard drive. More obvious distinctions include marked redundancy in power supplies, network connections, and even the servers themselves.

Among the 1990s and 2000s an increase in the use of dedicated hardware saw the arrival of self-contained server appliances. One well-known creation is the Google Search Appliance, a unit which combines hardware and software in an out-of-the-box packaging. Simpler examples of such appliances include switches, routers, gateways, and print server, all of which are available in a near plug-and-play configuration.