Network Servers

A network server is a computer setup to provide services to other computers connected to it. Types of servers include a file server for sharing files, a database server for performing queries and a web server for hosting web sites.

Server Features

Technically, any type of computer can be turned into a server with the right software. However, there are 3 main features which set a home desktop computer apart from a real server computer:

• Performance

  Because there can be many client machines accessing the server, every task needs to be done quickly and efficiently. For example, a web server may use a database backend which requires multiple queries. For the page to display quickly under heavy traffic, you'll need a high performance server.

  To get this extra performance, the server can be configured with several enhancements. A server motherboard can accept dual processors (2) or even quad processors (4) to help process tasks in parallel. The server will also be able to handle much more memory than a typical desktop computer - on the order of 8GB to 16GB of RAM. The hard drive will have a high RPM spindle speed, a large cache buffer and a low seek time.

• Reliability

  A server typically needs to run around the clock so having a reliable server is very important. Server down time needs to be minimized because this can mean loss of revenue and customers for you.

  To improve reliability, servers user ECC RAM to automatically fix memory errors if they should occur. Also, a SCSI hard drive is typically used since it is generally constructed with higher quality components for less chance of failure.

  With reliability comes redundancy. There can duplicate components installed, such as two network cards, in case one fails. Typically, 2 or more hard drives will be setup under RAID for fault tolerance.

• Scalability

  As server access grows, computing demands increase. A server can expand to meet these growing needs with more RAM, CPU power or hard drive storage.

Start Network Server Shopping

Start shopping for a network server by visiting these subcategories:

• Raid Servers