server
Let an agent explain servers, relay architectures, types, hardware, software and security practices from computing sources, describe the named server types, and distinguish servers from clients, personal computers, data centres, cloud services and waiters in restaurants.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent explain servers, relay architectures, types, hardware, software and security practices from computing sources, describe the named server types, and distinguish servers from clients, personal computers, data centres, cloud services and waiters in restaurants.
A computer or software program that provides services, data or resources to other programs or devices called clients over a network, such as web, email, file, database, communications and remote desktop servers, running on dedicated servers, virtual machines or cloud infrastructure in data centres; the term covers both server computers and server software, and related infrastructure such as package repositories serves software packages to clients. Servers must be secured and maintained, and security incidents should be handled through incident response procedures.
What it is for: Providing services to clients over networks.
It can be explain client-server architecture; relay types and hardware; describe named server types; relay security practices.
Distinguishing features
Serves clients
Always-on operation
Hardware or software
Security critical
What it looks like
Rack-mounted computers in data centres, or software processes with no visible form.
Physical character
common rack unit height: 1.75 inches - 1U
client-server model: dominant since the 1980s note
first web server: 1990 year - CERN httpd
How it is recognised
Computer or program serving clients over a network
Package repository, communications server, server computer, remote desktop server, dedicated server, server software
Clients request services; PCs serve individual users; data centres house servers; cloud services abstract servers; waiters serve food
Related models
is a kind of - in registry terms
is part of -
is housed in -
is contrasted with -
In practice
Families and kinds
web servers
mail and communications servers
database servers
file servers
remote desktop servers
dedicated, virtual and cloud servers
Standards and regulation
Information security standards such as ISO/IEC 27001
Data protection laws such as GDPR
Data centre energy efficiency rules
Failure modes and hazards
Security breaches and misconfiguration
Outages and data loss
Energy use of data centres
Also called
+22
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.server
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Understand What a server is.
Definition.
Definition
Definition.
Definition
Definition.
- What is a server, and how does it differ from clients, PCs, data centres, cloud services and restaurant servers? definition
- Is the question about setting one up, a security incident, hardware or concepts? boundary
Types
Named types.
Types
Types.
- What are package repositories, communications, remote desktop and dedicated servers, and server software versus hardware? definition
- Which entry fits the specific type? action
Architecture Architecture.
Sources.
Client-server
Client-server model.
Client-server
Client-server.
- How does the client-server model work compared with peer-to-peer? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Hardware
Server hardware.
Hardware
Hardware.
- How does server hardware differ from desktop hardware? provenance
- Which sources are cited? provenance
Operations Operations and security.
Regulation.
Security
Security.
Security
Security.
- What basic hardening and patching practices do security frameworks recommend? provenance
- Which entry fits hardening (computing)? action
Cloud
Cloud and virtualisation.
Cloud
Cloud.
- How have virtualisation and cloud computing changed servers? provenance
- Which entry fits cloud computing? action
Context Impact.
Context.
Energy
Energy use.
Energy
Energy.
- How much energy do data centres use, as the IEA reports? provenance
- Which entry fits data center? action
History
History.
History
History.
- How did servers evolve from mainframes to rack servers? provenance
- Which entry fits mainframe computer? action
What the second pass must settle
- Should server hardware and server software be separate entries?
- How should computing standards be linked?
- Should package repository be moved to software distribution?