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server

vr.tr.server · thing-q44127

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.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.OBJ
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Understand What a server is.

Definition

Definition.

Definition

Definition.

  1. What is a server, and how does it differ from clients, PCs, data centres, cloud services and restaurant servers? definition
  2. Is the question about setting one up, a security incident, hardware or concepts? boundary

Types

Named types.

Types

Types.

  1. What are package repositories, communications, remote desktop and dedicated servers, and server software versus hardware? definition
  2. Which entry fits the specific type? action
Architecture Architecture.

Client-server

Client-server model.

Client-server

Client-server.

  1. How does the client-server model work compared with peer-to-peer? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Hardware

Server hardware.

Hardware

Hardware.

  1. How does server hardware differ from desktop hardware? provenance
  2. Which sources are cited? provenance
Operations Operations and security.

Security

Security.

Security

Security.

  1. What basic hardening and patching practices do security frameworks recommend? provenance
  2. Which entry fits hardening (computing)? action

Cloud

Cloud and virtualisation.

Cloud

Cloud.

  1. How have virtualisation and cloud computing changed servers? provenance
  2. Which entry fits cloud computing? action
Context Impact.

Energy

Energy use.

Energy

Energy.

  1. How much energy do data centres use, as the IEA reports? provenance
  2. Which entry fits data center? action

History

History.

History

History.

  1. How did servers evolve from mainframes to rack servers? provenance
  2. Which entry fits mainframe computer? action

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Physical world and living systems
Entry kind
thing
Plane
PHY
Domain
PHY.OBJ
Other names and narrower kinds
package repository, Communications server, server computer, remote desktop server, dedicated server, server software, bulletin board system, servlet, query server, display server, media server, mail server

What it is Filled

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.

Why it exists Filled

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.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Serves clients
  • Always-on operation
  • Hardware or software
  • Security critical

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Access, scan or attack a server it is not authorized to use.
  • Disable logging, backups or security controls to hide its own actions.
  • Copy personal data from a server beyond the purpose it was given access for.
  • Restart or shut down a production server without following the operator's change rules.
  • Leave credentials or open services exposed after maintenance.

Only with a human decision

  • Deleting data or decommissioning a server.
  • Granting new people administrative access.

May

  • Monitor, patch and back up servers it is authorized to administer.
  • Report outages, security alerts and capacity problems to the operator.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Servers hold other people's data; a breach exposes users who never chose the server.
  • Outages can stop services people depend on, such as health or payments.

Who is affected

  • Users whose data it holds
  • Operators and administrators
  • Services that depend on it

Owners Filled

Steward

The operator who runs it; the owner of the hardware for physical servers.

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q4925872 - registry parent class
  • Q994895 - registry parent class

related

  • data processing system - in registry terms
  • client-server model
  • data center
  • client (computing)

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.server
  • Wikidata: Q44127 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44127)

Direct properties required Filled

  • common rack unit height: 1.75 inches - 1U
  • client-server model: dominant since the 1980s note
  • first web server: 1990 year - CERN httpd

Recognition required Filled

  • 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
  • Rack-mounted computers in data centres, or software processes with no visible form.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • explain client-server architecture
  • relay types and hardware
  • describe named server types
  • relay security practices

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Security breaches and misconfiguration
  • Outages and data loss
  • Energy use of data centres

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • Information security standards such as ISO/IEC 27001
  • Data protection laws such as GDPR
  • Data centre energy efficiency rules

Context of use required Filled

  • Providing services to clients over networks.
  • web servers
  • mail and communications servers
  • database servers
  • file servers
  • remote desktop servers
  • dedicated, virtual and cloud servers

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q44127: server - identity and sense of the item
  2. Wikipedia: Server (computing) - general description of the item

Open questions

  • Should server hardware and server software be separate entries?
  • How should computing standards be linked?
  • Should package repository be moved to software distribution?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q44127/spec.json