Server

Servers are highly reliable computers used to provide services to multiple users. For example, a file server is a computer and storage device dedicated to storing files. Server must have fast processors, higher memory and high capacity hard disks to hold greater amount of load.

Different hardware components of a server are RAID controller, Backplane, SCSI hot swappable HDD, SCSI cable, hot swappable SMPS, ECC memory and Fan. Different levels of servers are: entry level, mid range and high end server. They all are designed to provide good computing performance to the business applications. Servers are designed for specific applications. Servers can operate 24*7 and provides high availability and redundancy.

To provide high availability and redundancy, hardware used in servers are different as compared to a normal desktop. Server is a device with a set of hardware and software, provides various services to other machines or computers on the network to do some certain tasks. Servers are dedicated, high-reliability computers that are generally used to support multi-user business applications.

Difference between a Server and PC

Main features, which differentiate a server from a PC, are performance, scalability, reliability and redundancy.

Ø  Performance- Servers provide services to multiple users and is used for some dedicated application, so they have higher performance metrics as compared to the normal PCs. Servers use multiple processors, more RAMs and higher RPM hard disks than normal PC.

Ø  Scalability- Flexibility to add CPUs, RAM, hard disk storage device and more in order to cope with increased load and applications.

Ø  Redundancy- If a desktop PC fails, it affects only one user. If a server of an organization fails, it affects the whole organization as multiple users are connected to it. So, servers use multiple hard disks, RAMs and processors so if any one of them fails then other one is there to take over.

Ø  Availability- Server hardware is designed in such a manner that it has very less or no down time. Servers use most hardware in multiple numbers which provides fault tolerance as well as performance