What is Server? and How Server Works? Explained

Have you ever wondered, I am sitting somewhere around the world writing this article, and you are able to read it while sitting at your home? How is it possible? It is possible through Servers. So, what is Server in Networking? and How Server Works?

You might have heard the word Server several times in banks, internet shops, or on the Internet. People often say the Server is down, the Server is broken, the Server is busy, etc., when they lose internet access. So, let’s understand What is Server and How it works.

What is a Server in Networking?

If I had to give a one-line answer, I would say “The computer that serves us data on the internet is called a Server.” Still didn’t get it? Let me explain. A Server is just a specialized computer or workstation that stores data to serve it when required.

Example of How Server Works:

I store my data on a server, and when you open my website, you receive that data from the server.

Let’s take another example. You may have social media accounts on Facebook or Instagram. So, you might have posted a picture or video on these websites. Where are they stored? The websites store them on a Server. Servers are Computers that use high-end components like CPU, Motherboard, Hard Disk, etc. Because your data has to be safe on it, and it should stay forever. 

On rare events, they restart the server due to technical issues. And, that is when you cannot access or use the data. Therefore, the people at the bank or internet shop say that the server is down. You will get the issue frequently if the website is using a cheap server. Popular websites always use expensive servers to keep the downtime as low as possible.

The hosting providers are nothing but Servers. Shared Hosting means, you share the Server with several other people. A Dedicated Server means there is a server, which is dedicated to saving only your files. Top websites like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and more have dedicated servers all around the world. 

Difference Between a Regular Computer and Server:

The desktop computers use the CPU designed for Desktop PCs such as Intel i3, i5, i7, and so on. However, Manufacturers build special types of processors for servers like Intel Xeon. Because the CPU should be able to handle lots of tasks simultaneously. Besides that, the motherboard of Servers is specially designed to allow placing multiple CPUs. 

Do you know what are the different types of CPU (Processors) in a Computer? Click the link to learn.

However, we can also set up our desktop computer as a server. Suppose you have multiple computers in your home, you can use a PC as a server to store the files. Therefore, all the computers save the file on that PC and take the required files from that PC. But, Desktop computers are not designed to handle such a large workload. Therefore, you cannot use a large number of PCs, because of the inferior hardware and software.

What is Server Capacity?

Each server may have a different capacity, which is based on its hardware configuration. Some Servers can handle only a limited number of requests. On the web hosting, you can see the limit of 25000 users/ month, 50000 users/month, etc. What it means is that the server is capable of only handling 25000 visitors on a website. Therefore, when any exam results are out, the results page/website does not load properly. Because, there are so many people trying to access the data from the server at the same time, which is out of the server’s capacity.

So, when you hear someone say the Server is down, it means the website is using a cheaper server that couldn’t handle the traffic and shut itself down. When people say the server is busy, it means several people are requesting to access the same data at the same time, which the server couldn’t handle. So, if you own a website, you should have a better Server. Therefore, when buying a hosting service, ask them What is Server Capacity of the hosting plan you are purchasing.

Conclusion:

Servers have become the backbone of the Internet. Everything you do on the Internet is saved on the Server. Even the messages you send on WhatsApp, Skype, Emails, and more are saved on Servers. For safety, your data is stored on multiple servers, so that it is safe even if one storage device fails. I hope you have understood What is Server, and How Server Works. Share this article with your friends using the social share icons on the right.