What Is Server Software and What Are the Types of Server Software

What Is Server Software

A server is a computer on the network that listens to requests from other computers (usually called clients) and responds to them. The server can run on a separate computer, or the server software can run on a computer that is also used for other tasks.

The server can be located in an office, a dedicated data center, or in the case of a home server, only in the corner of the home office or living room.

What is server software? Server software is software designed to be used, operated, and managed on a computing server. It provides and promotes the utilization of the computing power of the underlying server for a series of computing services and functions. Now, you can continue to read this post from MiniTool to get more information about server software.

In some cases, certain computers act entirely as clients, outsourcing almost all work to the server system. Low-power machines with this function are sometimes called thin clients. Computers on the World Wide Web are usually strictly speaking either clients or servers. Although it is possible to access a website from a server or provide content from a home desktop or laptop, this is not common.

In other cases, the computer can operate as a client and a server at the same time in various scenarios. For example, a Web server usually receives a request from a client and then responds to the request by sending the query to a separate database server, essentially becoming the client itself.

Although some servers may have specialized hardware, many servers today run server software on standard operating systems such as Linux or Microsoft Windows. The software processes requests from clients, essentially turning the computer into a server.

Types of Server Software

Just now, we have introduced basic information about server software. Now, we will introduce the types of server software. Server software can be divided into three types – Internet and web server software, understanding database servers, and file and print servers. The following are details of the types of server software.

Internet and Web Server Software

One of the most common server types is a web server. This type of server processes requests from browsers such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox via the Internet or local network, and responds to web pages, images, and other data requested by the browser.

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Some companies have built their own web servers for their own use to handle their unique traffic load or other needs. Many organizations use Web servers in conjunction with other types of technologies (such as load balancers) to distribute tasks between computers and content delivery networks or CDNs for storing and quickly obtaining materials from users.

File and Print Servers

File servers and print servers are two common types of servers in office networks. The file server stores files in a place that multiple users can access, usually with some security settings, and the print server communicates with printers and other computers to manage printed documents.

Both can be run on a standalone computer or on a computer that is also used for other office work.

Also see: Printer Not Printing? Try These Methods to Fix It Now!

Understanding Database Servers

Many organizations also rely on database servers, which store information in a reliable and fast manner for easy updates and access. Common database server products include Microsoft’s SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and MySQL.

Many database servers (including those) use structured query language or variations of SQL to communicate with database clients. This specialized programming language is designed for requesting and editing data in potentially large databases, and it can be written directly by programmers or generated by other software.

Final Words

Here is all information about server software. You can know the definition and the types of server software.