Asia boasts the most internet users globally but the US hosts more than 50% of all the websites in the world.
If you are in the IT industry, then you know that servers are a vital part of any network. They store all your data and allow for communication between different devices on the network. But did you know there are several types of servers?
Today we’re going to take a look at some of the different types of servers that you might find in an IT infrastructure. We’ll also discuss their functions, so you can learn what makes each one unique.
Different Types of Servers
If you’re going to be hosting your own software, you’ll come across many different types of servers. Typically, these are either Linux or Microsoft Windows Server based. Here are five of the most common:
Web Server
A web server is a type of network server that delivers content to clients, usually web browsers like Google Chrome or Safari.
Web servers are capable of serving both static and dynamic pages based on customer requests. They handle web page requests from users, then send the requested web documents back out through an IP address (ex: 192.168.0.101).
Database Server
A Database Server is a type of web server that specifically delivers content to clients who request information from the database. There are many different types of databases used in web servers, such as MySQL and Microsoft SQL.
Database Servers also handle web page requests from users but instead process those requests by retrieving data stored within their databases.
Mail Server
A mail server is a web server that sends out and receives emails.
An email server typically consists of two components: the SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server, which is responsible for sending messages to external servers; and the POP/IMAP (Post Office Protocol/Internet Message Access Protocol), which manages incoming messages.
Proxy server
A web proxy server is a computer system that acts as an intermediary between your network connection and the Internet.
A web proxy server is intended to improve web browsing performance by caching web pages from frequently visited sites.
It also helps protect your internal network computers from outside access. It hides the address of your network’s computer system, making it impossible for others to see where data originates (thanks, anonymity!)
Virtual Server
A virtual server is a web hosting service that allows you to share computing resources. You can use these servers to run multiple websites or services at once, but personal web pages are the most common type of website hosted on this type of server.
Virtual machines allow users to quickly deploy new websites without having to worry about configuring web server software like Apache or IIS. This makes it much easier to handle website requests, especially if you are an individual webmaster with only one or two sites.
Dedicated Server Hosting Benefits
Slow websites cost companies around half a billion dollars each year so the importance of good hosting cannot be overstated.
Dedicated web hosting is a web server that does not share resources with other servers. IT professionals can optimize dedicated web hosting for their needs, increasing the speed of your website drastically– especially if you are using apps like WordPress! Dedicated web hosts also offer advanced security options to protect your data from malware and hackers, making them ideal for business websites.
Dedicated server hosting for your business gives you a user-friendly environment for hosting web servers, as well as website management. There’s no need to sign up for a shared web hosting package or deal with complex setups yourself.
Instead, your web hosting company provides a reliable server that is specifically designed for web-hosting purposes. Dedicated web hosting is perfect if you have a small number of websites and want them all hosted on an individual server.
A Server For Everyone
There are different types of servers available to suit different needs. Dedicated server hosting is a good option for any size company as it provides the highest quality server at an affordable cost. You can also choose which type of dedicated server you want, so there’s no need to worry about compatibility issues.
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