What are Network Servers?
As a business grows, network servers are needed for enterprises to store files and run applications to improve efficiency or increase reliability in sharing resources. Choosing the right server may seem like a daunting task, given the various network servers with different functions and features. However, we can make it much simpler by grasping some rudimentary knowledge of network servers.
What are Network Servers?
A network server is a computer designed to act as a central repository and help in providing various resources like hardware access, disk space, printer access, etc, to other computers in the network. A network server might not differ from a workstation in hardware, but the functionality it performs clearly differentiates it from other workstations. Network servers help in simplifying the different tasks for system administrators including those centering around management.
Any configuration or security updates can be applied to a network server instead of individually passing to different computers connected to the network.
How do Network Servers work?
When working with sensitive applications or files, saving progress on your local device is a start, but what if you lose access to your device? Network servers address this problem by hosting the files and programs most pertinent to the network and enabling access for consistent, real-time use.
As a result, personnel or network clients can instantly access important data or tools while also facilitating collaboration between users. Multiple users can make changes to the same program or document for continued development over the course of a project. Via a secure login, remote users can connect to the home network.
Types of Network Servers in Networking
- Rack Server: A rack server is a server designed to be situated in a server rack. This server accommodates all of the hardware devices and can be run as a stand-alone system. And it takes up little space, making it easier to manage connections and maintain the system. They are better suited to medium-sized businesses or enterprises with high demand for servers.
- Tower Server: This server is built in a stand-alone chassis configuration and resembles the common desktop PC, but it contains server components. Tower servers come in several different shapes, offering plenty of processing power, and don’t require additional mounting hardware. But they take up more space and are not easy to manage. Therefore, they’re commonly found in small business environments and other commercial environments.
- Blade Server: Blade servers are servers with high availability and high density, designed for large data centers and high-density computing. They are slim and compact, with only CPUs, network controllers, memory, and some internal storage drives. Blade servers can provide greater processing power, take up less space, and use less energy than other forms of servers. But, the initial capital, deployment, and configuration costs of blade servers can be high.
Network Servers Security Tips
- Ensure all software is up to date with patches and fixes
- Minimize potential attack vectors by disabling unnecessary functions
- Consider and consult vendor recommendations on configurations
- Establish redundancy and improve the availability of data with server backups
- Enable backups, snapshots, and point-in-time copies for local, remote, and cloud storage
- Apply zero-trust thinking to access control to reduce the risk of insider breaches
For the last tip, note that most users should be able to store, review, and edit files on the network servers. Permissions to add, change, remove users, add devices, or configure the server must be limited to primary administrators.
Conclusion
From the above, we have a better understanding of network servers and server types. You should choose based on your actual needs. If space is your main consideration, you may choose the rack servers. If you have enough budget and you also want a space-saving device, then the blade servers are the most suitable choice. But space is not a big concern while cooling is, so go for the tower servers.