Best HP & Dell Server Prices In Kenya
In today’s technology focused world, most businesses and business owners have considered having their own server. To most this is the best way to ensure seamless control of data and information crucial to maintaining and running a business. However, how do you go about it? With all the information that is available for users and consumers, it is easy to get distracted and lose out on the basics of a server and also what key factors should be taken into consideration before making that first purchase.
Here at Dukatech we aim to provide you with the best in terms of technology when it comes to e-commerce products. At the same time we understand the essence of having an informed buyer as it provides the best value for your money. With this in mind, we look into all the necessary information you need to have before purchasing a server or simply are looking to upgrade your own.
What is a server?
A server is defined as a computer or software that provides information and services for other computers that are linked to it. They are used to store a wide variety of information such as hosting web pages, files, running software applications, providing storage storage space and more.Physically they are made up of similar components as that of your computer such as a processor, memory and mother board with the major difference being the amount of power that each component has. Most servers are made to be accessed by mulitple computers as well as handle complex tasks at the same time and therefore, are more powerful than your average PC or desktop.
For optimal functionality servers are meant to be connected to a network to allow users access at any time and from any location without the need for physical connections.
How does a server work
As servers are generally large computers with huge amounts of data stored and processed simultaneously upon the user request it is essential for them to always to running at all times. The process of sending a request to the server and receiving data back is known as request-response model and consists of 4 main components;
- The user or client who initiates the request.
- The server that processes the requested information.
- The network which connects the user and the server and finally
- The software application which handles the request-response model.
A great example of how a server works is accessing a webpage from a Google search. Google.com is a website that contains billions of web pages with varying information. If you were searching for the best printers in Kenya you are likely to come across many pages that contain this information. Through the internet you are able to access Google.com. Your browser makes up the software and finally you get to your desired webpage.
If the server were not present, you would be required to either have an offline page or go to a physical location where the information will be available to you.
Types of servers
Before we look into the types of servers you need to understand that there are two kinds of server platforms.
- Physical servers; this is a tangible piece of hardware often stored on-site or in a dedicated location. Often they are used to run applications and operating systems.
- Virtual Servers; these are often offsite and considered to be more cost efficient that their physical counterparts. In addition the user can have virtual servers split into different virtual environments that serve different areas of the business/company.
Now that you are familiar with a server and how it works, we look into the different types of servers that are available for you. As mentioned earlier, servers are meant to either process information or store data while handling complex processes. Taking this into consideration it must mean that there are different kinds of servers for different purposes. Below we look into them and what they are meant for.
Web Server
As the name implies a web server is used to host web pages. However, it should not be confused with a website host. It works by receiving your request then sending back the requested page from the hosting platform.
Mail Server
This is a server that is uses the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) to handle the sending and receiving of emails. They can also store these email messages for access on a later date.
Database Servers.
These are used to store product information, user login information and inventory. They are often used in conjunction with other servers as they store data in groups by use of tables.
DNS Servers.
Also called the ‘internet’s phonebook due their ability to transform user-domain information into machine-readable IP addresses.
File Servers.
They are used to save files for users on the same network. Users are able to access, edit and save files that are present on these servers.
DCHP Servers.
Used to provide IP addresses to computers on the same network. At the same time they provide network settings for the default gateways and DNS Servers.
Other types of servers include ;
- Gaming servers
- Telnet servers
- Policy servers
- Print servers
- Application servers and
- Proxy Servers
