Understanding What a Server Does
With today’s computers, any computer on the network can provide services or request services depending on how the network is set up. A server is a computer that is a meant to be a dedicated service provider, and a client is a computer that requests services. A network that is made up of dedicated servers and clients is known as a client/server network. A server-based network is the best network for sharing resources and data, while providing centralized network security for those resources and data. Networks with Windows Server 2016 are usually client/server networks.
If you have been using Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, or Windows 10 for a significant amount of time, you should realize that your computer is providing services and requesting services (although it most likely requesting services more than it is providing services). When you access a web page over the Internet, access your email, access a data file on another computer, or access a printer that is connected to the network, you are requesting services. While Windows servers are designed to provide a wide range of network services, Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, and Windows 10 can provide printer and file sharing and web pages (although you are limited by the number of concurrent connections especially when compared to Windows servers and are not optimized for multi-user access). Therefore, while these versions of Windows are designed as clients, they can also provide services.
While computers with Windows Server 2016 are designed to provide services, they can also request services from other computers. For example, they can access a web server locally or over the Internet, access a software repository, or print to a network printer.
When determining the hardware and software needs, you need to look at the role that the computer needs to fill and the load the computer will be placed under. You can then start researching the hardware (including the number of computers, number of processors, amount of RAM, and amount of disk storage) and software requirements to reach those goals. You also need to look at disaster recovery including looking at the steps you will need to take if a server fails and you lose data.
Don’t forget to plan your server for growth. Most servers should be designed for 3–5 years of service. So make sure you look at what your landscape may look at 3–5 years from deployment of the server. This will help you avoid purchasing and reinstalling the server several months later. It should also be noted that the bare basic of a server leaves little room for growth.
Introducing Server Roles
Before selecting the hardware and software components of a server, you must first understand what your server is supposed to do. The first step is to identify the server roles and network services that the server will need to provide. You also need to look at how many people will be accessing the server at once to help determine the load the server needs to fulfill.
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Can you list and describe the basic server roles? 2.1
A server role is a primary duty that a server performs. You should note that a server could have multiple roles. Some of the more common server roles include:
- File services
- Print services
- Web services
- Remote access
- Application servers
- Email server
- Database server
A file server allows you to centrally locate files to be accessed by multiple people. Since the files are centrally located, it makes it easier for multiple users to access and find files (assuming they are organized well) and it is easier to back up these files since they are located in a single place. When using Microsoft Windows to provide file sharing, you will usually be using Server Message Block (SMB) to access Microsoft Shares or shared folders. Windows Servers can also provide NFS shares for Unix/Linux users.
Print services allow multiple users to access a centrally located printer. This allows you share an expensive printer that is fast or is a heavy-duty printer or supports advanced options such as color. Printers can be accessed as a network printer that is connected directly to the network or through a Microsoft Windows server (again using SMB).
Since the Internet has become more prevalent in today’s business application, so has the use of web services. A web server will provide web services so that users can access web pages using their browser. These web services may be used to do research, provide leads for sales, allow customers to purchase goods and services, and provide customer support over the Internet. It can also be used to provide an easy method to access databases, run reports, track sales leads, provide customer support, and even help you with...
