Servers and Peer-to-Peer

What is a server?

A specialised computer with a different role from a normal PC

Why do computers have servers?

They perform different tasks which removes the need for one server to be able to do everything

How do client-server networks work?

Clients make requests to a server, the server manages that request and responds

What are the advantages of a client-server network?

The network can be controlled centrally from the server to easily backup data and update software, hardware and software can be shared across the network such as printers and applications

What are the disadvantages of a client-server network?

Large amounts of traffic congestion will cause the network to slow down, if a fault occurs with the server then the whole network will fail, malware such as viruses can spread quickly across the network

How do peer-to-peer networks work?

Data is shared directly between systems without requiring a central server and each computer is equally responsible for providing data

What are the advantages of peer-to-peer networks?

Simpler to set up as no server is required, clients aren’t dependent on a server, perfect for quickly sharing files between systems

What are the disadvantages of peer-to-peer networks?

Without a dedicated server there’s no central device to manage security or backups so backups must be performed on each individual system, computer performance will decrease with more devices connected to the network

What is hosting?

A method that maintains servers locally within a LAN but makes servers available across the Internet

What do hosting companies do?

They store your files and make them accessible by many people with access to the Internet

What are examples of hosting services?

Web pages and images, online file storage, video hosting service

What is The Cloud?

When data is stored in an off-site storage system which utilises file systems

What are the advantages of The Cloud?

Data can be accessed anywhere where there’s Internet connection, data can be shared with others no matter their location, access to software on demand

What are the disadvantages of The Cloud?

Have to be dependent on having Internet connection to access any data, users feel more concerned about their data security within the cloud

What do web server hosting companies allow webpages you create to do?

They can be stored on their servers and accessed when requested by a client