A server computer is a powerful machine designed to compute, store, and manage data, devices, and systems over a network). It provides resources to networking units to render specialized services such as displaying web pages, sending or receiving emails, managing multiple user queries every second, hosting content-heavy websites, and processing intensive workloads such as database transaction management that requires high computing power.
A server can be a physical machine, a virtual machine, or software that is performing server services. It can be a computer program or device that provides a service to another computer program and its user, also known as the client. A server can operate on a physical computer or a virtual machine.
Servers are categorized based on their purpose, and some examples of the types of servers available are database servers, file servers, mail servers, print servers, web servers, game servers, and application servers).
The differences between a server and a desktop computer are that servers are designed to handle, store, and manage network data, devices, and systems, while desktop computers are designed for personal use. Servers are generally more expensive and hold far more memory and disk space than most client computers. They also support a far greater quantity of memory than most desktop computers.
In summary, a server computer is a device or software that runs services to meet the needs of other computers, known as clients, over a network. It provides specialized services and handles complex server processes, making it an essential component of modern-day businesses.
