Techno-Babble Dictionary: Are you Being Served?

December 6th, 2013
Techno-Babble Dictionary: Are you Being Served?

By Naomi Dolin-Aubertin

Or rather, are you being server-ed? Servers. They're big; they're noisy; they're expensive. And we all rely on them on a daily basis at home and in the workplace. But what are these servers we depend on for so many things?

They are those tall towers of boxes that process your data. If we were to get a little more technical, a server is a computer or computer program that manages access to a centralized resource or service in a network. That's the easy part. Now we start getting into the techno-speak.

Dedicated Server: Webopedia says, "A dedicated server is a single computer in a network reserved for serving the needs of the network." This is a piece of hardware. Businesses have the option of renting or buying these; however they function much in the same way your washing machine does in the sense that they take up physical space in your office and you don't have to share them. You have total control over the software and maintenance of the servers.

Virtual Private Server (VPS): A VPS or Virtual Dedicated Server (VDS)

is a type of virtualization that enables a virtual server, which is a shared resource and not a dedicated server, to to work and act as if it were a dedicated server. Each VDS has its own disk space, bandwidth, CPU allocation, memory and operating system.

If we go back to the laundry idea, this is like taking your clothes to the laudromat. You "rent" a machine and during that time it is all yours. You put your detergent of choice in and no one else has access to your clothes while they're washing. Unlike a your clothes however, your data is on a permanent wash cycle in the machine.

Terminal Server: A terminal server allows computers, printers and other devices to connect to a local network. They eliminate the need for each device to have a built-in modem. Essentially, it is a hub allowing your device to access the network's files.

Exchange Server is an e-mail-based collaborative communications server for businesses. It enables businesses to conduct essential communications with:

  • Electronic mailing
  • Contacts and tasks
  • Calendaring
  • Web-based and mobile information access
  • Aid for data storage

To answer my original question: yes, you are being served. And now you know how.


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