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Client-Server
Networks
- (February - 2009)
In a
client-server environment like Windows NT or Novell NetWare,
files are stored on a centralized, high speed file server PC
that is made available to client PCs. Network access speeds are
usually faster than those found on peer-to-peer networks, which
is reasonable given the vast numbers of clients that this
architecture can support.
Nearly all network services like printing and electronic mail
are routed through the file server, which allows networking
tasks to be tracked. Inefficient network segments can be
reworked to make them faster, and users' activities can be
closely monitored.
Public data and applications are stored on the file server,
where they are run from client PCs' locations, which makes
upgrading software a simple task--network administrators can
simply upgrade the applications stored on the file server,
rather than having to physically upgrade each client PC.
In
the client-server diagram below, the client PCs are shown to be
separate and subordinate to the file server. The clients'
primary applications and files are stored in a common location.
File servers are often set up so that each user on the network
has access to his or her "own" directory, along with a range of
"public" directories where applications are stored. If the two
clients below want to communicate with each other, they must go
through the file server to do it.
A message from one client to another is first sent to the file
server, where it is then routed to its destination. With tens or
hundreds of client PCs, a file server is the only way to manage
the often complex and simultaneous operations that large
networks require.
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