Servers

Within a LAN one computer may provide services to others of the group. Examples are:-

File Servers

One machine provides disk space for another. A typical configuration has a boot node computer with satellite diskless workstations that boot from it.

Print Servers

A printer connected to one computer can be used by others.

Mail Servers

One computer acts as a focus for all incoming mail, passing on to the appropriate computer.

X Windows Server

A user on a workstation may connect to another machine and there run an application that has a full screen interface based on the X Windows standard. Naturally the user wants the output to appear on his or her workstation not on the dedicated console of the remote computer! To do this the workstation acts as an X Windows SERVER providing an X Windows service for the remote computer who is the X Windows CLIENT (user of the service).

Note: this is the reverse of the situation that applies to the application software. Here it is the remote machine that is running the application and so is the service provider while the user's workstation is the client of that service.