what is a server?

[Rudyard]

Ive been reading these WD hard drive DRM threads and people are saying it is not a hard drive that is affected but the server version that is affected.

Could someone explain to me what a server actually is? I always thought it was a computer for the internet or a network that stores all the files and sends them to the computers connecting to it.

Do they work like a normal PC? Do they have a common OS or are they just special hardrives?

What use would they have in the home or are they just a commercial computer?

Thanks for any help.

[redwudz]

Perhaps Wikipedia might give you some info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server

Just for my understanding, it's a system of some sort for storing data and distributing it.

I use two computers running XP with eight 320GB drives each. They are plugged into my gigabit LAN and store my video files. The files are available to the computers on the LAN, mostly my HTPC computer which outputs to my video projector. I don't know if they are truly servers, but that's what I call them.

Your definition seems fine to me.

[guns1inger]

Technically, any computer that has one or more clients attached and can store or provide data is a server. If your PC sends videos files through a media extender to your TV, it is technically a server.

The difference between a corporate fileserver and your PC is the quality of the components. Corporate fileservers tend to have hardware raid (and not the 2 disk crap on your motherboard - dedicated multi-disk arrays), deeper error checking in the memory, and a greater tolerance as they will run 24 x 7 for years. Server OS's are also tuned more for servicing multiple clients than for running single applications, although with Vista/2003/Longhorn the lines are rapidly blurring.

Microsoft have a new home server operating system designed for cheaper hardware that will run as light-out servers for storing media/photos etc. These boxes would ship without monitors or keyboards etc, and would essentially be a remotely managed storage appliance.

[jagabo]

The WD drives in question are NAS (network attached storage) devices. A NAS is an external drive that plugs directly into an ethernet network. Basically it's a little computer that acts as a stand alone file server. They can be set up to share files to anyone on the internet. It's that sharing that is limited. Files with certain extensions (eg, MP3, MPG, AVI) aren't shared.

As I understand it, sharing on the local network is not limited. And you can easily get around the internet sharing by changing the file extensions (eg MySong.mp3 renamed as MySong.np3) or by zipping up the files.

Do a google search for "WD NAS DRM" and you'll find further information.

[lordsmurf]

Corporate fileservers tend to have hardware raid (and not the 2 disk crap on your motherboard - dedicated multi-disk arrays), deeper error checking in the memory, and a greater tolerance as they will run 24 x 7 for years. Server OS's are also tuned more for servicing multiple clients than for running single applications, although with Vista/2003/Longhorn the lines are rapidly blurring.

My experience is that most places are converting to non-SCSI SATA SAN setups
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storage_area_network

RAID optional, backups automated to tape and/or secondary SAN

Gigabit ethernet

Same speed, lower costs, more space

[guns1inger]

Bigger places. Schools etc are still using RAID based servers, although as virtualisation takes off and blade servers become the norm in smaller institutions, so will SAN.

[Supreme2k]

I still do all my backups to punch card.

[oldandinthe way]

Any computer which offers access to shared resources can be viewed as a server.

They can run any O/S. They can offer greater or lessor reliability than your desktop system. More or less control.

The rapid expansion of the world wide web was fueled to a large extent by corporate users using obsolete hardware and Linux and the Apache server software. Development of web servers therefore required no expenditure for hardware or software. And they avoided corporate capital expenditure approvals. A heck if a lot of web servers were 80286 and 80386 computers. This was a period of great penetration of the corporate market by Linux.

[lordsmurf]

Bigger places. Schools etc are still using RAID based servers, although as virtualisation takes off and blade servers become the norm in smaller institutions, so will SAN.

Nope, lots of schools (higher ed.) are moving to SATAII SAN too. The old "more bang for the buck" hits home for them, apparently.

[ranchhand]

Also bear in mind that large, commercial Microsoft servers usually run dedicated software designated as "server", eg. the old NT Server 4 ran LANS, WANS and ENTERPRISE networks for years, succeeded by Windows 2000 Server. I think there is now Windows 2003 server, but I have been out of that end of IT for a while. About the only difference between regular OSs and Server OSs was networking options and security capabilities.

[Wile_E]

SAS is perferred over SATA in corporate environment. Also Ultra320/640, iSCSI, and Fibre. All of these are far better and faster than consumer SATA. Corporate would be dumb to use SATA, unless they are really tight on money.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_Attached_SCSI

[dLee]

Any computer which offers access to shared resources can be viewed as a server.

I was going to say, "A server is anything you want it to be.", but I think this is the best definition in this thread. Servers can just be router / firewall, while data is shared by other servers or clients on the network.

The rapid expansion of the world wide web was fueled to a large extent by corporate users using obsolete hardware and Linux and the Apache server software. Development of web servers therefore required no expenditure for hardware or software. And they avoided corporate capital expenditure approvals. A heck if a lot of web servers were 80286 and 80386 computers. This was a period of great penetration of the corporate market by Linux.

The figures usually given are about a 50% share to Linux and about 50% to Microsoft, with a few points to Macs. These figures usually refer to servers on the internet.

[RabidDog]

One who serves.

[lordsmurf]

Also bear in mind that large, commercial Microsoft servers usually run dedicated software designated as "server", eg. the old NT Server 4 ran LANS, WANS and ENTERPRISE networks for years, succeeded by Windows 2000 Server. I think there is now Windows 2003 server, but I have been out of that end of IT for a while. About the only difference between regular OSs and Server OSs was networking options and security capabilities.

Windows 2008 Server is in RC mode right now, to be released in Q1 2008. IIS7 is very nice.

[guns1inger]

Bigger places. Schools etc are still using RAID based servers, although as virtualisation takes off and blade servers become the norm in smaller institutions, so will SAN.

Nope, lots of schools (higher ed.) are moving to SATAII SAN too. The old "more bang for the buck" hits home for them, apparently.

We don't get much bang for buck over here. They are finally trumpeting 'cheap' BluRay players in time for Christmas, and they are still 3 times the price or more of what is available in the US. For most IT kit/software we are just expected to bend over and squeal like a pig.

[jagabo]

Here's a good synopsis of the WD NAS "DRM" problem:

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/12/12/wd-makes-big-mistake

[oldandinthe way]

Here's a good synopsis of the WD NAS "DRM" problem:

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/12/12/wd-makes-big-mistake

Certainly more intelligent than the first article. But still struggling to make this newsworthy. Its no big deal.

He ignores the World Editon I . Focuses on the world edition II, a device which has great potential for hosting warez, but also can be used in a variety of useful applications involving storage of DATA, not just text and pictures. This is a 2TB Raid. Hardly the tool of the typical home user. And as he points out, the ability to login and access all types of data is present.

This is a case where there is no story. With a $700 price tag this drive exceeds the cost of the typical user's entire system. It will serve the needs of various sized businesses, and it will only slightly complicate the existance of those who wish to use it for illegal or questionable purposes.

The real story here is that WD has made provision for the user to open the box and replace drives, unlike many of their other MyBook products.