Understanding the Types of Servers and How to Store Them

Most people in the business world are familiar with, or at least have heard of, computer servers.  They are an integral part of most operations, after all, especially if you are handling a large volume of customer data.  It needs to be protected, and one method is to utilize your own secure servers.

Did you know that they are in fact physical computers with amped up processing power, RAM, and CPU?  This means that they do require certain storage methods, though thankfully there is a fair amount of flexibility.  Today, I am here to explain the different types of them and how you can safely and securely store them to keep them and your information safe.

Types of Servers

There are many different types out there, mostly in reference to shape but also function.  I will offer you a list of some, but keep in mind that it will not be entirely comprehensive.  Rather, there is a lot that goes into this, so you might want to look at a resource like this to get a clearer picture: https://www.nhpittsburgh.com/solutions/resources/upcoming-events-and-webinars/network-server-types-explained.  I find that guides can be quite helpful in understanding these things.

I will start out with rack servers.  They are one of the more flexible forms of servers as they are for general use and can be mounted on a wall or elsewhere.  This makes them convenient for storage purposes as well, but still powerful enough to get the job done!  They are certainly
something to consider.

Meanwhile, tower servers are the ones used most often by many small businesses.  There are several reasons for that, but the main thing is their small size but large processing power.  This means they are not overly intrusive, but they can still offer customization features and configuration.

The last kind that I will mention in terms of what needs servers storage are blade servers.  These work a little bit differently than the other types as they do not require CPUs.  Rather, they are a group of several circuit boards.  Those are called blades and they do not require network controllers or memory either. 

Getting into the more technical aspect of this, the different functions they can serve get a bit more complex.  You see, that is because they have a ton of varying ones that are possible.  Let us start off simple with application servers. 

These ones are typically called middleware because of how they work.  More often than not, they connect a database, a server, and the end user.  That is because they take up the space between those functions in terms of computing.

Email is another form of server which most people are already familiar with.  We may not think of it in this way, but they are in fact one of these.  The process works in a fairly simple manner.  What they do is take the mail and transport it between parties so that the messages are visible.

In a similar vein comes web servers.  These are the ones that we use every day to access internet content.  How they work is that they take requests from clients.  Usually these are known as “GET” and “POST,” in terms of the common terminology for them.

The former is usually what happens when someone does a search on a search engine.  That is because they are retrieving information from the server but not providing any in return.  So, think about that the next time you look something up on Google!

There are also database servers, which you can learn about here: https://www.networkstraining.com/different-types-of-servers/.  They usually do not operate on their own, but rather in conjunction with another one.  The language in which they are coded is called Structured Query Language, often known as SQL. 

Admittedly, that is not necessary knowledge unless you are a database programmer, but I think it is valid to mention.  If you are not sure how any of this works, it is always an option to consider hiring someone to handle the programming for you.  Thankfully there are many professional database programmers who can assist you and your small business.

Now, in general, you might be wondering why any of this really matters for an organization at all.  After all, storing data might not seem like it is all that important.  What you need to remember is that keeping your customer’s information secure is something paramount to longevity and success in any size of company.

They entrust us with critical details such as credit card numbers and in some cases, even social security numbers.  Having secure ways to store that is something to prioritize for sure.  Of course, there are other reasons to have these though.  You will likely have a lot of your own to store as well.