Photo: Matthieu Beaumont on Unsplash
What is a server, and where do they live?
In short: A server is a computer whose job is to serve other computers: it waits for requests and answers them, sending pages, files, messages or video. Most servers sit in large, secure buildings called data centres and run day and night without a screen or keyboard.
A computer that serves
A server is not a special kind of magic box. It is a computer, with a processor, memory and storage, just like your laptop. What makes it a server is its job: it waits for other devices to ask for something, then serves it to them.
Think of a restaurant. You, the customer, place an order. The waiter takes it to the kitchen, and the food comes back to your table. The server in computing is like the kitchen and waiter combined: it receives the order, prepares what you asked for and sends it back.
The device doing the asking, such as your phone, is called the client. So you will sometimes hear the phrase "client and server" to describe how most of the internet works.
Kinds of server you use every day
Servers are usually named after what they serve:
- Web servers send you the pages you see in your browser.
- Email servers hold your messages and pass new ones along. See How email reaches you.
- File and photo servers store your backups and shared documents.
- Streaming servers send films and music in a steady flow.
- Game servers keep track of every player in an online match.
- Name servers turn a website name into the number address computers need, like a phone book.
A single large service, such as a video site, may use thousands of servers working together, each doing part of the work.
How a server differs from your computer
| Your laptop | A typical server |
|---|---|
| Used by one person at a time | Answers many people at once |
| Switched off or asleep often | Runs all day, every day |
| Has a screen and keyboard | Usually has neither; managed remotely |
| One power supply and one disk | Often spare parts built in, so one failure does not stop it |
| Sits on your desk | Sits in a rack in a data centre |
Many servers today are also virtual. One powerful physical machine is split into several separate pretend computers, each acting as its own server. It is a bit like dividing a large house into flats. You can read more in Virtualisation basics.
Where servers live
Most servers sit in data centres: large, windowless buildings full of tall metal cabinets called racks. These buildings have backup power, strong cooling, fire protection, security guards and several internet connections, so the servers keep running even if something fails.
Smaller organisations may keep a few servers in a locked cupboard on site. A school, for example, might have one for its files and printers. And you might even have one at home without realising: some home storage boxes and smart home hubs act as small servers.
Big services also keep copies of their servers in several data centres, often in different countries. If one building loses power, another can carry on, and you are sent to whichever copy is closest so pages load faster.
When people talk about "the cloud", they mostly mean renting space on someone else's servers in a data centre. See What is "the cloud"?
What this means for you
- When a site is down, it is often the server, not you. If one site fails but others load, wait a while and try again.
- Your data lives on servers. Your email, photos and messages are copied to servers owned by the company you use. Choose services you trust, and turn on two-step sign-in so only you can get in. See Strong passwords and MFA.
- Servers can be in other countries. That can affect which laws protect your data. Reputable services explain this in their privacy information.
Tip: If a service you rely on is down, look for its official status page or social media account rather than reinstalling apps or resetting your router.
Key takeaways
- A server is an ordinary computer whose job is to answer requests from other devices.
- Your phone or laptop is the client; the server sends back pages, files, messages or video.
- Most servers run nonstop in secure data centres, often as virtual machines.
- Your emails and photos live on servers, so protect those accounts with two-step sign-in.
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