SERVER - Definition

Meaning of SERVER

Pronunciation:		'survur
WordNet Dictionary

	Definition:	[n] utensil used in serving food or drink [n] (computer science) a computer that provides client stations with access to files and printers as shared resources to a computer network [n] (court games) the player who serves to start a point [n] a person whose occupation is to serve at table (as in a restaurant)

	Websites:

	Synonyms:	host, waiter

	See Also:	carhop, computer, computer network, computing device, computing machine, counterman, data processor, dining-room attendant, electronic computer, information processing system, participant, player, restaurant attendant, sommelier, utensil, waitress, wine steward, wine waiter

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

	Definition:	\Serv"er\, n. 1. One who serves. 2. A tray for dishes; a salver. --Randolph.

Computing Dictionary

	Definition:	1. A program which provides some service to other (client) programs. The connection between client and server is normally by means of message passing, often over a network, and uses some protocol to encode the client's requests and the server's responses. The server may run continuously (as a daemon), waiting for requests to arrive or it may be invoked by some higher level daemon which controls a number of specific servers (inetd on Unix). There are many servers associated with the Internet, such as those for Network File System, Network Information Service (NIS), Domain Name System (DNS), FTP, news, finger, Network Time Protocol. On Unix, a long list can be found in /etc/services or in the NIS database "services". See client-server. 2. A computer which provides some service for other computers connected to it via a network. The most common example is a file server which has a local disk and services requests from remote clients to read and write files on that disk, often using Sun's Network File System (NFS) protocol or Novell Netware on IBM PCs. [Jargon File]

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