CherryB Posted July 11, 2013 Posted July 11, 2013 How do servers works? and how can I also create a server? I'm just curious about how the Internet works and how people can create servers, my class had a discussion about it and we would like to try and create our own website like Google, Yahoo and Firefox. One of my friends suggested to create one similar to this website: deadfrontier.com how do those sites work? and what do I need to have/do to host a gaming server like deadfrontier?
EdEarl Posted July 11, 2013 Posted July 11, 2013 (edited) There are two meanings of server that are important, distinguished as hardware server and software server. A hardware server is a computer that mainly runs programs that do not have a user interface. A software server is a program that does not have a user interface. In other words, a hardware server is a computer that mainly runs software servers. The reason I say a hardware server mainly runs programs without a user interface, is that someone must maintain all computers, for example backup disks, boot them, upgrade software, etc., which requires a user interface. However, servers such as the ones shown in the picture below, usually do not run browsers, spread sheets, word processors, etc. that interact with people. Software servers have a programmatic interface to one or more client programs. Clients are programs such as your browser or a game client, which are designed with a user interface. Among the first client server applications were business programs that used a database. The database server program would run on a hardware server, and was accessed by many client programs. Similarly, game clients send messages to and receive messages from game server programs that run on servers, similar to the ones in the picture above. You and many other people run game clients on laptop and desktop computers that communicate with the game server program. You may develop a game client using java script and a game server using java. Usually, both client and server can be run on a single computer, which is very useful during development and debugging, because many people can develop and debug independently from each other. Web browsers such as Firefox communicate with servers such as the Apache HTTP Server, which runs on LINUX and other operating systems. The Apache HTTP Server, commonly referred to as Apache (/əˈpætʃiː/ ə-PA-chee), is a web server software program notable for playing a key role in the initial growth of the World Wide Web.[3] In 2009, it became the first web server software to surpass the 100 million website milestone.[4] Apache has consistently been the most popular web server on the Internet since taking that spot from NCSA HTTPd back in 1996. Typically Apache is run on a Unix-like operating system,[5] and was developed for use on Linux. Anyone may download and install LINUX on their computer for free. Most distributions of LINUX (server) will come with the Apache distribution. Major cities usually have a LINUX User Group that meet periodically (e.g., monthly) and sponsor Installfests occasionally to help people install LINUX and related software packages (e.g., Apache) on their computer. Linux also has server software for mail, ftp, domain name service, and databases. There are some minor differences between Windows and LINUX web servers, which sometimes cause problems with Firefox accessing pages on Windows servers. An excellent source for asking questions about web servers is the following site: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12581416/node-js-development-windows-or-linux Google develops much of its own software. It has developed its own browser and may have developed its own web server software. Google has server farms like the picture above, and have many employees. It is a major corporation, and your class probably cannot make a site like Google. Yahoo may use Apache on FreeBSD (another free operating system, but not a version of LINUX). Yahoo is also a corporation and probably beyond the capabilities of your class. Firefox is developed by many volunteers, and your class may be able to start a project that eventually becomes like Firefox. However, the development time put into Firefox is more than your class can possibly do in a semester or year. Although, I am unsure whether you mean a site like Firefox, meaning the only the web pages or you mean everything including the software advertized and documented by the Firefox web pages. If your classmates want to make individual web pages, there are hosting sites you may use. See: http://www.wikihow.com/Host-Your-Own-Website-for-Free If you download and install Apache on your own computer, you may host your own web pages on your own computer. It is more difficult than hosting on a site that gives you a little free space, but you will learn more doing it all yourself. Enjoy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Client_%28computing%29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server_%28computing%29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Client%E2%80%93server_model Edited July 11, 2013 by EdEarl
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