MIDRANGE SERVERS

Midrange computers, or midrange systems, are a class of computer systems which fall in between mainframe computers andmicrocomputers.

The class emerged in the 1960s and machines were generally known at the time as minicomputers - especially models from Digital Equipment Corporation (PDP line), Data General, Hewlett-Packard (HP3000 line), and successors), and Sun Microsystems (SPARC Enterprise). These were widely used in science and research as well as for business.

IBM favored the term 'midrange computer' for their comparable more business-oriented System/3, System/34, System/32, System/36,System/38, and AS/400 ranges.

Since 1990s, when the client–server model of computing became predominant, computers of the comparable class are instead universally known as servers to recognize that they usually "serve" end users at their "client" computers. Since the client–server model was developed inUnix-like operating systems, using this term frequently implies support of standard—rather than proprietary—protocols and programming interfaces.

Server or Server Application refers to both the server computer that runs the Interactive Programs and the Batch Programs, but more correctly to the Program itself that serves to provides responses to several users via many computers. Based on the work that the server performs, servers can be distinguished as:-

• Web Server – The web server utilizes the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) server program. In other words, it accepts and delivers HTTP programs from the network computer system in order to accept and respond to client requests and instructions. An error message is forwarded by the web server in order o communicate any possible problem via the Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML).
• FTP Server – This is a sever that allows you to share and transfer files with other interconnected computers that form a network under the FTP server.
• Game Server – Playing games on-line is a phenomenon that has gained popularity over the years. The game server with its huge bandwidth makes it possible for the client computer to exchange huge amount of data with the server computer.
• Application Server – Most of you who are or have been students must have had the pleasant experience of downloading forms from the Internet instead of wasting time queuing up to buy the forms. The server that allows your computer to receive the concerned application forms is known as the Application server.

Print Server – It allows you to exchange data which can be printed from a desired computer system connected to the print server. Database Server – Provides database services to networking computer systems. Client Server – Being run on interactive programs, provides services to clients using the computers connected to the client server computer. Fax Server – This server, as the name suggests, allows you to send and receive faxes to computers, interconnected via the fax server.