Client/Server Networks

                     Client/Server Networks 
• Server: central computer used to facilitate communication and resource sharing between other computers on the network (called clients)

• Client/server network: uses a server to enable clients to share data, data storage space, and devices

• To function as a server, a computer must be running a network operating system (NOS)

• Most of the concepts on the Network+ exam pertain to client/server networks.
• Advantages of using client/server networks over peer-to-peer networks:

– User logon accounts and passwords can be assigned in one place

– Access to multiple shared resources can be centrally granted to a  single user or groups of users

– Problems can be tracked, diagnosed, and often fixed from one location   
• Advantages of using client/server networks over peer-to-peer networks

– Servers are optimized to handle heavy processing loads and dedicated to handling requests from clients, enabling faster response time

– Because of their efficient processing and larger disk storage, servers can connect more than a handful of computers on a network