What is a Server? A Tech Guide by GIGABYTE

At its heart, a server is a computer—not a personal computer like the kind we have at home or in the office, but a specialized piece of equipment, designed to provide specific functions and services for other computers. Hence the name: server.

Servers are used because no single computer can be expected to fulfill every role and perform every function. By allocating the task to a specialized server on the network, a multitude of users can access an enormous number of services in a reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective manner. The process by which a user sends a request through their own device (called a “client”) to a server is called the request-response or request-reply model; it is the basis of the modern client-server IT architecture. Basically, this is what happens every time you read an online article, check social media, stream a movie, or order food delivery.

As the resources and services provided by servers become more specialized, the types of servers available on the market have become more diverse. To list just a few examples, a cloud computing server may be loaded with powerful CPUs and GPUs to provide high performance computing (HPC) and heterogeneous computing services; a media server may store a vast library of audio and video content and stream them for a wider audience to enjoy; a game server may host multiplayer video games for thousands of players. Clients are usually connected to servers through the internet; however, a secure, private intranet can be used to provide exclusive services for a select group of clients.

Glossary:
《What is Cloud Computing?》
《What is HPC?》
《What is Heterogeneous Computing?》

We’ve mentioned that the request-response model is the basis of the modern client-server IT architecture. Let’s go a little deeper into how it works, and why it’s different from other communication models.

A powerful server supported by excellent optimization choices is capable of responding to requests much more quickly. For example, in the case of the web server, reducing the file size of the website’s multimedia content will help the web page load faster. Optimization improves the availability of services and reduces the risk of the server crashing due to too many incoming requests—as sometimes happens to ticket booking websites, when vacationers swarm online to purchase tickets for the holidays.

Now that we have a basic understanding of what a server is and how it works, let’s look at the different types of servers we use in our daily lives. This is relevant to the next section, where we will talk about how server designs have evolved over time. The logic is simple: as with all things, necessity is the mother of invention, and the way we use servers has a profound influence on how we design them.

How do we use servers? Let us count the ways. Listed alphabetically, here are just ten types of servers we use regularly in the modern digital world:

The way we design servers has been an interesting case of “there and back again”. That is to say, right now we are at a phase where computational resources are becoming more centralized again, just like it was at the beginning. But it has not always been this way. Different kinds of servers have appeared and disappeared over time, mainly due to the technology that was available at the time.

Back in the sixties, when the modern IT architecture was just being established, the mainstream “server” product was the mainframe computer—hulking, heavy computers the size of large refrigerators. Mainframes had better computing power and reliability than just about anything else with a microchip. The client devices used to connect to mainframes were called “dumb terminals”; those were computers with such a limited amount of processing power and features, they were little more than a monitor attached to a mouse and keyboard. All the computing was done on the mainframe, because that’s where all the computational resources were.

This began to change as manufacturing methods improved and Moore’s Law became the rule of thumb. Suddenly, it was possible to put more computing power on smaller chips at a lower price. In server history, this was the mass distribution phase, when basically any high-end personal computer could function as a server. Mainframes still existed—in fact, they exist to this day—but dumb terminals were no longer a necessity. If you owned a computer, you possessed enough processing power to handle just about any task you threw at it.

The mass distribution model was not without its flaws, of course. Upkeep of each individual computer was high, and a lot of processing power ended up being wasted on under-used client devices. However, processors were so cheap and powerful, this trend continued for quite some time. You may have heard it before, but it’s worth repeating: the computing power on your smartphone is leaps and bounds ahead of the NASA computers that helped astronauts land on the Moon. The mobile devices we mainly use for selfies could have been used as servers, not so long ago.

A number of changes has brought computational resources back to a centralized location. For one thing, advances in manufacturing methods cannot be expected to continue indefinitely. There are already signs Moore’s Law may soon cease to apply. This means computational tasks will eventually outpace the capability of client devices. The second reason is that improvements in information and communications technology, such as the advent of 5G communications, have made it possible for clients to connect seamlessly with powerful servers. Last but not least, the standardization of server designs means that machines owned by different companies can be housed together in a colocation (“colo”) center, such as a massive data center, to further reduce costs and enhance security. It makes sense, then, for servers to return to one central location—taking us back to where we started.

Learn More:
《Glossary: What is 5G?》

GIGABYTE’s forte is specialized rack-mounted servers that represent the pinnacle of server technology. They are widely recognized for three key attributes that we may call the “3 S’s of Server Solutions”:
 
Specialization –
From the selection of individual components to the composition of said components inside the chassis, GIGABYTE servers are designed from the get-go to be the best at what they do. There is a wide range of products suitable for different tasks, including H-Series for high-density computing, G-Series for GPU-related computing, S-Series for storage, E-Series for edge computing, and R-Series for general use. If you have an application in mind but don’t know which servers are best for you, you can contact a GIGABYTE sales representative at marketing@gigacomputing.com for consultation.

Scalability –
As client requests grow in number and complexity, servers have to keep up in terms of capacity and ability—that’s what it means to be scalable. Fortunately, GIGABYTE servers are endowed with the flexibility to scale up or out as needed. There’s room for adding more resources, such as processors, memory, and storage. There’s also the option of linking with other nodes or servers to form a server farm or computing cluster to accommodate the ever-increasing workload.

Glossary:
《What is Scalability?》
《What is Server Farm?》
《What is Computing Cluster?》

Processors –
If the server’s heart is the motherboard, then the processors must be the brain. There are two common types of processors—CPU (central processing unit) and GPU (graphics processing unit).

Every server needs a CPU to function. The mainstream options are Intel® Xeon® Scalable, AMD EPYC™, and the new Ampere® Altra® processors based on the ARM architecture. Clients usually select CPUs based on their core and thread count, scalability, compatibility with legacy equipment, power usage, etc. Virtual servers, which may be the next stage in the evolution of servers, also rely heavily on powerful CPUs capable of running multiple virtual machines simultaneously.

Learn More:
《GIGABYTE’s Complete List of Intel® Xeon® Scalable Servers》
《GIGABYTE’s Complete List of AMD EPYC™ Servers》
《GIGABYTE’s Complete List of Ampere® Altra® Servers》

GPUs are sometimes added to supplement CPUs, especially if the server routinely handles compute-intensive tasks. For instance, the development of AI through deep learning and machine learning can benefit greatly from powerful general-purpose GPUs (GPGPUs), such as NVIDIA® A100 Tensor Core GPUs. GIGABYTE’s G-Series GPU Servers are designed to support multiple GPU accelerators, making them the ideal products for workloads involving HPC, parallel computing, or heterogeneous computing.

Glossary:
《What is Deep Learning?》
《What is Machine Learning?》

Memory –
Our modern world is floating atop a veritable sea of data, but even the most advanced processors can only handle a chunk at a time. That data is temporarily kept in the server’s memory, more accurately called RAM (random access memory). DIMM slots are used to connect the memory modules to the motherboard. GIGABYTE servers use the latest RDIMM/LRDIMM DDR4 for better performance and lower power requirements.《Glossary: What is DIMM?》

Storage –
All of the server’s data is kept in the storage device, which are usually hot-swappable hard drives or solid state drives. Many GIGABYTE servers support the groundbreaking NVMe interface, which can unlock the full potential of solid state drives by offering read/write speeds many times faster than the conventional SATA interface.《Glossary: What is NVMe?》

I/O Ports –
A server can be connected to other devices through its I/O (input/output) ports, which are located at the front and back ends of the server. The most important I/O port is the LAN port, which links the server to the local area network (LAN). On some of GIGABYTE’s most advanced server solutions, the data transfer rate is a blazing-fast 10Gb/s. On some GIGABYTE servers, the location of the I/O ports is adjusted to accommodate special user scenarios. For example, E-Series Edge Servers place I/O ports at the front of the chassis for easier access and maintenance in confined spaces.

Glossary:
《What is LAN Port?》
《What is LAN?》

Power Supply –
How much power a server uses depends on the requirements of its components. Redundant power supply is usually installed to ensure availability. A voluntary certification program called 80 PLUS offers different levels of certification based on the energy efficiency of a server’s power supply.

Temperature Control –
Keeping the server’s temperature under control is key to providing excellent performance and stable operations. In a standard air-cooled server, an array of fans is installed inside the chassis to facilitate airflow. As mentioned earlier in this Tech Guide, innovative methods such as liquid cooling and even immersion cooling are catching on. How you choose the most suitable cooling solution ultimately depends on your energy consumption forecast, the availability of space and other resources, as well as the infrastructure of the facility where you house your servers.

We hope this Tech Guide has been able to explain what a server is, what role they play in our modern age of digital information, and how GIGABYTE can help if you’re planning on purchasing your own. Thank you for reading, and please feel free to contact our sales representatives at marketing@gigacomputing.com for consultation.