Hosting, types of servers available to meet client needs.

Servers are often categorized in terms of their purpose. A Web server, for example, is a computer program that serves requested HTML pages or files. The program that is requesting web content is called a client. For example, a Web browser is a client that requests HTML files from Web servers.

Here are a few other types of servers, among a great number of other possibilities:

An application server is a program in a computer in a distributed network that provides the business logic for an application program.

A proxy server is a software that acts as an intermediary between an endpoint device, such as a computer, and another server from which a user or client is requesting a service.

A mail server is an application that receives an incoming e-mail from local users (people within the same domain) and remote senders and forwards outgoing e-mail for delivery.

A virtual server is a program running on a shared server that is configured in such a way that it seems to each user that they have complete control of a server.

A blade server is a server chassis housing multiple thin, modular electronic circuit boards, known as server blades. Each blade is a server in its own right, often dedicated to a single application.

A file server is a computer responsible for the central storage and management of data files so that other computers on the same network can access them.

A policy server is a security component of a policy-based network that provides authorization services and facilitates tracking and control of files.