Server | Definition, Examples, & Facts | Britannica (original) (raw)

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Last Updated: Dec 19, 2024• Article History

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server, network computer, computer program, or device that processes requests from a client (see client-server architecture). On the World Wide Web, for example, a Web server is a computer that uses the HTTP protocol to send Web pages to a client’s computer when the client requests them. On a local area network, a print server manages one or more printers, and prints files sent to it by client computers. Network servers (which manage network traffic) and file servers (which store and retrieve files for clients) are two more examples of servers.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen.