Absolutely, let's delve into the concepts of servers, clients, and nodes:
Servers and Clients:
- Network devices like the ones we've discussed exist to enable communication among computers, whether they're nearby or far away.
- These devices are often referred to as nodes in the networking context.
Servers:
- Think of a server as something that supplies data to a requester.
- The entity or device receiving the data is known as a client.
- In simple terms, a server provides information, services, or resources to fulfill the needs of clients.
- Servers can be physical devices, virtual machines, or even specific software applications.
Clients:
- Clients are entities that request or consume data provided by servers.
- They can be computers, devices, or software programs seeking information or services.
- In the context of networking, nodes often play the roles of both servers and clients.
Multitasking Nodes:
- Individual computer programs running on a single node can also act as both servers and clients to each other.
- Most nodes aren't solely servers or clients; they frequently switch roles based on their activities.
- Despite this, in many network configurations, each node predominantly serves as either a server or a client.
Examples:
