Summary

10 IT Essentials: PC Harware and Software Companion GuidePeer-to-peer networks still exist inside larger networks today. Even on a large client network,users can still share resources directly with other users without using a network server.In your home, if you have more than one computer, you can set up a peer-to-peer network.You can share files with other computers, send messages between them, and printdocuments to a shared printer.Explain Client/Server NetworksIn a client/server network, shown in Figure 8-6, the client requests information or servicesfrom the server. The server provides the requested information or service to the client.Servers on a client/server network commonly perform some of the processing work forclient machines, such as sorting through a database before delivering only the recordsrequested by the client.Figure 8-6Client/Server NetworkOne example of a client/server network is a corporate environment in which employees usea company e-mail server to send, receive, and store e-mail. The e-mail client on an employeecomputer issues a request to the e-mail server for any unread e-mail. The server respondsby sending the requested e-mail to the client.In a client/server model, the servers are maintained by network administrators. Data backupsand security measures are implemented by the network administrator. The networkadministrator also controls user access to the network resources. All the data on the networkis stored on a centralized file server. Shared printers on the network are managed by a centralizedprint server. Network users with the proper permissions can access both the dataand shared printers. Each user must provide an authorized username and password to gainaccess to network resources that he or she is permitted to use.