The basics of server hardware are not really that different than those of a normal PC. The difference is that server computers are built with much higher grade materials than the materials that are used to put together a PC. Basically, a server is just a computer that has been programmed to do different things than a normal computer and therefore has different requirements than a normal PC. A server can either be hardware or software and is usually used for a long period of time. For example, a server may be turned on and left on for a week or even a year or longer.
A server is meant to handle a heavy workload and is set aside from a normal computer to run specific apps meant for PC computers. You could say …show more content…
Someone, somewhere, and probably rightfully so was going to ask how the earth could keep up with growing servers, infrastructures, and power supplies. Eventually there would have to be an answer and it looks as if servers may be in the green after all.
The biggest environmental issues with server hardware have to do with the fact that servers must be kept in a cooled environment in order not to overheat. Building these data closets and centers is extremely expensive because of the cooling systems involved, and in return, not very friendly to the environment because of the amount of natural resources that are consumed to run the cooling systems. The challenge for big companies like Yahoo, Google, Facebook and others is to find ways to continue to expand their servers while not negatively damaging the environment.
Yahoo is one such company that has been under scrutiny since 1997 to reduce their intake of natural resources. After much research, the company concluded that the largest area of consumption was their server hardware and that is where they could make …show more content…
Not surprisingly, the most expensive decisions are often left until the last moment. One of these extremely expensive decisions is whether or not to replace your server hardware for your company, or move to the cloud.
There are advantages and disadvantages to each scenario. New server hardware is expensive, very expensive, and it is expensive to run, and it will, just like the server hardware in place now, need to be replaced. This is a huge investment for a company and even more complicated in an economy that could turn any direction any day. Keeping, replacing or fixing your existing server hardware is sometimes necessary. Also, with your own hardware, your company has complete control over the security of the information that is stored there.
However, as technology advances, large companies such as Google that offer cloud computing are also offering encrypted data services. Is this something most companies trust and feel comfortable with? The idea is certainly being