The main difference between server and database is that server is a computer program or a hardware device that provides services to the connected devices in the network while database is an organized set of related data that can be accessed electronically.
It is essential to consider the organization’s network size, requirements, storage capacity, and the number of users when configuring a server. A server can be a program or a hardware device in the network that operates as a central device in a network while a database is a repository that allows back end data processing.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Server
– Definition, Functionality
2. What is Database
– Definition, Functionality
3. What is the Difference Between Server and Database
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Database, Server
What is a Server
A server is a software program or a hardware device that provides services to the other connected devices in the network. The other devices are called hosts or clients. Further, this kind of architecture is called a client-server model. The server can provide different services to the clients. It can also share resources between multiple clients or perform computations for a client. Moreover, the server is capable of providing services to multiple clients simultaneously. A client can obtain services from multiple servers. It is possible for a server and client to be in the same device or in separate devices. Furthermore, a single machine can contain multiple servers. The client requests for a service and the server responds back with the services. Therefore, it works according to the request-response model.
Types of Servers
There are different types of servers.
Print Server – Connect printers to the clients in the network
Database Server – Contain a database application to provide database functionalities to client applications
Web servers– Provide the required web pages to the clients
File Servers – Provide the required files to the clients
Game Servers – Contain authoritative source of events in a multiplayer video game
Mail servers – Allows sending and receiving emails.
Applications servers– Provide facilities to create web applications
What is a Database
A database is an organized set of related data. It is a difficult task to develop a database for a complex application. Therefore, the developers can design an ER diagram. It provides a visual representation of the database. Afterward, they can implement the real database using DBMS. DBMS stands for Database Management System. It is capable of communicating with the end users, applications and the database. It mainly helps to manage the data stored in databases.
RDBMS stands for Relational Database Management Systems. It is an enhanced version of DBMS. It stores data in tables and tables are connected to each other. Therefore, RDBMS makes data more meaningful. Developers can write queries using Structured Query Language (SQL) to perform operations on the data stored in the databases.
Sometime RDBMS is not effective in storing a large quantity of data (Big data). NoSQL or Non-Relational Databases is an alternative to that issue. The operational database helps to transform data in real time. Furthermore, data centers host cloud databases. Users can access those databases via a service with the cloud host.
Difference Between Server and Database
Definition
A server is a computer program or a device that provides functionality for other programs or devices which are called clients while a database is an organized collection of data, generally stored and accessed electronically from a computer system. Thus, this is the main difference between server and database.
Usage
Their usage is also a major difference between server and database. Server helps to provide services to multiple clients or hosts simultaneously while database helps to store a collection of data.
Examples
Web servers, applications servers, mail servers are some examples of servers. Meanwhile, relational databases, non-relational database, operational databases, and cloud databases are some examples of databases. Hence, this is another difference between server and database.
Conclusion
There is a distinct difference between server and database even though most people use these words interchangeably. The main difference between server and database is that server is a computer program or a hardware device that provides services to the connected devices in the network while database is an organized set of related data that can be accessed electronically.
Reference:
1. “Server (Computing).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Feb. 2019, Available here.
2. “Database.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Feb. 2019, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Database” By Nick Youngson (CC BY-SA 3.0) via The Blue Diamond Gallery
2. “1570918” (CC0) via Pexels
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