What is a Server?
A server is the heart of every website and application. Understand how it works in 5 minutes.
Client-Server Architecture Overview
The user (Client) sends requests over the Internet to the Server, and the Server responds with data
🤔 What is a Server?
Server A Server is a computer that serves data (Serve) to users. Unlike regular computers:
- Runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
- Serves multiple users simultaneously
- Has high-performance hardware
- Connected to high-speed Internet
- Located in a secure Data Center
🏢 What is a Data Center?
A Data Center is a data center — a special building that houses many servers, designed for:
🔄 How It Works (click to see each step)
Step 1: User types URL
e.g. www.example.com in browser
🗂️ Types of Servers
Web Server
Stores and serves website files (HTML, CSS, JS, images) to browsers, e.g. Apache, Nginx
Database Server
Stores all system data, e.g. user data, products, orders. Uses MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB
File Server
Stores files, images, videos, documents for download/upload, e.g. AWS S3
Mail Server
Manages sending and receiving emails using SMTP, POP3, IMAP protocols, e.g. Gmail Server
Authentication Server
Verifies user identity, manages Login, Token, Session, e.g. OAuth, JWT Server
API Server
Provides API services, sends/receives JSON data between Frontend and Backend, e.g. REST API, GraphQL
☁️ Cloud Server vs Physical Server
☁️ Cloud Server
- Monthly rental, no hardware purchase needed
- Scalable based on usage
- Provider manages the system
- e.g. AWS, Google Cloud, Azure
- Price: ~$5-100+/month
🖥️ Physical Server (On-Premise)
- Buy and install yourself, high privacy
- High initial cost
- Must maintain yourself
- Suitable for large organizations
- Price: ~50,000-500,000+ THB
Need a Server for your system? 🚀
Our team helps design and configure servers tailored to your project