Networks, however, are not complete with just clients and servers. A typical network also includes peripherals, media, and data.
peripheral A device that is connected to a computer and is controlled by its microprocessor.
media Physical pieces of equipment used to transport data from one computer to another computer or peripheral device on the network. (p. 38)
data Distinct pieces of information, such as files or entries in a database.
There are different types of servers, particularly dedicated servers.
file servers
print servers
application servers
mail servers
communication servers
directory services servers
backup servers
Many backup servers use a technique called “mirroring” to protect data. Mirroring employs an array of hard drives, called Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID).
Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) An array of hard drives that mirror or duplicate other drives. Should the primary hard drive fail, the second drive can be substituted for the failed drive with little or no down time.
Networks can be classified according to how servers and clients are configured, or put together. They can also be categorized by the geographic area they cover.