System information

© Agilent Technologies 2001–2002 Administering Agilent 3070 Systems (MS Windows NT and 2000) 7-10
Chapter 7: Additional Information for Networking
Clients and Servers Network
A network is a group of computers that are connected
and used for sharing resources such as files, software,
and peripheral devices.
Hosts and Nodes
Each computer or device on the network is host (also
known as a node). A host can be a client, server, or both.
In most cases, each host functions as both a client and a
server.
Client
A client is a computer or program that requests the
services of another computer or program.
Server
A server is a centralized computer that manages
requests and controls access to shared network
resources.
Client/Server
In a Client/Server network, a central computer, the
server, manages access to shared network resources.
The computers that connect to the server and request
services are called clients and are considered to be part
of the domain.
The MS Windows Controller as Server
The terms client and server relate to communication
from the computer’s point of view. An example of this is
the use of a personal computer (MS Windows) as an
X-Terminal to communicate with an 3070 controller.
From the user’s point of view, the 3070 is the server and
the MS Windows controller is the client. But from a
networking point of view, the MS Windows controller is
the server because it is running a program called
X-Server. The 3070 requests services from the MS
Windows controller, such as displaying a window or
drawing board graphics. The MS Windows controller
does not request services from the 3070.