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I thought this was their main function. deisenbe (talk) 00:20, 12 November 2019 (UTC)[reply]

It seems to me that the article is an uneven mix of hardware and software information at this point. It would be clearer to separate into two articles. Digital27 (talk) 14:51, 18 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]

WRT the current opening: "A server is a computer that provides information to other computers called "clients" on a computer network". It describes an aspect of what server means, but it is less than complete. It misses the point of what server (and client) mean. Yes, a server can be a computer, but it need not be. It can be software. In fact, later, we say "Strictly speaking, the term server refers to a computer program or process (running program)" written as though it's clarifying the original, but IMO it invalidates the opening statement; making the opening statement incorrect.

A computer acting as a server can also act as a client for a different server; making server (and client) not strictly attributes of a particular computer. It is a role that a computer has from a given perspective. And, a computer can have multiple roles. A server is a kind of processing in which a consumer (client) leverages the services of the provider (server). In other words, it's the design of a system that includes clients that makes something a server. It runs on a computer (a host), but is not just the computer (hardware) nor is the server aspect of a machine its only defining attribute.

If I install Microsoft SQL Server on my laptop and use it from an app on the same computer, is my app using a server? yes. Is my laptop a server? kinda, but not not really in the normal use of the term. Yes, if I setup a computer in a data center running MSSQL that is used by various other machines, then yes, that's a server machine. That is a common scenario, but it's a special case. A server is not always and just a computer.

One might claim: MSSQL is (just) the server software; the software that runs on the server. But, one could claim that the computer running MSSQL in the data center is (just) the host on which the server is running. In this scenario (which is representative of the norm), neither the computer nor the software is the server. The server is the combination; the integration. Without a host, server software (i.e. MSSQL) is useless. Without software, a computer serves nothing. ... A server is emergent; resulting from the integration of various technologies. A server is a capability, and a capability can be implemented using various technologies.

There is a source for the opening sentence. But, just bc one can find a source of info on the internet does not make it a good source. This is weakness of WP. We fret over citation, but what if the source is low quality if not wrong?

In computing, a server is a system that provides services for clients. The term can refer to both the software that provides services as well as the computer running that software. Alternatively, such software might be called server software, a server application or a daemon, and such a computer might be called a host.

And, no we can't use computer instead of system. Computer implies more the hardware aspect. We need a term that does not imply hardware over software. We need a term that is neutral in that regard. And this use of host is not Host (network). There is no article for host in this sense. Stevebroshar (talk) 11:55, 8 November 2025 (UTC)[reply]