2.5 – Summarize the properties and purposes of services provided by networked hosts

Question 1

While looking at the details of a server in your provider’s control panel, you notice
that it says “Apache” in the HTTP summary. What kind of server is this?
❍ A. File server
❍ B. Web server
❍ C. E-mail server
❍ D. Authentication server

Answer 1

B. Apache is a type of web server that runs on Linux. It is also known as Apache
HTTP Server. File servers are used to store and transfer files but not websites.
E-mail servers deal with the sending and receiving of electronic mail via POP3,
IMAP, and SMTP. Authentication servers verify the identity of users logging in and
computers on the network.

Question 2

Which type of server acts as a go-between for clients and websites?
 ❍ A. Proxy server
 ❍ B. Print server
 ❍ C. Syslog server
 ❍ D. DHCP server

Answer 2

A. A proxy server is a caching server used to store commonly accessed
websites by clients. It can be incorporated into a web server but often it runs
as a standalone server. A print server manages network printers and their
spooling of print jobs, priorities, and so on. A Syslog server gathers logging
data from network devices and allows for the easy analysis of those logs from
a client workstation. A DHCP server hands out IP addresses (and other TCP/IP
information) to client computers.

Question 3

Which type of server runs Microsoft Exchange?
 ❍ A. File server
 ❍ B. Authentication server
 ❍ C. E-mail server
 ❍ D. Web server
 ❍ E. SCADA

Answer 3

C. Microsoft Exchange is a type of e-mail server software. While you could run
multiple services on a single server—for example, you could run the web server
and e-mail server on the same machine—it isn’t recommended. Unless you have
a small office, all servers (such as file servers, authentication servers, e-mail
servers, DHCP servers, and so on) should be separate entities. SCADA is not a
server—it stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, a type of system
used to control larger organizations’ infrastructures such as heating/cooling,
electricity, and so on.