Where does the help desk system live?
The IT help desk logs a fault in a ticket system. The page opens in a browser. But the browser is not where the tickets are kept.
One server runs the ticket program. A second server stores every ticket. A third watches all of them for attacks. Three jobs, three servers.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Client-server network | a network where client devices ask a central server for services |
| Application server | a server that runs a program that many clients use over the network |
| Database server | a server that stores shared data and answers questions about it |
| Database | an organised collection of data that can be searched |
| Security utility | a program that protects data or systems from loss or attack |
| Anti-virus | a security utility that finds and removes malware |
| Malware | software made to cause harm |
| Signature | a known pattern, such as a file name or code, used to spot malware |
| Firewall | a security utility that blocks network traffic the rules do not allow |
| Backend | the part of a system that clients do not see directly |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can say what application, database and security servers do and why each is kept separate.
Starter
Have a go
Starter
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
The application server
An application server runs a program for many people at once. The help desk ticket system is one. So are the college's timetable and its learning portal.
Clients only need a browser. The work is done on the server. A fix or an update is installed once, on the server.
The database server
A database server stores shared data in a database. The application server asks it questions, such as "show all open tickets".
It is the backend. Clients never talk to it directly. Keeping it apart protects the data, and lets the machine be tuned for storage.
Check
Have a go
Check
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.