Networking Devices and Server Types: A Technical Report for IT Team

This report, prepared for Bedford College's IT team, provides a comprehensive overview of networking principles, devices, and server types. It begins by discussing the operating principles of various network devices such as routers, switches, and wireless access points, as well as different server types including web servers, file servers, and database servers. The report further explores workstation hardware components like NICs, cabling, memory, and processors, and their interdependence with networking software, including client and server operating systems, routing tables, and firewalls. The final section delves into various server systems such as cloud, cluster, centralized, virtualized, and peer-to-peer systems, offering insights into their functionalities and applications. The report aims to equip IT staff with the knowledge needed to share duties and effectively cover other staff, aligning with the college's initiative for collaborative IT operations.

Running head: NETWORKING
NETWORKING
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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Table of Contents
Section 1..........................................................................................................................................2
List of Network Devices..............................................................................................................2
List of Server...............................................................................................................................3
Section 2..........................................................................................................................................4
Workstation Hardware.................................................................................................................4
Networking Software...................................................................................................................5
Section 3..........................................................................................................................................6
List of Server Systems.................................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................9

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Section 1
List of Network Devices
1. Router: This is networking device which forwards data packets among the computer
networks. Routers perform functions of traffic directing over web. Data sent by using
Internet like email, is in data packets’ form. The packet is forwarded typically from a
router to other router by networks which constitute internetwork till this reaches
destination mode. Connection is made of router to many data lines from several IP
networks (Prakash, Krishnaraj and Sheikh-Ahmad 2019). When there is data packet
within any of lines, the information on network address within packet header is read by
the router for determining ultimate destination. By using this information within routing
table, the packet is directed to next network over the journey.
2. Switch: It is networking hardware which connects the devices over computer network
through using the packets switching for forwarding and receiving data to destination
device. It is multiport network bridge which uses addresses of MAC for forwarding data
are OSI model’s data link layer. Few switches could forward data also at network layer
through incorporating the routing functionality. These switches are termed as switches of
layer-3 or multilayer switches.
3. Wireless Access Point: It is networking device which allows others devices of Wi-Fi for
connecting to wired network. Router is connected with AP through wired network as
standalone device (Li et al. 2019). However, it could be router’s integral component
itself. AP could be differentiated from hotspot that is physical address where access of
Wi-Fi to WLAN could be available.

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List of Server
1. Web Server: This is a server hardware or software that is dedicated to run said software
which could satisfy World Wide Web. It could contain several websites. Incoming
requests of network are processed by it over HTTP along with other protocols (Ramírez
et al. 2016). Web server’s major function is delivering, storing and processing web pages
for the clients.
2. File Server: It is computer which is attached with network which provides location of
shared disk access, which is accessed through workstations which are able in reaching
computer which shares access by computer network. Server highlights machine’s role
within traditional server-client scheme, where clients are workstations by using storage.
The programs are not run or perform the computational tasks of client workstations. They
are found normally in offices and schools, where local area network is used for
connecting to computers of the client.
3. Database Server: It is server that uses database application which provides services of
database to all other programs and is known as server-client model. Functionalities of
database server are provided by database management systems and few database
management systems depend of server-client model for access of database (Setiyadi and
Setiawan 2018). Query language is used by maximum database applications.
4. Combination Server: It is a server which fulfills several requirements Several services
such as file, web, database and application are provided by it. Several systems are used
for producing combination server.

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Section 2
Workstation Hardware
1. NIC: Network Interface Controller (NIC) is computer’s hardware component which
connects computer to computer’s network. Advanced features such as DMA and interrupt
are offered by latest network interface controllers to host processors, partitioning several
logical interfaces and support for several transmit and receive queues.
2. Drivers: They are programs which operate specific kind of device which is attached with
computer. It gives software interface within hardware devices that enables the operating
systems as well as other programs of computer for accessing functions of hardware
without needing hardware’s precise details which is used.
3. Cabling and Ports: Port is used as interface among peripheral devices or computers.
Port generally refers to part of computing devices that are available to connect with
peripherals such as output or input devices (Herbert et al. 2017). There is use of cables
for connecting anf transferring data among computers, switches and routers.
4. Memory: Memory reason with the interface components that are combined with
component of long term memory. Long term memory could be written to and read, with
goal to use this for prediction. Memory is models’ new class that is designed for
alleviating issue of learning the long term dependencies within sequential data.
5. Processors: Processors are electronic circuit in computer which executes instructions
which make up the program of computer. Processor performs basic logic, controlling,
input/output and arithmetic operations which are specified by instructions. The form,
implementation and design of processors changed over time. However, fundamental
operation of it remains same.

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6. Input/output Devices: Input/output device is communication among information
processing system like computer and outside world (Kokubun 2016). Input is signal that
is received by system. Output is signal that is sent from device. Input/output device is
hardware that is used by human for communicating with computer. Designation of device
as output or input depends on the perspective.
7. MAC Address: It is unique address which is assigned to the network interface controller
to use as the network address within communications in network segment. There is use of
MAC address in data link layer’s medium access control protocol sub-layer.
8. IP Address: This is numerical address that is assigned to device that is connected with
computer network which uses IP to communicate. Two major functions such as network
interface or location addressing or host identification are served by IP addresses
(Almohri, Watson and Evans 2019). IP address is assigned for each device by the
network administrators for connecting the devices to network.
Networking Software
1. Client Software and Operating Systems: Computer desktop is single processing unit.
Purpose of it is completely automated tasks efficiently and regularly for the people
(Rhodes and Bettany 2016). Client Software and Operating System works in computer
desktops as well as several portable devices. Only single user is supported by this system.
2. Server Software and Operating Systems: This is layer of software on which other
applications could run over server hardware. This helps in enabling and facilitating server
roles like mail server, file server, database server and web server.
3. Router Operating Systems- routing tables and firewalls: Routing tables are data tables
which are stored within network host or router which lists routes to specific network

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destinations. Firewalls are security systems of networking which controls and monitors
outgoing as well as incoming traffic depending on security rules (Mollick et al. 2016).
Firewalls could be categorized as firewalls based on host or network firewalls.
4. Switch Operating Systems- MAC address tables: MAC address tables are used over
the Ethernet switches for determining where the traffic should be forwarded on LAN.
MAC address tables are built as well as used by Ethernet switch for helping traffic move
through path to the destination.
Section 3
List of Server Systems
1. Cloud: Cloud is powerful virtual or physical infrastructure which performs information
and application processing storage. Cloud is created by use of virtualization software for
dividing physical model for storing information and processing workloads. Functions of
virtual server could be accessed by them remotely by online interface (Cura, Perret and
Paparoditis 2017). Infrastructure of cloud could be virtual or physical or mixture of both,
based on the use case.

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2. Cluster: Cluster is computer program which allows the server computers for working
together as computer cluster for providing failover as well as applications’ increased
availability. It is set of tightly or loosely connected computers which work together such
that they could be seen as single system. Each node is set for cluster for performing
similar task, scheduled and controlled by software. Components of cluster are connected
to one another by fast LAN with every node. Same hardware as well as operating system
are used by all nodes of cluster.
3. Centralized: Centralized is computing performed at central location, by using the
terminals which are attached to central computer. Computer itself might control every
peripheral directly or they might be attached through terminal server. If terminals have
capability, they might be able in connecting to central computer within the network.
Terminals might be thin clients or text terminals (Schmidt et al. 2018). Greater security is
offered by it over the decentralized systems as every processing is controlled within
central location.
4. Virtualized: Virtualized server provide mobility’s new level. It could be moved in
migration mode in stopped state. Physical servers might have more than 20 virtual servers
that are running within it. With static and live migrations, virtual machines could be
moved for providing balance of workload. Virtualized server could run several operating
systems completely without every guest knowing other guest is using similar physical
system. It does job to share physical hardware to every guest.
5. Peer to peer: It is distributed application architecture where workloads is partitioned or
tasks among the peers. The peers are equipotent, privileged participants within
application. These are said in forming nodes’ peer to peer network. Peers make

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resources’ portion like network bandwidth, disk storage and processing power available
directly to other participants of the network, without requiring central coordination by
stable hosts or servers (Band et al. 2018). Peers are consumers as well as suppliers of
resources.

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References
Almohri, H.M., Watson, L.T. and Evans, D., 2019. Predictability of IP address allocations for
cloud computing platforms. IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security, 15,
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Mollick, P., Biswas, S., Halder, A. and Salmani, M., 2016. Mikrotik Router Configuration using
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Prakash, R., Krishnaraj, V. and Sheikh-Ahmad, J., 2019. High-speed edge trimming of carbon
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