file server
A file server is a central server in a network that centrally manages the local file systems. In addition, it makes its files available to all network clients and users with access rights. The file server manages the mass storage devices and is connected to them via high-speed connections such as SCSI, iSCSI or Fibre Channel.
File servers consist of powerful processors and multiple hard disk drives or solid-state drives( SSD) connected to a RAID system. The file server's datasets can be shared by all clients or workgroups that have the appropriate access rights, without having to transfer them to other storage units. In addition, file servers are used for storing programs, access authorization by means of access control list( ACL), data backup and coordination of communication between stations.
The central administration of the files has the advantage that all users work with the same files and these are therefore always current and no temporally shifted copies exist. In addition, the access rights, which are also managed by the file server, can be assigned hierarchically and dedicatedly to the user groups. Also, the creation of backups via the direct connection to a RAID system is less time-consuming, and there is the possibility of fast snapshots.
Functionally, mainframes can also perform file server functions. Here, this function differs from disk servers in the way the data is stored on the mainframe. Here, the data is stored in mainframe format and can be processed or created directly by the mainframe.
In terms of communication, file servers support file transfer using the FTP protocol or the two secured network protocols, the SFTP protocol and the SCP protocol, Secure Copy Protocol (SCP).