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what is a web server (1 Viewer)

xlr9

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Hey. i kno exactly what a web server put i would question the definition given in the heinemann text book. For any one that has time, look up "servers" in the index, go to the page and read the short section under "web server". I have always understood a web server to be a computer that hosts (http) web sites. The text describes it as a computer that "provides a connection to the internet". I'm pretty sure that'n not right. What answer do the board of studies want to see...?? any help / comments would be much appreciated. thanks heaps
 

JRasnier

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web server, the definition about a web server allowing nodes to access the internet through the webserver, is correct, one that hosts a website is a domain server which u could have a webserver and domain server on the same server....but a domain server doesnt necessarily host http websites...domain server allows you to have an address like yahoo.com , ive heard of a http website server, to be called http server before...
 
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Huy

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The BOS want to see the Heinemann definition, as far as I know, as it is in relation to the HSC IPT Course, and of course, it is in line with the syllabus.

The same goes for mail server, file server, and so on.
Accept it, and regurgitate it.

I know that with real-world experiences and implementation, this would differ. For example, in the 2003 CSSA Trial, I wrote something like "domain" as one part of the URL.

They wanted to see "DNS Server" explicitly.
Their definitions of other terms are a bit vague/off, but I would recommend that you agree with the textbook, because it has been written in accordance with the syllabus, (revised).

This is how I look at it:
Let's say that there are 10,000 IPT, HSC students.
If you're 1 in 10,000 who writes "A web server is ... an example would be apache, etc" -- whereas the majority of students seem to answer with:

"a computer in a network that provides a connection to the Internet. All the internet traffic is directed through this server".

You must remember the context of this definition. As it says "...computer in a network that provides a connection to...".

Strictly speaking, you are 'correct', but remembering that you are an IPT student, they (examiners/markers) have an expectation that you will be using IPT terminology and structuring responses from the point of view of an IPT student, sitting for the HSC.

Other definitions can be argued as well, for example Gateway, Router, Switch, and so on. But for IPT, we'll accept it and answer it according to the definitions, the textbook, the syllabus, and in agreement with the HSC Marking grids/guidelines, to which the markers will have to mark against.

Just remember, your answer will not be in the marking criteria, so write what they want to hear!

For your answer, you might be awarded a zero (0).
"Says nothing relevant to the question" or something like that.

I hope that clears it up for you, xlr9 :)
 

fatmuscle

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yeah, whay Huy said

esp about 'Accept it and Regurgitate it'

that's so true.
 

grendel

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I don't think the idea that a webserver providing internet access to computers on a LAN is correct. In fact it doesn't.

A webserver stores and shares web pages.

Definition from webopedia.com

A computer that delivers (serves up) Web pages. Every Web server has an IP address and possibly a domain name. For example, if you enter the URL http://www.pcwebopedia.com/index.html in your browser, this sends a request to the server whose domain name is pcwebopedia.com. The server then fetches the page named index.html and sends it to your browser.

Definition from whatis.com

A Web server is a program that, using the client/server model and the World Wide Web's Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), serves the files that form Web pages to Web users (whose computers contain HTTP clients that forward their requests). Every computer on the Internet that contains a Web site must have a Web server program.

Routers and proxy servers are the interfaces between a LAN and the net.

HSC markers hopefully don't just focus on text book definitions but also focus on the FACTS.
 

xlr9

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yeh thanx so much every1. Grendel as much as i'd love to agree with you (after all you ARE correct!!) i think huy has the right idea here (for exam responses). stupid i kno but yeh thanks for everyone's input.
 

stargater74

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Huy said:
I know that with real-world experiences and implementation, this would differ. For example, in the 2003 CSSA Trial, I wrote something like "domain" as one part of the URL.

They wanted to see "DNS Server" explicitly.


I partly agree with you, but a DNS Server is incorrect. Your ISP would most likely have a DNS Server. A DNS Server is a Domain Name Server, which has a list of Domain Names and IP Addresses. If you want to reach any website, it gets looked up in your ISP's DNS, and if it isn't there it gets looked up at MelbourneIT - the official Australian DNS. This continues until an IP is found for your website, if it can't it returns an error message. So this would make the answer DNS Server as part of the web address incorrect, but as Huy said, the BOS wont accept this, as it is a real world answer
 

Huy

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Originally posted by stargater74
Huy said:
I know that with real-world experiences and implementation, this would differ. For example, in the 2003 CSSA Trial, I wrote something like "domain" as one part of the URL.

They wanted to see "DNS Server" explicitly.
Yep, I got 2/3 for that question. I should have written "DNS Server" ;)

Next time I'll get it right :)
 

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