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CompTIA Tech+ 5.1 CompTIA Tech+ 5.3 CompTIA A+ Core 1 2.4
InteractiveComputeFree

File Server or Database Server?

Sharing files and folders, or holding data to query and relate? Pick the server for each need.

⚑ Complete this interactive to capture a CTF flag worth 5 points.

About this interactive

The lesson compares the two: - A file server shares files and folders: documents, spreadsheets, images, PDFs, installers. People open the files. - A database server holds data, not files to open. Machines and apps connect to it to get the data, to query it and compile reports, and to relate data from different tables, such as customers and what they bought. Its data is structured: tables of records, one record per row. Commands such as SQL put data in and pull it out. - In the lesson's web example, several web servers all use the same database server on the back end, so it does not matter which web server a client reaches. A spreadsheet saved as a file and opened from a folder is a file server's job, even when it holds a list. Data stored as records for apps and queries to use is a database server's.

What you'll learn

Aligned to

CompTIA Tech+
5.1 Explain database concepts and the purpose of a database.
5.3 Summarize methods used to interface with databases.
CompTIA A+ Core 1
2.4 Summarize services provided by networked hosts.

Key terms

File Server
A dedicated computer on a network whose primary purpose is to store and manage shared files and folders for access by other networked devices.
Database Server
A server that hosts one or more databases, manages stored data, and provides access to that data for other machines or applications on a network.
Query
A command submitted to a database server to retrieve, filter, or manipulate stored data.
Relational Database
A database structure that organizes data into interconnected tables whose records share defined relationships with one another.
Web Server
A server that hosts and delivers website content to clients in response to browser requests.

Topics

Database Server File Server Database Query Relational Database Interactive Streak Sort

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