Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
SmallBusinessServer).Peer-to-peernetworksaremorecommoninsmallofficesorwith-
in a single department of a larger organization. The advantage of a peer-to-peer network
is that you don't have to dedicate a computer to function as a file server. Instead, every
computer can share its resources with any other. The potential disadvantages to a peer-to-
peer network are that typically less security and less control exist because users normally
administer their own systems, whereas client/server networks have the advantage of cent-
ralized administration.
Note that the actual networking hardware (interface cards, cables, and so on) is the same
in client/server versus peer-to-peer networks, it is only the logical organization, manage-
ment and control of the network that varies.
Comparing Client/Server and Peer-to-Peer Networks
Client/serverLANsofferenhancedsecurityforsharedresources,greaterperformance, in-
creased backup efficiency for network-based data, and the potential for the use of redund-
ant power supplies and RAID drive arrays. Client/server LANs also are more expensive
to purchase and maintain.
Table 17.1
compares client/server and peer-to-peer server net-
working.
Table 17.1 Comparing Client/Server and Peer-to-Peer Networking
