Servers and disk arrays are the network configurations of personal computers. Networks enable multiple computers and their users to share processing power, disk storage, printers and other peripheral devices.
Most of the computers mentioned before can function as a server or as the controller for a disk array. Personal computers are evolving in such a way the differentiation between client and servers are diminishing. A server is usually a high end PC having a lot of memory and several large disks for storage and is dedicated to managing network traffic, storing common programs or data for users across the network, or directing communications via telephonne lines outside the local network.
A disk array is a special kind of server that uses a large portion of its processor power simply to manage I/O for a collection of disk drivers. A regular PC may contain one or two hard drivers with several GBs of storage, whereas a disk array may contain many times more storage space for programs and data.
