Table of Contents
    • Some computers are capable of catering to the needs of multiple users at the same time
    • The Computers meant to be used by multiple people at a time are commonly employed by business and educational institutions such as colleges or universities and are usually present at the core of organization’s network.
    • Normally every person interacts with the system using his/her device liberating the other users from taking turns at the same keyboard and monitor
    • can handle thousands of individual userdused from a great distance.
    • Computers meant for organizations could perform specific tasks or maybe more general purpose capable of performing a wide array of tasks.

    Classification of computers used in organizations:

    The computers meant to be used in an organization may be classified follows:

    • Network Servers
    • Mainframe Computers
    • Minicomputers
    • Supercomputers

    Network Servers

    • A primary computer in a network
    • Individual computers connect in a network
    • Centralized computer that contains special-purpose software and apparatus.
    • Desktop users such as in a computer lab are permanently connected to a network server.
    • Users of mobile computers such as a notebook computer can rely on the network means to connect to network server.
    • Different types of servers to resources such as printing, file access, database management.
    • Often a powerful desktop computer can also be a server.
    • large organizations may have hundreds of servers working together at the heart of their network.

    Server Farms

    • When several servers are arranged in groups they don’t even resemble a common PC.
    • A collection of servers is referred to as “server farms” or “clusters
    • We may have “rack servers” or “blade servers

    Rack Servers

    • Rack servers refer to the group of servers mounted in large racks.

    Blade Servers

    • Servers reduced to small that may be slid in and out of case.

    Terminal

    • A terminal is an I/O device that allows you to communicate with a computer that is located somewhere else.
    • Usually contains a keyboard as well as a display screen such as a monitor.

    Classification of Terminals

    • Dumb Terminal
    • Intelligent Terminal

    Dumb Terminal

    A Dumb Terminal does not process or store data. It is simply an input-output device as a window into a computer located somewhere else.

    Intelligent Terminal

    Contains few processing capabilities but usually doesn’t have any storage.

    Mainframe Computers

    • Used in large organisations such as insurance companies and the aviation sector where frequent access to the same data is required.
    • May handle thousands of users at a time.
    • Users may access a mainframe computer using a terminal or a standard PC.
    • Through extremely powerful they are not flexible as they perform a specific set of tasks.
    • If ever book a seat on the airline’s website you must carry out a transaction with the main computer.
    • Mainframes are normally housed in special rooms so that they keep out of the reach of users

    MINICOMPUTERS

    • Minicomputers were initially released in the 1960s and their size was comparably smaller than computers of that time hence they were named microcomputers
    • Often called midrange computers as their power lies somewhere in the middle of the desktop PC and mainframe.
    • May meet the processing needs of small organization action.
    • Although meant for a single user, a powerful mini-computer cater to the needs of thousands of users simultaneously.
    • Use may use a terminal or a standard PC to access a centralised computer.

    Super Computers

    • Among all computers, supercomputers are the most powerful and are also some of the largest in terms of size.
    • Handle large and complex calculations.
    • Capable of performance trillions of calculations per second.
    • Some supercomputers may contain thousands of processors.
    • Supercomputers are common in academic and research environments. Few government agencies and very large businesses use them as well.
    • Supercomputers are ideal for handling large and highly complex problems that require extreme calculating power.
    • Their enormous processing power makes them suitable for solving complex problems that demand massive computation capacity.

    Uses of supercomputers

    • Genetic Engineering
    • Weather Forecasting
    • Nuclear Reactors
    • Predicting climate change.
    • Oil and gas exploration

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