Webopedia Term of the Day: What is Server Appliance?

“Also called an appliance server, a specialized server that is
designed for ease of installation and maintenance. Server
appliances have their hardware and software bundled in the product,
so all applications are pre-installed. The appliance is plugged
into an existing network and can begin working almost immediately,
with little configuration. It is designed to run with little or no
support.

“Server appliances provide Internet sharing, FTP services,
e-mail, VPN connections, firewall services, print and file serving
and also operates as a Web server. Access to the server appliance
is through a Web browser.

“A server appliance can be integrated into existing networks in
small enterprises or homes. It is not practical for large
enterprises to utilize server appliances. “

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