Introduction of Specialized Servers

Originally, mainframe computers ran the gamut of operational tasks for any given organization, playing the nonspecific role of Jack-of-all-tasks. Like the hub of a wheel, a mainframe computer operated with dumb terminals acting as spokes (and users as the rim, to carry the analogy to its ultimate conclusion). As technological advancement progressed, operations saw improvements to the functional roles and functionality of existing mainframe designs. Specialization became a key design concept, with each monolithic mainframe built to deliver an even more narrowly defined and modular set of features and attributes.

On the other end of the spectrum, the workplace witnessed a profound proliferation of what came to be known as "departmental servers," as centralized functions and resources migrated closer to the individual workgroups responsible for specific organizational functions and the tasks related to their successful delivery. Because they serviced smaller groups of users who worked in smaller organizational units, these servers were perforce much smaller and less powerful than mainframes or minicomputers, but they were also much, much cheaper and therefore better suited to departmental budgets, staffing, and information processing needs. This decentralization of still somewhat centralized resources is arguably the prime impetus for network servers and all their attendant software, hardware, and peripherals as we know them today.