From the course: Information Management: Document Security

Understanding different server structures

From the course: Information Management: Document Security

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Understanding different server structures

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- [Instructor] Let's start diving into some of the details in your security landscape. The first thing I'd like to look at is how different server structures can have an impact on security in general, and document security in particular. Do you know the difference between client server and peer-to-peer structures? Well, client server structure is probably the most typical in businesses these days. In this model, the client, the PC on the employee's desk, makes a connection to the company's servers to handle centralized tasks, like reading email or accessing stored files. When the request is fulfilled, the connection terminates. In a peer-to-peer system, each individual computer is connected to the others in the system directly without a centralized hub. In fact, each individual computer in the network becomes its own file server. People in the network can search each other's computers, although typically there are restrictions as to which folders are accessible. In business, peer-to-peer networks are usually found only in smaller companies. They're less expensive to set up and maintain, and it's easier for users to share and find information. The challenge is that there's no centralized security for systems. This creates major opportunities for failures. Since there's no central network servers, security has to be handled at the individual computer level. If one computer in the network gets breached, the entire system is at risk, and any patching plus any system backup has to happen at the computer level. Client server networks are much more complex and more expensive to set up, but in terms of security, they're easier to manage since you can apply rules centrally. And it's also possible to apply more complicated and layered rules around access using security groups, which is a topic we'll be exploring more deeply a little later in the course.

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