Difference between Workstation and Server.
A workstation is a computer which is used to access LAN or Internet to get access to documents or perform a task, whereas a server is a software which responds to services requested by a client.
Read through this article to know more about workstations and servers and how they are different from each other.
What is a Server?
A server is a computer, a device, or a program entirely responsible for managing network resources. Servers are called so because they provide the functionality to a «client,» another computer, device, or application.
- In theory, computers are considered servers when they share resources with client machines.
- Servers are sometimes considered to be committed because they rarely do anything else but serve.
- A server’s job is to handle network resources, including hosting websites, delivering data, sending and receiving emails, limiting access, and so on.
- All other network PCs can access the server’s capabilities and services since it is connected to a switch or router (browsing websites, checking emails, communicating with other users, etc.).
What is a Workstation?
A workstation is a computer dedicated to a single user or a group working on a business or professional project. It has one or more high-resolution monitors and a quicker processor than a personal computer.
- A workstation has a higher multitasking capability because of the more significant random-access memory, drives, and drive capacity.
- A workstation may also have faster graphics adapters and additional peripherals linked to it.
- A PC or mainframe terminal on a local area network is also referred to as a workstation. One or more large client computers and network servers may share network resources with these workstations.
- Workstations are often designed to handle extensive data manipulation and visualization. Examples are image rendering and editing, computer-aided design (CAD), animations, and mathematical graphs.
- Workstations were the first to introduce collaboration tools as well as innovative accessories and improvements. 3D mouse, multiple screens, and high-performance/capacity data storage devices are among them.
Workstation characteristics were eventually incorporated by mainstream PCs, resulting in the workstation market segment’s demise. In addition, the price difference between lower-cost workstations and higher-cost PCs has narrowed.
Difference between Workstation and Server
The following table highlights the major differences between a Workstation and a Server −
| Key | Workstation | Server |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | A workstation is a computer that is used to perform required tasks and to access Internet or LAN. | A server is a software which provides Services when requested by workstations. |
| Operations | Operations on workstations are like Business process, engineering, etc. | Server operations are mostly network or Internet based. |
| Example | FTP Server, Web Server. | Kiosks, Video workstations, Audio workstations. |
| Operating System | Unix, Linux, or Windows NT are the operating systems used in workstations. | Linux, Solaris server, and Windows are the operating systems used in servers. |
| GUI | Graphics User Interface (GUI) is installed on the workstation. | GUI is an optional feature on a Server. |
Conclusion
Workstations are designed to be used by one person at a time, however they can also be accessed by remote users, if necessary. Servers, on the other hand, are designed to serve multiple clients at the same time.
Ctrl . blog
Obviously, Fedora Workstation is intended for use on workstations and Fedora Server Edition is intended for servers. However, what exactly are the differences between the two editions?
Fedora Workstation and Server Edition are shipped with slightly different defaults. The primary differences are found in the default storage media partitioning and the selection of programs and packages that are installed by default.
Default partitioning
Fedora Workstation and Server Edition will create a 1 GiB Ext4-formatted /boot partition, plus an UEFI partition if needed. Both editions will also create a swap partition (storage-backed memory) based on the available system memory.
Fedora Server Edition creates an XFS-formatted / root partition up to 50 GiB in size. Fedora Workstation does the same, but uses the Ext4 file system for its root instead of XFS.
Fedora Workstation will create an additional Ext4-formatted /home partition out of the remaining disk sizes assuming the disk has at least 51 + swap GiB available.
Fedora Workstation defers the file system selection for all partitions to the default of the blivet partitioning tool. Server Edition explicitly overrides the default and sets XFS as the root file system.
Configuration
There are some services that are configured differently between the two editions. Most notably is the differences in the default firewall configurations.
Fedora Workstation will reject any incoming TCP / UDP connection below port 1024 (privileged ports) except to ports TCP /22 ( SSH ), UDP /137+138 (Samba), and UDP /546 (DHCPv6 client); but otherwise allow TCP and UDP connections.
Fedora Server Edition will reject any incoming TCP / UDP connection except to ports TCP /22 ( SSH ), UDP /546 (DHCPv6 client), and TCP /9090 (Cockpit).
Default packages
The most significant difference between the two editions is, of course, the selection of default packages. Fedora Server Edition installer will install the server-product-environment package group by default, and Fedora Workstation will install the workstation-product-environment group. The Server installer or any network-installer image will let users select from more groups and customize their installations.
The following overview shows packages that are unique to the defaults of each edition. Packages that are installed in both editions have been excluded to highlight the differences:
Fedora Server Edition
- cockpit
- cockpit-bridge
- cockpit-networkmanager
- cockpit-packagekit
- cockpit-shell
- cockpit-storaged
- cockpit-ws
- coolkey
- ed
- fedora-release-notes
- fedora-release-server
- irqbalance
- nano
- NetworkManager-team
- rolekit
- rsyslog
- smartmontools
- sscg
- util-linux-user
Fedora Workstation
- aajohan-comfortaa-fonts
- abattis-cantarell-fonts
- abrt-desktop
- abrt-java-connector
- adobe-source-han-sans-cn-fonts
- adobe-source-han-sans-tw-fonts
- adobe-source-han-serif-cn-fonts
- adobe-source-han-serif-tw-fonts
- adwaita-qt4
- adwaita-qt5
- alsa-plugins-pulseaudio
- alsa-ucm
- alsa-utils
- at-spi2-atk
- at-spi2-core
- avahi
- baobab
- bluez-cups
- caribou
- caribou-gtk2-module
- caribou-gtk3-module
- cheese
- colord
- control-center
- cups
- cups-filters
- cups-pk-helper
- dconf
- dejavu-sans-fonts
- dejavu-sans-mono-fonts
- dejavu-serif-fonts
- desktop-backgrounds-gnome
- eog
- evince
- evince-djvu
- evince-nautilus
- evolution
- evolution-ews
- evolution-help
- fedora-bookmarks
- fedora-productimg-workstation
- fedora-release-workstation
- fedora-user-agent-chrome
- fedora-workstation-backgrounds
- file-roller
- file-roller-nautilus
- firefox
- foomatic
- foomatic-db-ppds
- fros-gnome
- gdm
- gedit
- ghostscript
- git
- glib-networking
- glibc-all-langpacks
- glx-utils
- gnome-backgrounds
- gnome-bluetooth
- gnome-boxes
- gnome-calculator
- gnome-calendar
- gnome-characters
- gnome-classic-session
- gnome-clocks
- gnome-color-manager
- gnome-contacts
- gnome-disk-utility
- gnome-documents
- gnome-font-viewer
- gnome-getting-started-docs
- gnome-initial-setup
- gnome-logs
- gnome-maps
- gnome-screenshot
- gnome-session-wayland-session
- gnome-session-xsession
- gnome-settings-daemon
- gnome-shell
- gnome-shell-extension-background-logo
- gnome-software
- gnome-system-monitor
- gnome-terminal
- gnome-terminal-nautilus
- gnome-themes-standard
- gnome-todo
- gnome-user-docs
- gnome-user-share
- gnome-weather
- gnu-free-mono-fonts
- gnu-free-sans-fonts
- gnu-free-serif-fonts
- google-noto-emoji-fonts
- google-noto-sans-lisu-fonts
- google-noto-sans-mandaic-fonts
- google-noto-sans-meetei-mayek-fonts
- google-noto-sans-sinhala-fonts
- google-noto-sans-tagalog-fonts
- google-noto-sans-tai-tham-fonts
- google-noto-sans-tai-viet-fonts
- gstreamer1-plugins-bad-free
- gstreamer1-plugins-good
- gstreamer1-plugins-ugly-free
- gutenprint
- gutenprint-cups
- gvfs-afc
- gvfs-afp
- gvfs-archive
- gvfs-fuse
- gvfs-goa
- gvfs-gphoto2
- gvfs-mtp
- gvfs-smb
- hplip
- hyperv-daemons
- ibus-gtk2
- ibus-gtk3
- ibus-hangul
- ibus-kkc
- ibus-libpinyin
- ibus-libzhuyin
- ibus-m17n
- ibus-qt
- ibus-rawcode
- ibus-typing-booster
- jomolhari-fonts
- julietaula-montserrat-fonts
- khmeros-base-fonts
- libcanberra-gtk2
- libcanberra-gtk3
- liberation-mono-fonts
- liberation-sans-fonts
- liberation-serif-fonts
- libproxy-mozjs
- libreoffice-calc
- libreoffice-emailmerge
- libreoffice-graphicfilter
- libreoffice-impress
- libreoffice-math
- libreoffice-writer
- librsvg2
- libsane-hpaio
- lohit-assamese-fonts
- lohit-bengali-fonts
- lohit-devanagari-fonts
- lohit-gujarati-fonts
- lohit-gurmukhi-fonts
- lohit-kannada-fonts
- lohit-odia-fonts
- lohit-tamil-fonts
- lohit-telugu-fonts
- lrzsz
- mesa-dri-drivers
- ModemManager
- mousetweaks
- mpage
- nautilus
- nautilus-sendto
- naver-nanum-gothic-fonts
- NetworkManager-adsl
- NetworkManager-openconnect-gnome
- NetworkManager-openvpn-gnome
- NetworkManager-pptp-gnome
- NetworkManager-ssh-gnome
- NetworkManager-vpnc-gnome
- nss-mdns
- open-vm-tools-desktop
- orca
- PackageKit-command-not-found
- PackageKit-gstreamer-plugin
- PackageKit-gtk3-module
- paktype-naskh-basic-fonts
- paps
- paratype-pt-sans-fonts
- pinentry-gnome3
- plymouth-system-theme
- ppp
- pulseaudio
- pulseaudio-module-x11
- pulseaudio-utils
- qemu-guest-agent
- qgnomeplatform
- qt
- qt-settings
- qt-x11
- qt5-qtbase
- qt5-qtbase-gui
- qt5-qtdeclarative
- qt5-qtxmlpatterns
- rdist
- rhythmbox
- rp-pppoe
- rygel
- samba-client
- sane-backends-drivers-scanners
- scl-utils
- setroubleshoot
- shotwell
- sil-abyssinica-fonts
- sil-mingzat-fonts
- sil-nuosu-fonts
- sil-padauk-fonts
- simple-scan
- smc-meera-fonts
- spice-vdagent
- stix-fonts
- sushi
- system-config-printer-udev
- tabish-eeyek-fonts
- thai-scalable-waree-fonts
- totem
- totem-nautilus
- tracker
- tracker-miners
- unoconv
- vlgothic-fonts
- wvdial
- xdg-desktop-portal
- xdg-desktop-portal-gtk
- xdg-user-dirs-gtk
- xorg-x11-drv-armsoc
- xorg-x11-drv-ati
- xorg-x11-drv-evdev
- xorg-x11-drv-fbdev
- xorg-x11-drv-intel
- xorg-x11-drv-libinput
- xorg-x11-drv-nouveau
- xorg-x11-drv-omap
- xorg-x11-drv-openchrome
- xorg-x11-drv-qxl
- xorg-x11-drv-vesa
- xorg-x11-drv-vmware
- xorg-x11-drv-wacom
- xorg-x11-server-Xorg
- xorg-x11-utils
- xorg-x11-xauth
- xorg-x11-xinit
- yelp
Unsurprisingly, Fedora Workstation installs GNOME and a complete desktop environment whereas Server Edition installs a base-system and headless management tools such as the Cockpit server administration web interface.
There isn’t much going on here beyond what you’d expect to see. However, I’d like to see the remarkably useful Cockpit administration dashboard installed by default on Workstation edition as well.
This comparison was done with Fedora Linux 27.
Sources
- installclass.py , commit 40fc2d9f48, 2018-01-16 , Anaconda repository, Red Hat installer project, GitHub
- installclasses/fedora_server.py , commit 8dfd840f72, 2018-01-10 , Anaconda repository, Red Hat installer project, GitHub
- installclasses/fedora_workstation.py , commit 8dfd840f72, 2018-01-10 , Anaconda repository, Red Hat installer project, GitHub
- comps-f27.xml.in , commit 2b71d398c4, 2018-01-02 , fedora-comps repository, Pagure
- storage/partspec.py , commit 24fd015764, 2017-10-25 , Anaconda repository, Red Hat installer project, GitHub
- installclasses/fedora.py , commit e2c9b82afb, 2017-08-01 , Anaconda repository, Red Hat installer project, GitHub
- Anaconda , revision 495124, 2017-06-20 , Fedora Project wiki
- FedoraServer.xml , commit 3bcc74d626, 2014-07-08 , Thomas Woerner, rpms/firewalld.git, Fedora Project
- FedoraWorkstation.xml , commit 3bcc74d626, 2014-07-08 , Thomas Woerner, rpms/firewalld.git, Fedora Project