Host (network)
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In computer networking, a host or host computer is a computer connected to the Internet, or sometimes other computer networks[1]. A host computer can host information as well as client and/or server software.
Every Internet host has a unique IP address, including a host address part. The host address is assigned either manually by the computer administrator, or automatically at start-up by means of the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).
Every host is a network node (i.e. a network device), but every node is not a host. Network nodes such as modems and network switches are not assigned host addresses, and are not considered as hosts. Devices such as network printers and hardware routers are assigned IP host addresses, but since they are not general-purpose computers, they are sometimes not considered as hosts in the literature.
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[edit] Origin of the concept
Historically the term has also denoted a multi-user computer or software providing services to computer terminals, or a computer that provides services to smaller or less capable devices. [2]
The term host is used in a number of RFCs that defines the Internet and its predecessor ARPANET. The background is that while ARPANET was developed, computers connected to the network were typically main frame computer systems that could be accessed from dumb terminals connected via serial ports. Since the terminals did not reside software, they were not considered as hosts. The terminals were not connected to the network, and were not assigned any IP host address. Part of the picture is also that a vision behind the Internet is that it should facilitate distributed computing, where information as well as client and server software easily can be moved and shared among computers.
[edit] Hosts file
RFC 627 is an example of an early ARPANET standard, where the term hosts file is originally defined. This file is used to define locations of host computers. This is why the file was named hosts, literally a file with a list of hosts.[3]
[edit] Xhost
In the X Window System, Xhost is a software that sends graphical data, sounds, etc, to a graphical terminal software at the user computer. Xhost is an example where the host is considered as client and the terminal as server according to the client-server model, since the host takes initiative to the process-to-process communication session, and the terminal is waiting for this initiative. See also Xbase-clients.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Advertising Glossary Index smartbizconnection.com. Accessed: June 27, 2007.
- ^ [1] Turbolinux.com Glossary. Accessed: April 4, 2008.
- ^ ASCII TEXT FILE OF HOSTNAMES, RFC 627, Mike Kudlick - Jake Feinler, March 25, 1974
