A server is a computer program or device that provides a service to another computer program and its user, also known as the client. In a data center context, the physical computer that a server program runs on is also frequently referred to as a server.
Servers are the fundamental unit of compute power. Their management has evolved from manual racking and stacking to API-driven provisioning. The reliability of the digital economy depends on the uptime and performance of these units.
We adhere to the "Cattle, not Pets" philosophy. A server is a commoditized resource, not a unique artifact to be nurtured. If a server misbehaves, we do not fix it; we terminate it and provision a new one. This ensures immutability and eliminates configuration drift.