I am currently writing a paper about client and server authentication. I am looking for a word that means client AND server. Anyone have any suggestions?
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Host or Node
Need more letters for 15 char
MDMarra
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1Not vaild if you have client and server on same, ehm, host: e.g. mysql, which is frequently accessed by php with libmysqlclient. – Catherine Jun 07 '10 at 23:45
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3@whitequark - Thanks for the downvote, but you're wrong. A host is any computer on a network. It's basic terminology, look it up if you don't believe me. – MDMarra Jun 07 '10 at 23:47
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+1 for node. Re whitequark's "downvote" -- just because he commented negatively does not mean he downvoted. It's perfectly possible he commented negatively, and someone else agreed and downvoted. (It's happened several times to me over on stackoverflow, because I have a policy when flagging incorrect answers: comment, then [unless I get busy doing something else] downvote 10 minutes later if they haven't deleted or fixed it). In fact, there's a guy over on SO who thinks I downvote him regularly. He's right when he doesn't fix things, but mostly, I don't -- because he fixes or deletes. – T.J. Crowder Jun 08 '10 at 00:44
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@whitequark: "Node" is a perfectly correct term for what the OP asked for. A node can be simultaneously a client and server for the same service; it's still a node. – T.J. Crowder Jun 08 '10 at 00:47
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@T.J. - Normally I would agree with you and I don't call out downvoters, but this question had two views when the downvote happened, and we were the only two to answer. I didn't downvote myself ;) – MDMarra Jun 08 '10 at 00:54
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1@MarkM: host, as you said, represents a computer, and so it will be incorrect when you are referring to communication between services. And yes, that downvote was mine, but I could not cancel it, SU says it's too old, sorry. "Node" is ok. – Catherine Jun 08 '10 at 01:02
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@whitequark - The OP didn't ask about services. A host is any computer on a network with an IP address. A node is any device on a network with an IP address, which includes hosts, but also includes printers, networking gear, etc. How is node OK and host is not when they can be used interchangeably to answer the OPs question? – MDMarra Jun 08 '10 at 01:07
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1@MarkM: 1. about the services. a node (or host) can be server and client, but authentication usually occurs between services, not nodes themselves (but often a service is the only service which node offers). 2. yeah, they can, and i'm totally wrong. that was a linguistic error. sorry again, had to check dictionary or something... – Catherine Jun 08 '10 at 01:34
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@MarkM: Ah. :-) I'm used to StackOverflow, where the odds of being one of only two people viewing a question are...very, very low. Still, I'm not sure I'd count on that "viewed" number being perfect, even though you're quite likely to be right. – T.J. Crowder Jun 08 '10 at 07:05
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"Peer" can be used when you're talking about a protocol where all participants (oh hey, "participants") perform both the client and server role. Otherwise, go with the other answers.
Spiff
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1i'm pretty sure peer is valid regardless of which role was being performed by a host. in a more generic (and older) sense, TCP/IP is a peer-to-peer technology. – quack quixote Jun 07 '10 at 23:53
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+1, peer is fine, although generally I think
nodeis a better fit. – T.J. Crowder Jun 08 '10 at 00:48 -
@Crowder: "node" is valid for non-point-to-point communication (like multicast), and "peer", AFAIK, is not. – Catherine Jun 08 '10 at 01:04
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Do you mean the client and server as one unit ("session" maybe or "connection") or as members of a larger group (probably "host" or "device" like @Mike and @Mark said)?
jamesbtate
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