IRC server
An IRC server is a fundamental component in Internet Relay Chat and is a central computer that connects the various chatters with one another. The software used for such purposes is sometimes referred to as an IRC server itself - this article, however, discusses the designation as the IRC server of the associated, physical computer on which such software, an IRC daemon , runs.
Basic functional principle
Chat partners who want to chat via IRC connect with their IRC client to one of the IRC servers of the desired IRC network . The main task of the IRC server is then to mediate the content of the conversation between the chatters connected directly or with other servers in the network, which is implemented with the help of certain software, an IRC daemon .
Server in the network
A message that comes from an IRC client and is directed to a channel is distributed by the server to all other IRC clients participating in the same channel, even if they are not directly connected to the server on which the sending one is Client is located. This means that different users can talk to each other in global channels of an IRC network even if they are connected to different servers in the network without any noticeable difference.
The server software of a server exchanges information with other servers about users, channels and the relevant news content via indirect or direct connections to them. The servers are never connected multiple times to other servers, regardless of whether they are directly or indirectly, so that they are always organized as if in a branching tree.
Small networks often also consist of a single server.
Server types
Within IRC networks, a distinction is made between leaf and hub servers. Leaf servers accept client connections directly and are connected to a maximum of one other server to which they may transfer content. This is then usually a hub server that can be connected to several servers and can meaningfully route the content of the conversation from the various servers to distant target persons .
advantages and disadvantages
One advantage of setting up IRC servers in a network is that if the servers did not exist as a central instance and the clients were instead directly connected to one another, the concept of the channel would be difficult to implement because the central server always knows exactly what who they have to transmit the messages to or to which forwarding server, since the servers exchange information about their users.
In addition, this concept offers the possibility of anonymity for individual chat partners, as they are only directly connected to the respective server and only this server knows their IP address , but not the other chat partners, insofar as the server does not openly pass them on to all chat partners (from the server settings and the IRC server software used ).
A disadvantage of this concept results from the high vulnerability and attractiveness of the central server as targets for denial-of-service attacks, with which communication is quite easily blocked for all chatters on the affected servers.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2810#section-2.1
- ↑ http://www.nonags.com/software.asp?id=2855 ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2810#section-4.2
- ↑ http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2810#section-4.3
- ↑ http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2813#section-2
- ↑ http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1459#section-1.1
- ↑ http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2810#section-3
- ↑ http://www.irc.org/tech_docs/ircnet/INSTALL-4.html#ss4.11
