HP Intelligent Management Center Standard Software Platform - Manual (Page 699)

Do not confuse server applications with network server computers. Both are
often referred to as servers. However, a server application resides on a
network server, taking advantage of the hardware and operating system
capabilities of the server machine, while a network server is a physical
machine to which network clients are connected by cables or some other
connection device.
SQL DBMS
An SQL Database Management System is a common example of a
client/server software package. A standard SQL DBMS will include an SQL
server application that handles all the actual work of building and working
with databases and database data. The DBMS will also include at least one
set of SQL client software (one seat) that can connect to the SQL server
over your network. SQL client software usually consists of, at the very least,
an SQL statement editor that you can use to write and execute SQL
statements, and an underlying communications layer that works with the
SQL server application over the network.
When you execute an SQL statement, the client software passes the
statement to the communications layer, which sends the statement over the
network to the server software. The SQL server analyzes the statement,
performs the requested operation, and returns any data requested to the
client software. If the server returns any data, the client software displays
the data to the user.
Crystal Reports 2008 SP3 User's Guide 699
25 Understanding Databases
Using SQL and SQL databases