Universal server

A Universal Server is a server solution that implements a number of industry standard protocols and APIs. A single instance of a Universal Server would be capable of supporting one or more clients that support the following protocols: HTTP/S, WebDAV, SOAP, UDDI, POP3, IMAP4, and NNTP (to name a few). The same instance could also support clients that support SQL, ODBC, JDBC, ADO.NET, and OLE DB based connectivity to SQL data sources and databases.

A Universal Server can also be seen from a functionality perspective as a single server that offers application server, web server, enterprise service bus, SQL database, XML database, virtual/federated database, discussion (e.g., Usenet, Bulletin board systems), and mail Services.

Universal Servers are the server-side analogs of multi-protocol Internet user agents. There was a time when an Internet user would require numerous products from a myriad of vendors to achieve the following tasks: email, file transfers, web browsing, Usenet/nntp discussions etc. Today, all of these functions can be found within a single Internet user agent.

The Universal Server is a new server architecture that addresses the application domain requirements of modern Internet applications. It provides an alternative to protocol-specific servers which ultimately present Internet applications with implementation, maintenance, and integration challenges.

Universal Server Vendors

OpenLink Software is one of the first companies to brand their product, OpenLink Virtuoso, as a "Universal Server" on the basis of multi-protocol and multi-function capabilities.