silly question: Where does it all go?

[wiiGenocide]

Hi,

I'm kinda new here, and I have a really innocent question I wanted to raise to my teacher, but I'm kinda afraid to ask it.. >_<

Uhm.. Where does all the information in the internet go?
I mean, where is it stored? I know it's stored in a database, server or whatever it is called, and stuff like that, but what I don't get is that, the whole internet is really BIG amount of information! Where is it all stored?

 

-newbie

[zeroflaw]

On servers all around the world, like you said. They're linked together with network devices such as routers, switches, hubs etc. What makes it the internet, is the fact that servers/computers can communicate with each other.

[Data_Raid]

All the information ends up in a "special place" called /dev/null 

The internet is one huge network that is connected globally. Data is stored on servers' or on nodes such as personal computers and can be transferred to anyone as long as you have a connection to that machine and are entitled/authorised to access that data. There is no central server that hosts information. There are some good vids on YouTube that that explain networking at a basic but understandable level (TCP/IP, headers, checksum, ACK numbers and more). I'd recommend to watch some videos on TCP/IP and networking if you'd like to know more. Feel free to ask any questions here as well 

[unsupported]

My favorite and most horrifying TCP/IP basic primer is, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H760U3QZocs.  It appears to be only part of the video, but you will get the idea.  I've been shown this in EVERY networking class I've had in college.

[chrisj]

looks like this is the full video... haven't watched it yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9XWxD6cJuY&feature=related

little bit of shocked by it.

[unsupported]

looks like this is the full video... haven't watched it yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9XWxD6cJuY&feature=related

little bit of shocked by it.

That is it.  Seems like it should be a ride at EPCOT.

[zeroflaw]

Lol, must have been 8 years ago or longer when a teacher showed this during computer class. I didn't care about computers back then, but the video was cool  

[hayabusa]

I'd forgotten about this video, for years, myself.  Wow... seems like ages ago.  I bookmarked this one, to show my kids, before I forget about it again, for further years to come... ;-)

[UNIX]

I'm kinda new here, and I have a really innocent question I wanted to raise to my teacher, but I'm kinda afraid to ask it.. >_<

Why?

[hayabusa]

I can kind of see how he or she feels, even though I don't think he / anyone you should ever be afraid to ask a question, to a teacher or anyone else, if it benefits their learning.  It is definitely much easier to ask a question, especially if you 'feel' like a n00b or that someone will give you crap for something they figured you should just 'automagically' know, to folks who don't know you by name or face, and can just anonymously ask online.

So I understand the reasoning for asking here, versus asking a teacher, if it better suits your comfort levels.  Hopefully, however, your teacher would be perfectly understanding and supportive of your asking the question.  Worst case, ask them after class, or somewhere where it's  1 on 1 conversation, but they are there for you to learn.  Take advantage of it while you can!  Regardless, questions asked here, in true desire to learn, will likely always get you an answer, assuming it's something one of us knows, too!

Good luck and continued success in your learning, wiiGenocide!

[chrisj]

I had actually never seen this video, nor heard of it until today.

[wiiGenocide]

lol.. I really wondered where all the info goes! Like is it stored in just one large server? Because if it is, I think that would be quite impossible. 

Thanks for answering my question.
 

[former33t]

That video sucks.  I showed up to a pretty heavy 14 week course in networking, security, and forensics about two years ago.  There was a stack of books on each desk nearly two feet high that the required readings came out of.  The networking instructor introduced herself and played the video to "get our feet wet in networking".  I was horrified and though I (or she) was in the wrong place.  Three hours later we were dissecting packet captures in a hex editor (showing the video was a joke but I wasn't laughing...).

[chrisj]

That video sucks.
The networking instructor introduced herself and played the video to "get our feet wet in networking".
(showing the video was a joke but I wasn't laughing...).

I wouldn't go that far. I think that's right up the alley for my parents if they ever wanted to understand networking, or I forced them to understand what I do for a living.

To us, it's cheesy. to the non-computer people (the ones that use them for work, not work because of them) it would actually be a good video intro.

*edit:
I was actually thinking of sharing it with people on my team at work. Most of them are programmers or project people who don't quite understand networking.

[BillV]

Or you could always download the Internet