Software
Software installed on the network server can add to its reliability. Applications include antivirus software, backup software, and server monitoring software.
Computer viruses attach to network servers in much the same way that they attach to desktop computers. However, the result of an attachment on a network can be much more detrimental to the total operation of the business. A computer virus finding its way onto a network server can easily spread to all the desktop computers in the network. I think you can see why antivirus software for the network server is very critical to the reliability of the network server.
The tape backup hardware (tape drive) is useless without backup software. The backup software should be certified to be compatible with the network server operating system. A schedule for performing backups must be established and followed.
Most server hardware vendors provide some form of server monitoring software. This specialized software monitors the various components of the network server and reports their condition to some form of network server monitoring software running either on the network server itself or on a desktop computer that is performing the network server monitoring function.