What Does Server Accelerator Card Mean?
A server accelerator card (SSL card) is a hardware accelerator that is usually a PCI card that generates encryption keys using encryption algorithms to handle secure encrypted data transfer between a client and server. The server containing this card typically routes all the secure transaction processing to the SSL card to reduce its own processing load.
Techopedia Explains Server Accelerator Card
The server accelerator card is necessary for secure transactions on e-commerce websites. This card does the following:
- Accelerates the process of verifying website authenticity through a certifying authority
- Generates an encryption key
- Encrypts all data between sender and receiver – assuring all credit card data is secure
This process can quickly overload servers and result in bottlenecks with a reduced sales processing rate. The SSL card is essential for reducing server load. It is also more cost effective than purchasing additional servers to manage secure transactions.
The two security protocols supported are Secure Sockets Layer (also abbreviated SSL) and Secure Electronic Transaction (SET).
