What is a server in client-server chat?

Question

Computer networks

I need to write a client-server chat for a local network with the ability to transfer files and messages p2p.
In general, I don’t understand much about this, and they didn’t give me any bases, so I’m trying to parse every word in the task, so that later I can try to write some kind of chat from all this, but at the moment I’m interested in the question - what is the server in the client-server chat? In my understanding, a server is a computer with files to which requests are sent and from which answers are received, but p2p, as I understand it, implies that every computer on the network can be a server, then why is there a transfer in a p2p client-server chat at all?
I would be very happy if the readers of this question shared some sources or resources that could help me figure this whole thing out :/

Answer 1

then what for in general in a client-server chat p2p transmission?

In order not to strain the server (and its channel to the Internet). It's one thing to drive short text messages through the server, and quite another - large files.

Answer 2

1. Assign one of the devices as a server.
2. Working with a classic client-server application.

Answer 3

The server is, first of all, the one who waits for the client to connect to it.
The client is the one who initiates the communication.