Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Unleashed

SharePoint Central Admin Server Role

Although more of a minor role, the server or servers that hold the SharePoint central administration service, the main management application for SharePoint, are also considered a server role. In some large environments, this role may be separated onto dedicated servers to provide for central administration functionality without affecting existing server functionality.

Tip

It is best practice to make the central administration role highly available by installing it on multiple servers, typically on multiple servers that also run the web role. Not doing this runs the risk of a server outage causing a loss of access to the tools necessary to troubleshoot the outage.