Web Servers
A web server is a computer program that uses HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) to serve files that form web pages to users, in response to their requests, which are sent using HTTP clients.
When a user enters a URL into their web browser, the browser sends a request to the web server to retrieve the requested resource. The web server processes the request and sends back the required resources, along with an HTTP header that contains information about the content of the response.
Web servers are used to host websites and web applications. They can run on a variety of operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and MacOS. There are many different types of web servers available, the most common being Apache, NGINX, and IIS (Internet Information Services).
Apache Web Server
Apache is a free and open-source web server software that is widely used to host websites and web applications. It was developed by the Apache Software Foundation and is released under the Apache License.
Apache is known for its flexibility and versatility, as it can be used to host a wide range of content, including static and dynamic web pages, multimedia files, and server-side scripts. It can also be extended with various modules to add additional functionality, such as security and performance enhancements.
Apache is available for multiple operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and MacOS. It is highly configurable, allowing administrators to customize various aspects of its behavior, such as the way it handles requests, the types of content it can serve, and the security measures it employs.
Apache is widely used due to its reliability, performance, and ease of use. It is also well-documented, with a large and active community of developers and users who contribute to its development and provide support.
Visit Apache Website for more details.
NGINX Web Server
NGINX (pronounced “engine x”) is a free and open-source web server software that is known for its high performance, scalability, and flexibility. It was developed by Igor Sysoev and is released under the 2-clause BSD license.
NGINX is often used as a reverse proxy server, meaning it sits in front of web servers and forwards requests to them. It can also be used as a load balancer, content cache, and HTTP/2 server.
One of the key features of NGINX is its ability to handle a large number of concurrent connections efficiently. It uses an event-driven architecture and a non-blocking I/O model, which allows it to handle multiple requests simultaneously without creating new processes or threads for each request. This makes it well-suited for high-traffic websites and applications.
NGINX is available for multiple operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and MacOS. It is highly configurable, allowing administrators to customize various aspects of its behavior, such as the way it handles requests, the types of content it can serve, and the security measures it employs.
NGINX is widely used due to its high performance and reliability, and it is well-documented, with a large and active community of developers and users who contribute to its development and provide support.
Visit the NGINX Website for more details.
IIS Web Server
Internet Information Services (IIS) is a web server software developed by Microsoft and included with the Windows operating system. It is used to host websites and web applications on the Windows platform.
IIS supports a wide range of features and technologies, including support for various web protocols (such as HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP), support for server-side scripting languages (such as ASP.NET and PHP), and support for various authentication methods (such as Basic, Digest, and Windows Integrated). It also includes a number of tools for managing and configuring web servers, including the IIS Manager console and various command-line utilities.
IIS is known for its high performance and reliability, and it is widely used in enterprise environments. It is highly configurable, allowing administrators to customize various aspects of its behavior, such as the way it handles requests, the types of content it can serve, and the security measures it employs.
IIS is available only on the Windows platform and is included with most versions of Windows, including Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows Server. It is well-documented, with a large and active community of developers and users who contribute to its development and provide support.
Visit IIS Site for more details.
Conclusion
Web servers typically have a high-capacity network connection and a powerful computer to handle the large number of requests they receive. They may also have additional software and hardware components to optimize their performance and security, such as load balancers and firewalls.
Web servers play a critical role in the modern internet, as they enable users to access and interact with online content and services.