What is Web Server?

Web Server is to display website content through storing, processing and delivering webpages to users. Whenever a user searches anything on the web, the web server reaches the user by searching the searched data in its database, this is what we call a web server.

With the help of internet, we can get information about questions from all over the world in seconds. It is possible for us to get information from the Internet because of the web server.

Example:

When we need any information, then we open our mobile or computer browser like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Bing. And put the thing you want to know about it and search it.

What are the features of Web Server?

  • It can support enlarge data storage support, so it is capable to make multiple websites.
  • Easy to configure log file set up which enables to hold all log files. Log files helps to analyze web traffic.
  • Server is anything that is ready to handle requests 24*7 as it’s connected with the internet all the time.
  • Translate Web Page.
  • Create virtual directories, and map them to physical directories.
  • Create one or more websites.
  • It helps to control bandwidth that regulates network traffic, due to which it can avoid the down time while flowing high volume web traffic.

How to communicate with web server?

Provides support for HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). HTTP specifies how to transfer hypertext (linked web documents) between two computers or HTTP is a kind of protocol whose main function is to make connection between client and server.

How Web servers work?

The main job of a web server is to display website content through storing, processing and delivering webpages to users.

  • When you type a URL into your browser, your browser requests the page and it sends the page back.
  • Browser Resolves the Domain Name to an IP Address.
  • Browser Requests the Full URL.
  • Sends the Requested Page.
  • Browser Displays the Webpage.

Types of Web Servers:

There are mainly four types of web servers – Apache, IIS, Nginx and Lighttpd.

Apache HTTP: This is the most popular in the world developed by the Apache Software Foundation.

Internet Information Services (IIS): The Internet Information Server (IIS) is a high performance Web Server from Microsoft. This makes the process of customization a little complicated and modifications are not that easy.

Nginx: It is mainly used for caching, media streaming, load balancing, handling of static files, auto-indexing, etc.

Lighttpd: It can run a large number of connections at the same time and even provides facilities like AUTH, URL rewriting, flexible virtual hosting, servlet support (AJP), HTTP proxy support, etc. to the user.

What are the benefits of Web Server?

  • More reliable performance.
  • Much safer and more secure.
  • Always provides the opportunity to interact with the hosting provider.
  • There is better control over services.