What is a Web Server?
A web server is a program that uses HTTP to serve files that create web pages for users in response to requests sent by their computer's HTTP clients.
A web server can be any server that sends an XML document to another device. So you'll type a URL into your browser and hit enter. That's all!
The location of your website's web server in the world makes no difference because the page you've browsed appears on your computer screen immediately.
Also look at Apache, IIS, NGINX, and GWS as examples of web servers. Which option do you prefer?
A web server's connection to the internet is never lost. Each web server has its own address, which is made up of four numbers ranging from 0 to 255. A period separates these numbers.
Hosting providers can manage multiple domains (users) on a single server using the webserver.
A web hosting service provider rents out space on a server or cluster of servers to people so that they can create their own websites.
What are the Types of Web Servers?
Web servers are classified into four types:
- Apache Web Server
- IIS Web Server
- Nginx Web Server
- LiteSpeed Web Server
Apache Web Server
The Apache Software Foundation's Apache web server is one of the most popular web servers. Apache is software that operates with every operating system, including Linux, Windows, Unix FreeBSD, Mac OS X, and others. Apache Web Server is used by approximately 60% of the machines.
Because of its modular structure, an apache web server can be easily customized. Because it is open-source, you can add your own modules to the server to make changes to suit your needs.
It is extremely stable in comparison to other web servers, and administrative issues on it are easily resolved. Apache can be successfully installed on multiple platforms.
When compared to earlier versions, Apache's latest versions give you the ability to handle more requests.
IIS Web Server
IIS, a Microsoft product, is a server that includes all of the features found in Apache. Because it is not open-source, adding and modifying personal modules is more difficult.
It is compatible with all platforms that run the Windows operating system.
Nginx Web Server
After Apache, Nginx is the next open-source web server. It includes an IMAP/POP3 proxy server. Nginx's notable features include high performance, stability, ease of configuration, and low resource usage. Instead, it employs a highly scalable event-driven architecture that uses a small and predictable amount of memory under load. It has recently gained popularity and now hosts approximately 7.5 percent of all domains globally.
LiteSpeed Web Server
LiteSpeed (LSWS), a commercial web server that is a high-performance Apache drop-in replacement, is the fourth most popular web server on the internet. When you upgrade your webserver to LiteSpeed, you will notice improved performance at a low cost.
This service works with the most common Apache features, including. htaccess, mod-rewrite, and mod security. It can replace the Apache in less than 15 minutes with no rest. To simplify use and make the transition from Apache smooth and easy, LSWS replaces all Apache functions that other front-end proxy solutions cannot.
Apache Tomcat
Apache Tomcat is an open-source Java servlet container that also serves as a web server. A Java servlet is a Java program that expands the powers of a server. Servlets can respond to any type of request, but they are most commonly used to implement web-based applications. Sun Microsystems donated Tomcat's codebase to the Apache Software Foundation in 1999, and the project was promoted to top-level Apache status in 2005. It currently powers just under 1% of all websites.
Apache Tomcat, released under the Apache License version 2, is commonly used to run Java applications. However, it can be extended with Coyote to function as a standard web server, serving local files as HTTP documents.
Apache Tomcat is frequently listed alongside other open-source Java application servers. Wildfly, JBoss, and Glassfish are a few examples.
Node.js
Node.js is essentially a server-side JavaScript environment for network applications like web servers. Ryan Dahl originally wrote it in 2009. Despite its smaller market share, Node.js powers 0.2 percent of all websites. The Linux Foundation's Collaborative Projects program assists the Node.js project, which is managed by the Node.js Foundation.
Node.js employs an event-driven architecture that supports asynchronous I/O. Because of these design choices, throughput and scalability in web applications are optimized, allowing them to run real-time communication and browser games.
Lighttpd
Lighttpd, which is pronounced "lightly," was first released in March 2003. It currently powers about 0.1 percent of all websites and is available under a BSD license. It uses an event-driven architecture that is optimized for a large number of parallel associations and helps FastCGI, Auth, Output-compression, SCGI, URL-rewriting, and a mixture of other elements. It's a popular web server for web frameworks like Catalyst and Ruby on Rails.
There are also some other types of servers, which are listed below:
- Mail Server:
A mail server have a centrally located pool of disc area for network users to keep and distribute various documents in the form of emails. Because all data is stored in a single location, administrators only need to backup files from one computer. - Application Server:
It is a collection of features that can be reached by a software developer through an API specified by the platform itself. These parts are typically performed in a surrounding similar to that of the web server for the web applications. Their primary responsibility is to assist in the creation of dynamic pages. - File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Server:
FTP uses separate control and data connection between the client and the server. They can, however, connect with anonymous names if the server is not configured to allow them. The username and password must be encrypted using FTP and SSL for transmission security. - Database Server:
A database server is a computer program that gives database services to other computer programs through the use of client-server functionality. Some DBMSs rely on the client-server model for database access. This type of server can be accessed via a "front end" that runs on the user's computer where the request is made or a "back end" where services such as data analysis and storage are provided. - DNS (Domain Name System) Server:
A name server is a computer server that hosts a network service that provides responses to queries. It either maps an addressing component or a numerical identification.DNS also aids in the recognition of an Internet namespace, which is used to identify and locate computer systems and resources on the Internet.
Conclusion
Web hosting primarily selects web servers based on client needs, the number of clients on a single server, the applications/software clients use, and the amount of traffic a web server can handle generated by clients. So, when selecting a web server, consider all of these factors first, and then choose one. If you have any doubt about web server and web server types. Don’t hesitate to contact us. Airzero Cloud will be your digital partner.
Email id: [email protected]
Author - Johnson Augustine
Cloud Architect, Ethical hacker
Founder: Airo Global Software Inc
LinkedIn Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/johnsontaugustine/