Introduction to Web Server:
A web server is a software and hardware that used to display the website content by storing and processing the web pages to users. It uses the HTTP and other protocols for responding to the client’s request on the World Wide Web. However, web servers also support SMTP and FTP for emailing, file transferring and storing. It also provides a unique IP address for every website.
The primary purpose of the web server is to connect the users with the World Wide Web to display the content that they requested. In other words, the World Wide Web could never exist without the Web Server. Every time, you open website for online shopping or any other purposes, so there are web servers behind the scene.
Web Servers Working Process:
The working of the web server is not as complicated as you think. Web server as a software, the websites or web apps can be accessed by domain name or IP address which has given by Web Servers to respond to the client’s request. But as hardware, it used to store the web server software as well as the files of the website including HTML, Javascript, CSS, Bootstrap and images.
If you ever wondered about the working or wanted to know about the specific mechanism of the flow of displaying, accessing and storing the website content. Then you should know about the webs servers working. However, it is the primary job of web browsers and web servers to ensure the request is genuine or not by using TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) or IP (Internet Protocol).
HTTP used to ensure the vital communication between the web server and web browser that is used for the client’s request. The web browser uses DNS (Domain Name System) to access the website from a web server through IP address same like zip code used for post offices.
There are the following points that will help to more understand regarding the Web Servers Working:
- When users open the website, then send the specific web pages request to the server associated with IP address and domain name.
- The web browser also requests for URL of the site by sending information to the server.
- The web server finds the request and responds to every client’s request to display the website content on the browsers, including the ads, dynamic range, elements and more.
- The web browser will receive the complete pages and display it.
Types of Web Servers:
- Dynamic Web Server:
The dynamic web server where website files could easily update after uploading on the web server. Moreover, the dynamic browser consists of the web server and other software such as application and database server. The web server creates content when it is requested from the database. However, it is flexible and more complicated.
- Static Web Server:
The static web servers where website files could not update but displayed over the web browser as it is. It consists of a computer and HTTP software. Besides the dynamic web server, it is used to send the hosted files as is to a browser.
Web Servers Software:
Numerous web servers are available in the market, and some of them mentioned below:
Internet Information Server (IIS):
The internet information server provides the high-performance web server facilities for websites which are introduced by Microsoft. This web server many support upcoming new windows version but especially for Windows NT/2000 and 2003. It has the functionality of tightly integrated with the operating system, so it is easy for administration.
Apache HTTP Server:
It is an excellent and popular web server in the world which is developed by Apache Software Foundation. This apache server has the functionality to install on all operating system including Unix, Windows, Linux, FreeBSD Mac OS and many more due to open-source software. Moreover, there is almost 60% of web server machines can support the Apache Web Server.
Lighttpd:
The Lighttpd pronounced to be light free web server for FreeBSD operating system. It includes some functions such as fast, more secure and less CPU power consumption. Besides the FreeBSD operating system, it also can support the Windows, Linux, Mac OS and Solaris Operating System.
Jigsaw Server:
Jigsaw describes the W3C’s Server, which comes from World Wide Web Consortium. It is free to open source web server that runs on various platforms like Windows, Linux, Mac Os and Free BSD etc. Moreover, Jigsaw server has Java as backend Language which provides benefits to run CGI Scripts and PHP Programs on it.
Sun Java System Web Server:
The sun Java System Web Server had come from Microsystems, and it is best suited for the medium and websites or web apps. However, the server is free, but it is not open source as compared to other web servers. It is also available to runs on various platforms like Windows, Linux and Unix. It is more interesting to know about the supporting languages such as PHP, Perl, Python, Java, JSP and Ruby etc. for Web 2.0 which separate this server from others.
