What are Web Servers it’s Types and Applications?

What is a Web Server?

Web servers are a piece of software that provides internet pages to users when they make a request. The machine on which the program operates is known as a server, and the two phrases are frequently used interchangeably in everyday parlance.

When a user sits down at a computer and inputs an address into a web browser like Internet Explorer or Firefox, the browser sends a request to the internet, requesting access to the web page at that URL. The application or computer that processes the request and returns the page’s content to the user is referred to as the web server.

Web servers can be slowed down by factors such as insufficient system resources or a large number of requests sent in a short period of time, although the overall process is normally so fast that consumers don’t notice it as they navigate from website to website.

How does a web server work?

Web server software is accessible via the domain name of a website and ensures that the site’s content is delivered to the requesting user. On the software side, there are several components, including at least an HTTP server. The HTTP server understands HTTP and URLs. A web server is a computer that stores web server software as well as other website-related materials such as HTML text, images, and JavaScript files.

When a web browser, such as Google Chrome or Firefox, needs a file from a web server, the browser will send an HTTP request to the server. The web server gets the request, and the HTTP server accepts it, searches for the content, and returns it to the browser through HTTP.

When a browser requests content from a web server, the procedure is divided into many steps. A URL will be entered into the address bar of a web browser initially. The IP address of the domain name is then determined by either translating the URL via DNS (Domain Name System) or querying the web browser’s cache. As a result of this action, the browser will be sent to a web server. The browser will next make an HTTP request to the web server to obtain the required file.

The web server will respond by re-delivering the requested page to the browser through HTTP. If the requested page does not exist or if something goes wrong, the web server will return an error message. The browser will then display the webpage.

Uses of the web server:

A web server is a component of a wider bundle of internet and intranet-related applications that are used to accomplish these goals; for example,

• Web page transmission and reception
• FTP (File Transfer Protocol) file download requests
• Web page creation and publication

Types of Web Servers:

A server is a computer program, hardware, or software device that provides functionality to other devices or programs by responding to network requests.

A server is a computer system that receives internet requests and forwards the requested information to clients.

It is a device that is equipped with and supported by certain apps that allow it to give services to other devices on the network with which it shares.

A web server is a server hardware or software device that retains online content and is used to host websites as well as give the same results when World Wide Web clients request them.

A Web Server’s most apparent and technically significant function and purpose is to store, process, and deliver web pages as they are requested by clients.

These web servers typically host one or more websites. The Web Server uses the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to process requests sent by clients over the World Wide Web, and Web Pages are frequently sent as HTML pages.

Web servers are important to the concept of web hosting. A web server is always connected to the internet, and each one has a unique address.

Hosting firms may manage several domains on a single server thanks to web servers.

Developers may pick from a variety of web servers available on the market, based on their interests. The following are the most common types of Web Servers on the market:

1. Apache HTTP Server Web Server
2. Internet Information Services (IIS) Web Server
3. Lighttpd Web Server
4. Sun Java System Web Server
5. Jigsaw Server Web Server

APACHE HTTP WEB SERVER:

• The Apache HTTP Web Server, created by the Apache Software Foundation, is one of the most widely used Web servers.
• It’s a cross-platform web server that’s free and open-source, and it’s licensed under Apache License 2.0.
• The Apache HTTP Web Server has the advantage of supporting practically all operating systems, including Windows, Linux, Mac OS, Unix, FreeBSD, and many others.
• As a result, the Apache HTTP Web Server is used by around 60% of workstations.
• Another distinctive aspect of the Apache Web Server is the ease with which it allows for some modification.
• Its modular nature, as well as the fact that it is open-source, are responsible for this trait.
• The Apache HTTP Web Server, created by the Apache Software Foundation, is one of the most widely used Web servers.
• It’s a cross-platform web server that’s free and open-source, and it’s licensed under Apache License 2.0.
• The Apache HTTP Web Server has the advantage of supporting practically all operating systems, including Windows, Linux, Mac OS, Unix, FreeBSD, and many others.
• As a result, the Apache HTTP Web Server is used by around 60% of workstations.
• Another distinctive aspect of the Apache Web Server is the ease with which it allows for some modification.
• Its modular nature, as well as the fact that it is open-source, are responsible for this trait.

INTERNET INFORMATION SERVICES WEB SERVER (IIS):

• The Internet Information Services Web Server is a Microsoft extensible Web server that works with the Windows NT family of operating systems.
• Because of this, Microsoft continues to support this product, which is compatible with every Windows Operating System Platform.
• The Internet Information Services Web Server, unlike Apache, does not support HTTP, HTTP/2, HTTPS, FTP, SMTP, or NNTP.
• This makes customizing a little more difficult, and changes aren’t always simple.

LIGHTTPD WEB SERVER:

The Lighttpd Web Server is another open-source Web server. This Web server is specially built and optimized for high-performance, speed-critical situations, as well as being incredibly adaptable and secure.

Lighttpd was given the moniker ‘lightly’ because of its name, which is a combination of the words ‘light’ and ‘httpd.’ Security, speed, compliance, and flexibility are how Lighttpd characterizes itself.

The effectiveness of the Lighttpd Web Server is one of its differentiating features, especially when dealing with servers that are experiencing load issues.

SUN JAVA SYSTEM WEB SERVER:

• Sun Microsystems marketed computer software under the Sun Java System name, which replaced the Sun ONE.
• The Sun Java System Web Server is a web server from Sun that supports JavaServer Pages (JSP) technology, Server-Side JavaScript (SSJS), and Java Servlets and works on Windows, Solaris, and HP-UX.
• The Sun Java Web Server is a dependable, easy-to-use, and secure web server developed for big and medium-sized websites.

JIGSAW WEB SERVER:

• The Jigsaw Web Server is an object-oriented, fully functional Web server with many unique features and a Java-based design.
• The Jigsaw Web Server was created solely to experiment with new technology and was never intended to be a full-fledged release.
• Later versions of the Web Server, on the other hand, took a step forward and concentrated more on the creation of greater functionality.

LITESPEED WEBSERVER:

• In just a few years, the LiteSpeed Web Server, which was first introduced in 2003, has become one of the most used Web servers.
• It was a web server that came with Open Source variations and was built by the privately held LiteSpeed Technologies.
• Because they employ comparable setups, the LiteSpeed Web Servers are quite compatible with the features of the Apache Web Servers.
• The LiteSpeed Web Servers may directly import Apache configuration files and replace all Apache tasks thanks to this functionality.

NODE.JS WEB SERVER:

• Node.js is a framework for running JavaScript code outside of a browser. It’s an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment that lets programmers write commands in JavaScript.
• The following are some of the most notable features of the Node.js Web Server:
• It is extremely quick in code execution because it is built on Google Chrome’s V8 JavaScript Engine.
• Despite being based on a single-threaded approach, the Node.js Web Server is extremely scalable, giving it an advantage over other traditional Web servers.
• Every customer has their own set of criteria, and the Web Hosting firms choose which Web servers to use depending on these requirements.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Web Server?

Advantages of Web Server:

• Site performance has improved. When it comes to online success, the performance of your website is critical.
• Excellent technical support.
• The email address associated with a domain.
• Website security has been improved.
• High Uptime and Reliability

Disadvantages of Web Server:

• Cost. When compared to an electronic web hosting approach, the costs of a web server are much higher.
• Security. Using web servers raises a slew of security issues.
• Convenience. The ease with which you may use web servers is determined by the sort of website you are utilizing.
• Refer to the Internet.
• Congestion on the streets.