Web server

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First Web Server

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Web server refers to either hardware or software (or both working together) that uses Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to serve the files that form Web pages to users, in response to their requests, which are forwarded by their computers' HTTP clients. Dedicated computers and appliances may be referred to as web servers as well.

Overview

A web server works by accepting URL (Uniform Resource Locator) requests from clients, which are usually web browsers, and serving them web pages, which are usually HTML documents and linked objects (images, etc.). A user's request is forwarded by their browser to the web server, which returns the requested page to the user's device.

Components

A web server consists of several key components:

• Hardware: The physical part of a web server is a computer that stores the web server's software and the website's component files. A web server's hardware can range from a personal computer to a large, dedicated server machine.
• Software: This is the application used to enable the computer to process requests and deliver the website's content to the user's web browser. The most widely used web server software includes Apache HTTP Server, Nginx, Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), and LiteSpeed Web Server.

Functionality

The primary function of a web server is to store, process, and deliver web pages to users. This involves several steps:

1. The web server waits for an incoming request from a web browser or other client. 2. Upon receiving a request, the server analyzes the request's HTTP headers and determines how to respond. 3. The server then fetches the requested web page (if available) and sends it back to the client's browser. 4. If the requested web page is not available, the server will return an HTTP status code such as 404 (Not Found) or 500 (Internal Server Error).

Types of Web Servers

There are various types of web servers designed to suit different needs. Some of the most common include:

• Static web server: This type of server delivers web pages as they are stored, without any modification. Static web servers are suitable for serving simple, unchanging web pages.
• Dynamic web server: These servers are capable of generating customized responses based on the client's request or other criteria. Dynamic web servers often use server-side scripting languages like PHP, Python, or Ruby.

Security

Security is a critical aspect of web server management. Web servers are often targeted by malicious attacks due to their accessibility over the Internet. Common security measures include the use of firewalls, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption, and regular software updates.

See Also

• Internet
• Web page
• Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS)
• Content Delivery Network