Web servers are a key piece of the internet, as they are responsible for delivering pages to users. Without them, our view of the internet wouldn't be the same. In this article, you will learn more about web servers, what they are for, and how they work.
What Is It?
A web server is software that is part of the server and its main mission is to return information (pages) when it receives requests from users.
A web server is both software and hardware that stores and delivers content from a website, such as text, images, videos, and application data to those who request it.
In other words, it's the software that allows users who want to view a webpage in their browser to do so.
A web server (server) is a powerful computer responsible for "providing the service" of transmitting the requested information to its clients (other computers, mobile devices, printers, people, etc.)
Web servers (web server) are a component of servers whose main function is to store, in web hosting, all the files of a website (images, texts, videos, etc.) and transmit them to users through browsers via the HTTP protocol (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).
The hardware of the web server is connected to the internet and allows data exchange with other connected devices, while the software of the web server controls how a user accesses the hosted files.
This, web servers are used in web hosting or data hosting for websites and web-based applications, or web apps.
What is it used for?
Its main function is to deliver content every time a user makes a request in their browser. This means it allows users to view the content they want without much effort.
A web server communicates with a web browser using the hypertext transfer protocol, also known as HTTP.
In addition to HTTP, web servers also support SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) and FTP (File Transfer Protocol), which are used for email, file transfer, and storage.
On the other hand, it's important to note that the content can be either static or dynamic, and depending on this, it can be in HTML or Java, among others.
If the content is static, it will display text or images, while dynamic content refers to items like a list of sale articles as part of a catalog, for example.
In summary, its main role is to store and transmit the requested content from a website to the user's browser.
This process takes no more than a second for internet users, but at the web server level, it is a more complicated sequence than it seems.
To carry out its functions, the server must always be on to avoid interrupting the service it provides to its clients. If the server fails or turns off, users will have trouble accessing the website.
How does it work?
Communication between a server and its clients is based on HTTP, meaning the Hypertext Transfer Protocol or its encrypted version HTTPS.
To understand how it works, it's necessary to first know that the web server is constantly waiting for a request for information.
Additionally, every computer, smartphone, or tablet has a unique and non-repeating IP address that identifies it from other devices on the network. This is how the web server sends the exact information that the user is waiting for.
Now, for the web server to fulfill its function, it needs to receive the request from a browser. In other words, a request is sent from an IP address to the IP address of the server hosting the site's files.
The web server then looks for the requested information in its files, interprets the lines of code, and sends the result back to the browser whose IP address made the request.
This result is shown to the users, and this is what always happens when navigating websites. When this process is completed, we can say the web server has fulfilled its function.
What is the sequence of operation?
First, the web server software is accessed through the domain names of websites to guarantee the delivery of the site's content to the requesting user.
The software side also consists of several components, including at least one HTTP server, considering that the HTTP server understands HTTP and URLs.
As hardware, a web server is a computer that stores web server software and other files related to a website, such as HTML documents, images, and JavaScript files.
When a web browser, like Google Chrome or Safari, needs a file hosted on a web server, the browser will request the file via HTTP. When the web server receives the request, the HTTP server will accept the request, search for the content, and send it back to the browser via HTTP.
What types of web servers exist?
Apache
It is the most common and widely used in the world, although it has lost popularity to Microsoft IIS and Nginx.
Some advantages of Apache include that it is open source, free software, and cross-platform. However, its downside is its low performance when receiving thousands of simultaneous requests in processing dynamic content or static files.
Nginx
Known and popularized as one of the best alternatives to Apache. Nginx is an open-source, free web server (although there is also a commercial version) known for its high performance.
Its benefits include simple, lightweight, fast configuration, excellent security, and performance. It also allows for native integration with almost any modern technology and programming language.
However, it doesn't support .htaccess files (used by Apache), although it includes its own rewrite language.
LiteSpeed
A dispatch HTTP software developed by LiteSpeedTech. There is an open-source version and a commercial version that includes various licenses.
Some benefits of LiteSpeed include its ability to handle large numbers of simultaneous connections with very low resource consumption (even with demanding applications like those using PHP), and its performance with static files is on par with Nginx.
Microsoft IIS
Internet Information Services (IIS) has become popular for offering cloud services, primarily in Azure (Microsoft's Cloud Hosting platform).
In addition, its perfect integration with Windows (of course), Visual Studio, and its tools made this web server become the leading server in the business world.
Understanding the fundamentals of one of the main resources of the internet is always important. With digital transformation and the growing use of the internet, it was necessary to create servers capable of storing and delivering the vast (almost infinite) library of information we find on the web. Do you still have doubts? Feel free to contact our team.
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