Everything You Need to Know About Web Servers and Their Types

The global web, as it is known now, could not have been possible without web servers. These vital bits of equipment play an intermediary role, sending web pages and software to consumers worldwide. 

Whether loading your home page, operating an internet business, or operating a cloud application, web servers ensure the correct content gets to the proper user at the correct time. 

Knowing what web servers are, how they work, and what types of web hosting services there are can assist developers and organizations in maximizing web performance, security, and scalability. This blog looks at web servers, how they function, and the numerous varieties that enable the internet.

What is a Web Server?

A web server is a hardware and software that receives and responds to torment. When the users use the internet as a browser, a web server retrieves the content of interest and shows it to the user’s computer. 

Web users’ computers use the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) for client-server (browsers) and server-client browsers by web pages and applications easy to access.

A war consists of two essential components:

• Hardware: The physical server where website files, databases, and application data are stored.
  
• Software: The server software program accepts incoming client requests, processes them, and sends suitable responses.

How Web Servers Work

Hosting a web server operates on a successful communication process that allows users to access the desired content momentarily. The process includes a few crucial steps:

• A user types the URL of a website into a browser.
• The browser makes an HTTP request to the corresponding web server.
• The server reads and finishes the request, accessing the files as needed or executing scripts.
• The requested data is bundled up and returned to the browser.
• The browser shows the web page, displaying the requested data to the user.

This happens in milliseconds, allowing users to surf the internet without interruptions. Common web servers can also receive several requests simultaneously, efficiently providing content to millions of global users.

Types of Web Servers

Different web servers have specific functionalities based on performance, flexibility, and scalability requirements. Let’s discuss the most popular website server type list and their usage.

Apache HTTP Server

Apache is an extraordinarily ancient but popular web server designed and made by the Apache Software Foundation. It is an open-source product that is adaptable, secure, and supports multiple operating systems.

Apache is very modular, and users can tailor their server environment to suit their needs. It supports numerous scripting languages, such as PHP, Python, and Perl, and is thus a suitable option for programmers who require a very configurable and well-documented server. 

Apache is very flexible but less effective than other web servers in dealing with highly concurrency environments, making it unsuitable for highly visited websites.

Nginx

Nginx (pronounced “Engine-X”) is a high-concurrency web server that is very performant and lightweight. Unlike Apache, which forks a new process for each request, Nginx has an event-driven, asynchronous design that enables it to handle thousands of concurrent connections with minimal effort.

Due to its integrated load balancing and reverse proxy feature, Nginx is used in high-traffic sites, video streaming sites, and cloud computing. Nginx is a practical choice for businesses that want improved performance and lower hardware resource consumption.

Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)

IIS is a Microsoft-developed web server that can only be used with Windows applications. It is deeply integrated with Windows Server platforms and has native ASP.NET support, so it is best suited for organizations that depend upon Microsoft technology.

IIS is highly secure, with features like authentication mechanisms, access control, and SSL/TLS encryption. It is also Microsoft-compatible, allowing easy integration with Microsoft cloud-based solutions like Azure. Thus, it is emerging as a good web server for organizations that are constructing on the Windows platform.

LiteSpeed Web Server

LiteSpeed is a commercially oriented high-performance web server that runs at a higher level and is more efficient than standard servers such as Apache. It is designed to save CPU and memory usage and deliver content for optimization.

One of LiteSpeed’s most powerful features is its built-in caching system, significantly improving site performance by quickly delivering static content. LiteSpeed also supports Apache configurations, so a transition from Apache is simple. 

Because of its speed and reliability, LiteSpeed is used extensively on eCommerce websites, high-traffic websites, and resource-hungry applications.

Apache Tomcat

Apache Tomcat is a web server designed specifically to run Java applications. While all other types of servers run static content, Tomcat is optimized to run Java Servlet and JavaServer Pages (JSP) at runtime. Hence, it is a must-have for enterprise applications.

Tomcat is highly scalable, with inherent clustering features. Its applications can service a large number of simultaneous requests. Tomcat is used in the banking, finance, and enterprise software sectors, where Java is still a strong programming language.

Node.js as a Web Server

Node.js is not a conventional web server, although it facilitates developers’ implementation of server-side JavaScript. Instead, it employs a non-blocking, event-driven approach that makes It highly efficient for programs that must respond in real-time, such as chat applications, game servers, and API services.

Node.js is mainly used to develop new web applications because it has a gigantic library and framework ecosystem. Businesses that need lightweight, high-performance, and scalable server-side technology favor Node.js.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Web Server

Choosing the correct web server for your application depends on the following:

• Performance & Scalability: Nginx or LiteSpeed is ideal for high-traffic sites as they handle them well.
• Technological Stack Compatibility: Java applications require Apache Tomcat, while Windows applications should be executed on IIS.
• Security Features: Nginx and IIS have sufficient security features, while Apache has very high levels of personalization.
• Resource Consumption: LiteSpeed and Nginx use fewer server resources than Apache and are best suited for high-performance applications.
• Customization Needs: Apache is a modular server That is heavily customizable, while LiteSpeed and Nginx focus on speed and performance.

Conclusion

Web servers are responsible for delivering content on the web in the best possible way. Understanding how they operate and why Apache, Nginx, IIS, LiteSpeed, Tomcat, and Node.js vary enables companies and developers to decide which web server is best suited for their company.

Each web server has specific strengths in a particular set of applications, from LiteSpeed and Nginx performance servers to technology-specific environments such as IIS and Apache Tomcat. Choosing the correct web server impacts the speed, security, and scalability of your personal website, business application, or large-scale service.

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