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Web Server:
Web server is a program which processes the network requests of the users and serves them with files that create web pages. This exchange takes place using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
Basically, web servers are computers used to store HTTP files which makes a website and when a client requests a certain website, it delivers the requested website to the client.
For example, you want to open Facebook on your laptop and enter the URL in the search bar of google. Now, the laptop will send an HTTP request to view the facebook webpage to another computer known as the webserver. This computer (webserver) contains all the files (usually in HTTP format) which make up the website like text, images, gif files, etc. After processing the request, the webserver will send the requested website-related files to your computer and then you can reach the website.
Different websites can be stored on the same or different web servers but that doesn’t affect the actual website that you are seeing in your computer. The web server can be any software or hardware but is usually a software running on a computer. One web server can handle multiple users at any given time which is a necessity otherwise there had to be a web server for each user and considering the current world population, is nearly close to impossible. A web server is never disconnected from the internet because if it was, then it won’t be able to receive any requests, and therefore cannot process them.
Different types of web servers are available in the market for the developers to choose from, depending upon their preferences. The most prominent types of Web Servers available in the market are:
- Apache Web Server
- Internet Information Services (IIS) Web Server
- Nginx Web Server
- LiteSpeed server Web Server
- Apache Tomcat Web Server
- Node.js Web Server
- Lighttpd Web Server
- OpenLite Speed Web Server
- Jigsaw Server Web Server
- Sun Java System Web Server
1. Apache Web Server
This is the most popular web server in the world developed by the Apache Software Foundation. Apache web server is an open-source software and can be installed on almost all operating systems including Linux, Unix, Windows, FreeBSD, Mac OS X and more. About 60% of the web server machines run the Apache Web Server.
It is because of this that approximately around 60% of machines are run on the Apache HTTP Web Server.
Another distinguishing feature of the Apache Web Server is that it allows for a certain degree of customization very easily.
2. Internet Information Services (IIS) Web Server
Microsoft’s IIS (Internet Information Services) web server is the default choice for Windows servers. It works with major operating systems and offers better support for Microsoft technologies like ASP, .NET, or SQL Server.
IIS is usually deployed with Microsoft’s web application development framework .NET, making it a natural fit for sites developed in C# or VB.Net. You can also use it to host PHP (via FastCGI), Ruby on Rails, and NodeJS apps, although you might want to use something like Nginx to handle static requests and reverse proxying.
3. Nginx
Nginx is another popular open-source web server that is known for its high performance and low resource usage. It is often used as a reverse proxy server, routing traffic to other servers and services, and can also be used to cache static content for faster delivery to users. Nginx is widely used to host high traffic websites, and is often used in combination with Apache to balance the load between the two servers.
One of the key features of Nginx is its ability to handle a large number of concurrent connections efficiently. It uses an event-driven architecture and can handle requests asynchronously, which makes it well-suited for handling high traffic volumes.
In addition to serving static web content, Nginx can also be used to host dynamic content, such as websites built with server-side scripting languages like PHP. It can also be configured as a reverse proxy server, which forwards requests from the internet to one or more backend servers.
4. LiteSpeed Web Server
LiteSpeed Web Server emerges as a performance-oriented, high-efficiency web server software designed to deliver blazing-fast web hosting solutions while conserving server resources and minimizing operational costs.
Leveraging its proprietary event-driven architecture and advanced caching mechanisms, LiteSpeed excels in accelerating website loading speeds, reducing server response times, and optimizing resource utilization, making it an ideal choice for high-traffic websites, e-commerce platforms, and content-heavy applications.
Moreover, LiteSpeed offers seamless compatibility with existing Apache configurations, allowing for easy migration and integration into Apache-based hosting environments without compromising compatibility or functionality. Additionally, LiteSpeed boasts comprehensive security features, including anti-DDoS protection, mod_security compatibility, and IP-based access control, safeguarding websites against various cyber threats and vulnerabilities.
5. Apache Tomcat
An open-source Java servlet container, Apache Tomcat functions as a web server. A Java program that expands the capabilities of a server is called as a Java servlet. Servlets can respond to any types of requests but they most commonly implement applications hosted on web servers. These web servlets are Java equivalent to other dynamic web content technologies such as PHP and ASP.NET.
Sun Microsystems donated Tomcat’s code base to the Apache Software Foundation in 1999 which became a top-level Apache project in 2005. Currently, it powers just under 1% of all websites.
Released under the Apache License version 2, Apache Tomcat is typically used to run Java applications. But it can be extended with Coyote, so that it can also perform the role of a normal web server that serves local files as HTTP documents.
6. Node.js
Node.js represents a unique approach to web server development, leveraging JavaScript as its primary programming language and adopting a non-blocking, event-driven architecture. Introduced in 2009, Node.js has gained popularity for its ability to build fast, scalable, and real-time web applications, thanks to its lightweight runtime environment and asynchronous I/O capabilities. Unlike traditional web servers, which rely on multi-threading or process-based models, Node.js employs a single-threaded, event-driven paradigm, allowing for efficient handling of concurrent connections and I/O operations.
This makes Node.js particularly well-suited for building data-intensive, high-performance applications, such as chat servers, streaming platforms, and IoT (Internet of Things) devices.
Additionally, Node.js boasts a vibrant ecosystem of libraries, frameworks, and modules, empowering developers to streamline development workflows and accelerate time-to-market for their projects.
7. Lighttpd (pronounced ‘Lightly’)
The Lighttpd Web Server is another open-source Web Server. This Web server along with being very flexible and secure is specifically designed and optimized for high performance, speed-critical environments.
Lighttpd gets its name from a portmanteau of ‘light’ and ‘httpd’ and has been nicknamed ‘lighty’. Lighttpd defines itself in terms of security, speed, compliance, and flexibility.
A distinguishing feature of the Lighttpd Web Server is the efficiency that it offers especially in the case of servers suffering from load problems.
8. OpenLiteSpeed Web Server
Another web server that was introduced in 2003 is LiteSpeed. A free version called OpenLiteSpeed was just recently made available to the public for both personal and commercial use. What makes this web server popular is its implementation of a powerful cache engine that optimizes websites at a remarkable rate.
OpenLiteSpeed has some similarities with Apache in terms of its usability. It also uses many of the features that Apache users are already familiar with, such as .htaccess. As for the performance, OpenLiteSpeed resembles the asynchronous event-driven approach of NGINX, so it’s also fast.
Although OpenLiteSpeed is new to the market, it is quickly catching up to Apache and giving Nginx a run for their money.
9. Jigsaw server
Jigsaw is a web server that was developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) as a reference implementation of the HTTP/1.1 protocol. Jigsaw remains a popular choice for developers who are interested in learning about web server technology and HTTP protocols.
One of the key features of Jigsaw is its modular design, which allows users to easily customize and extend the server’s functionality. It supports a wide range of features including CGI, server-side scripting languages like PHP and
Python, and SSL/TLS encryption. It also has built-in support for virtual hosting, which allows a single server to host multiple websites.
Jigsaw is available for most operating systems, including Linux, macOS, and Windows. It is a good choice for developers who are interested in learning about web server technology and HTTP protocols but may not be suitable for use in production environments due to its lack of active development and support.
10. Sun Java System Web Server — SJSAS
It is a multi-threaded and multi-process web server that provides high performance, scalability, and reliability to the enterprises. It also provides data security and command-line interface CLI support. The newest version of this webserver (7.0) uses a newly introduced CLI called ‘wadm’.
The 7.0 version web server does not support HttpServerAdmin. However, it comes with a built-in migration tool that helps in migrating apps, websites, and it’s configurations from the older to a newer version of SJSAS hasslefree.
Conclusion
Web servers are used by all brands, businesses, and companies with an online presence. They provide a service by hosting websites to access them from anywhere with an internet connection. Many different kinds of web servers are available, each giving something unique for your business needs.
We hope this blog post has aided you with a better understanding of what web servers are, the types of web servers, and how they work.