Definition
A web server is software or hardware that serves web pages to users' browsers over the internet using the HTTP protocol.
02.
Web Server vs. Browser
While browsers display web content, web servers store and send that content when requested by the browser.
03.
Request/Response Model
Web servers work on a request-response model. A user sends a request via their browser, and the server responds with the requested webpage.
04.
Common Web Servers
Popular web servers include Apache, Nginx, Microsoft IIS, and LiteSpeed, each with specific features and performance capabilities.
05.
Hosting Websites
A web server hosts and makes websites accessible to the world. It stores files like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and images.
06.
HTTP Protocol
Web servers communicate with browsers using the HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) or HTTPS (secure HTTP) for encrypted communication.
07.
Static vs. Dynamic Content
Web servers can serve static content (fixed files like images and HTML) or dynamic content (generated by web applications in real-time).
08.
Database Integration
Some web servers interact with databases (e.g., MySQL, MongoDB) to retrieve and serve dynamic data like user information or blog posts.
09.
Security Measures
Web servers employ security protocols like SSL/TLS for encrypted connections and firewalls to protect against cyber threats.
10.
Scalability and Performance
Modern web servers are optimized for handling large volumes of traffic and can be scaled horizontally to meet demand.