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what is a web server?
A web server is a computer that runs websites. The basic objective of the web server is to store, process, and deliver web pages to the users. The intercommunication is done using HTTP(Hypertext Transfer Protocol). The main job of a web server is to display the website content.
Static And Dynamic Web Server :
To publish a website, you need either a static or a dynamic web server.
Static Web Server: It consists of a computer(hardware) with an HTTP server(software). We call it static because the server sends its hosted files as is to your browser.
Dynamic Web Server: It consists of a static web server plus extra software, most commonly an application server and a database. We call it dynamic because the application server updated the hosted files before sending content to your browser via the HTTP Server.
Examples of Web Server:
Web servers often come as part of a larger package of the internet- and intranet-related programs that are used for:
sending and receiving emails.
downloading requests for File Transfer Protocol (FTP) files.
building and publishing web pages.
Common and top Web Server on the market:
There are several common web servers available, some including:
Apache HTTP Server. Developed by Apache Software Foundation, it is a free and open-source web server for Windows, Mac OS X, Unix, Linux, Solaris, and other operating systems; it needs the Apache license.
Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS). Developed by Microsoft for Microsoft platforms; it is not open source, but widely used.
Nginx. A popular open-source web server for administrators because of its light resource utilization and scalability. It can handle many concurrent sessions due to its event-driven architecture. Nginx also can be used as a proxy server and load balancer.
Lighttpd. A free web server that comes with the FreeBSD operating system. It is seen as fast and secure while consuming less CPU power.
Sun Java System Web Server. A free web server from Sun Microsystems that can run on Windows, Linux, and Unix. It is well-equipped to handle medium to large websites.
Leading web servers to Apache, Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS), and Nginx -- pronounced engine X. Other web servers include Novell's NetWare server, Google Web Server (GWS), and IBM's family of Domino servers.
Considerations in choosing a web server include how well it works with the operating system and other servers; its ability to handle server-side programming; security characteristics; and the publishing, search engine, and site-building tools that come with it. Web servers may also have different configurations and set default values. To create high performance, a web server, high throughput, and low latency will help.