Web servers

Definition

Web servers are software or hardware systems that store, process, and deliver web pages to clients over the internet. They play a crucial role in hosting websites and managing requests from users, enabling the exchange of information between clients and the server using protocols like HTTP or HTTPS.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Web servers process incoming requests for web content and send back the appropriate responses in the form of HTML pages.
2. They can serve static content like images and stylesheets, as well as dynamic content generated by server-side applications.
3. Most web servers support various scripting languages like PHP, Python, and Ruby, allowing for more complex web applications.
4. Security features like SSL/TLS can be implemented on web servers to protect data transmitted over the internet.
5. Web servers often work with databases to retrieve and store data dynamically, making them integral to web application functionality.

Review Questions

• How do web servers handle client requests and deliver web pages?
  • Web servers handle client requests by listening for incoming connections on specific ports, usually port 80 for HTTP and port 443 for HTTPS. When a request is received, the server processes it by determining the requested resource, retrieves the content (static or dynamic), and sends back an HTTP response containing the requested page along with relevant status codes. This interaction is essential for delivering web pages effectively to users across the internet.
• Discuss how load balancing enhances the performance and reliability of web servers.
  • Load balancing enhances performance by distributing incoming network traffic across multiple web servers instead of relying on a single server. This prevents any one server from becoming a bottleneck during peak traffic times. It also increases reliability by providing redundancy; if one server fails, the load balancer can redirect traffic to other operational servers. This ensures that users have consistent access to web services even during high demand or unexpected server failures.
• Evaluate the impact of implementing security measures like SSL/TLS on web servers in relation to user trust and data protection.
  • Implementing security measures such as SSL/TLS on web servers significantly impacts user trust and data protection. SSL/TLS encrypts data transmitted between the server and client, safeguarding sensitive information like passwords and credit card numbers from eavesdropping or interception. This not only protects users but also builds their trust in a website's reliability. As a result, websites that employ SSL/TLS often see higher user engagement and lower bounce rates due to increased confidence in their security practices.

Related terms

HTTP: Hypertext Transfer Protocol, the foundation of data communication on the web, used for transmitting web pages from the server to the client's browser.

Client-Server Model: A computing model where client devices request resources and services from centralized servers, which respond with the requested information.

Load Balancing: The distribution of network traffic across multiple servers to ensure no single server becomes overwhelmed, improving performance and reliability.