Web server

A web server is computer software that accepts requests using a special system called HTTP, or its safer version HTTPS. This system was created to share web content across the Internet. When you want to see a web page or get some information, something called a web browser or a web crawler asks the web server for that information. The server then sends back the information or tells the browser there was a problem.

The kind of machine used to run a web server depends on how many people are asking for information at the same time. Small devices, like the router in your home, can run a tiny web server to help you set things up. But big websites that lots of people visit might need many powerful computers working together to keep up with all the requests.

Web servers can send different kinds of information. Sometimes they send files that are already stored, which is quick and easy. Other times, they create new information just for you when you ask for it. This lets web servers do many different jobs besides just showing web pages.

History

See also: History of the web browser, History of the World Wide Web, and History of the Internet

The story of web servers began in 1989 when Sir Tim Berners-Lee suggested a way for scientists to share information using a special system called hypertext. By 1991, he and his team made the first web server and browsers to help people find and share information online.

As the web grew, many new web servers were created. In the early days, servers like CERN httpd and NCSA httpd were popular. Later, Apache HTTP server became widely used because it was reliable and had many useful features. Other servers like IIS from Microsoft and Netsite also joined in. Today, there are many different web servers to support millions of websites around the world.

Technical overview

A web server is a special computer program that helps you see websites. When you type a website address, your web browser sends a request to the web server. The server finds the webpage or file and sends it back to your browser so you can see it.

Web servers can do many things. They can show simple webpages, create pages using data, and help keep websites safe. They also keep track of who visits and what they look at. This helps website owners learn how people use their sites.

Most web servers can show webpages and handle basic requests. They can also do more advanced tasks, like making pages load faster and sending requests to different addresses when needed.

Performances

A web server helps the web work well by answering users' questions quickly. It sends back what people ask for as fast as it can, so waiting time is short.

We can check how well a web server works in different ways. For example, we can see how many questions it can answer each second, how fast it sends answers, and how quickly it responds when many people use it at the same time. These checks help keep the web fast and smooth for everyone.

Load limits

A web server can only handle a certain number of requests at one time. This limit depends on the server's condition, its resources, and how many connections it can manage. If a server reaches this limit, it may become slow or stop responding.

Web servers can become overloaded for many reasons. This can happen from too much regular traffic, or from problems that try to stop the server. When this occurs, users might see delays, error messages, or lose their connection. To avoid this, websites use ways to help, like changing server settings, storing copies of content, controlling network traffic, and adding more servers or resources.

Market share

Further information on HTTP server programs: Category:Web server software

Here are the newest numbers showing which web servers are most used on the Internet, based on data from Netcraft. The tables below show the top web servers and how many websites use them. Some numbers are rounded to whole numbers because the exact values are not shared.