What is a Web Server? Everything You Need to Know
Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 5:06 am
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What is a Web Server? Everything You Need to Know
In simple terms, a web server is a computer that stores, processes, and serves website files to web browsers.
Web servers consist of hardware and software that use the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to respond to web user requests made over the World Wide Web.
Through this process, web servers load and deliver the colombia phone number data page to the user's browser, such as Google Chrome.
Web servers also use the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to process files for email or storage.
So, what is web server software made of? From a hardware perspective , a web server connects to the Internet, which allows it to exchange data or files between other devices that are also connected. This data can take many forms, such as HTML files, images, JavaScript files, or CSS style sheets. The web server hardware also stores the web server software.
Web server software controls how web users access hosted files. It consists of several components, which host at least one HTTP server . An HTTP server is software that can understand HTTP requests and URLs .
Read on as this article will explain how a web server works and list some popular examples.
Table of Contents view
How does a web server work?
www servers follow a client-server model . In this structure, one program, also known as the client , requests a resource or service from another program, the server .
To process requests from web clients, web servers follow a few steps:
When a web user wants to load content from a website, the web browser requests access through the Internet. This is called an HTTP request .
The web browser looks up the IP address of the requested website by translating the URL of the web pages using the Domain Name System (DNS) or by looking up its cache. This process locates the web server where the site's files are hosted.
The web server receives the HTTP request and processes it through its HTTP server .
Once the HTTP server accepts the request, it will search through the server's files to get the relevant data.
The HTTP web server then returns the site's files to the web browser that sent the request. The web user then sees the content of the website.
However, if the HTTP server cannot find or process the requested files, it responds to the web browser with an error message. One of the most common is a 404 error , but a 403 error can also appear if there are authorization issues.
Alternatively, if a web server fails to receive a timely response from another server acting as a proxy or gateway, a 504 error occurs .
404 web server error
Static and dynamic web server
Web servers can serve static or dynamic content. A static web server consists of a computer and HTTP software. Static web servers send a website's files to a web browser without any modification.
A dynamic web server consists of a static web server plus additional software. This additional software usually consists of an application server and databases.
Dynamic web servers essentially update hosted files before delivering them through an HTTP server. This allows dynamic content to be generated and delivered to a web browser.
What is a Web Server? Everything You Need to Know
In simple terms, a web server is a computer that stores, processes, and serves website files to web browsers.
Web servers consist of hardware and software that use the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to respond to web user requests made over the World Wide Web.
Through this process, web servers load and deliver the colombia phone number data page to the user's browser, such as Google Chrome.
Web servers also use the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to process files for email or storage.
So, what is web server software made of? From a hardware perspective , a web server connects to the Internet, which allows it to exchange data or files between other devices that are also connected. This data can take many forms, such as HTML files, images, JavaScript files, or CSS style sheets. The web server hardware also stores the web server software.
Web server software controls how web users access hosted files. It consists of several components, which host at least one HTTP server . An HTTP server is software that can understand HTTP requests and URLs .
Read on as this article will explain how a web server works and list some popular examples.
Table of Contents view
How does a web server work?
www servers follow a client-server model . In this structure, one program, also known as the client , requests a resource or service from another program, the server .
To process requests from web clients, web servers follow a few steps:
When a web user wants to load content from a website, the web browser requests access through the Internet. This is called an HTTP request .
The web browser looks up the IP address of the requested website by translating the URL of the web pages using the Domain Name System (DNS) or by looking up its cache. This process locates the web server where the site's files are hosted.
The web server receives the HTTP request and processes it through its HTTP server .
Once the HTTP server accepts the request, it will search through the server's files to get the relevant data.
The HTTP web server then returns the site's files to the web browser that sent the request. The web user then sees the content of the website.
However, if the HTTP server cannot find or process the requested files, it responds to the web browser with an error message. One of the most common is a 404 error , but a 403 error can also appear if there are authorization issues.
Alternatively, if a web server fails to receive a timely response from another server acting as a proxy or gateway, a 504 error occurs .
404 web server error
Static and dynamic web server
Web servers can serve static or dynamic content. A static web server consists of a computer and HTTP software. Static web servers send a website's files to a web browser without any modification.
A dynamic web server consists of a static web server plus additional software. This additional software usually consists of an application server and databases.
Dynamic web servers essentially update hosted files before delivering them through an HTTP server. This allows dynamic content to be generated and delivered to a web browser.