Definition of
Web server
A Web server is a kind of software which, upon receiving a request sent by a user, carries out the processing of the request and then returns the corresponding information as a result, sending the content in question. In practice, what the web server does is allow the Internet user to view a Internet page in its browser.
A computer whose purpose is to provide services to other computer equipment that is connected to it through a network is called server. The computer program known as Web server It is installed on a server and is responsible for facilitating the files of the sites available on the world Wide Web (WWW) to the user who requests them from a Web navigator. Sometimes though, the idea of a web server refers to both hardware and software.
It can be said that a server is a piece of equipment that is in charge of storing the web server and those files that constitute what is mentioned as a website (that is, the web hosting of HTML documentsFiles of javascript, images of different formats, etc.). Its operation is based on the call client-server architecture: In this communication model, the server is dedicated to satisfying the requests of the client, with whom it connects through a network.
- Operation of a web server
- the protocols
- web server examples
- The importance of security
- Related Topics Tree
- The operation of a web server starts when it receives a request to access a site through a URL and searches for the corresponding IP address.
- Communications on the Internet are established through protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, FTP and IP, which operate at layer 7 of the OSI model.
- There are several examples of web servers, such as Apache HTTP Server, NGINX, Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), and LiteSpeed Web Server.
- Security in web servers is crucial to prevent brute force attacks and denial of service, through encryption, authentication and certificates.
- A certificate authority (CA) is the entity responsible for issuing and revoking certificates, such as SSL, to ensure cybersecurity through cryptography.
Operation of a web server
The operation of a web server is carried out in a series of steps. Its work starts when it receives a request, for which it is first necessary that said request can be executed. Consequently, the processing of a server side application and an answer in one client side application.
In this context, there must be a network infrastructure that makes it possible for the user to connect to the web. It takes a internet service provider (ISP) that provides a connection, enabling the person to navigate.
The individual, already connected thanks to the ISPyou must have a device on your device Web navigator, which is the program capable of interpreting information from various kinds of files to display websites. The user, in this framework, resorts to the browser when he wants to view the content of a site.
In this way, the Internet user writes the url (acronym for Uniform Resource Locator), which is the address of the site. Given this indication, the browser carries out the request to request access via the Internet, initiating the search for the IP adress of the site in question in its cache or by translating the url Through the dns (Domain Name System).
That IP address is a series of numbers that establishes the identification, in a hierarchical and logical way, of a device on the Internet. The domain of a site, then, refers to an IP address but in simpler terms for human beings.
Upon receiving the request, the web server processes it and, if accepted, searches the server’s files for the relevant information to return to the web browser that made the request. Only then is the user able to view the content of the website on his computer or phone.
It can help you: Application letter
the protocols
The communications inherent to Internet browsing can be established thanks to different protocols. A protocol It is formed with various rules that stipulate how the communicative process has to take place.
Thus, the browser that needs to request a file from a web server does so through the HTTP protocol (or in its secure version, called HTTPS protocol). This protocol is the one that enables the transmission of information through files in the WWW.
The web server, upon receiving, processing and accepting the request, returns the information, also using the HTTP protocol. That is why it is often spoken of HTTP server. There are other protocols that may be involved in the transfer of information via the Internet, such as the ftp protocolhe SMTP protocolhe IMAP protocolhe POP3 protocol and the SFTP protocol.
In fact, IP It is also a protocol that specifies the addressing (the assignment of the IP address and the grouping of equipment subnets) and the routing (the definition of the connection paths) of the communications. You can distinguish between versions of IP as IPv4 and IPv6.
All these protocols act on the layer 7 (he application level) of the OSI model. This model is a reference or a standard that the International Organization for Standardization I believe in 1980.
See also: HTTP protocol
web server examples
The examples of web servers are varied, since numerous software developers have opted for this type of program. One of the best known is Apache HTTP Serverwhich was released in nineteen ninety five.
This web server is open source, cross platform and modular. It can work on platforms windows, UNIX and Macamong other.
NGINX is another very popular web server. It is classified as free software and its code is also open; Like Apache HTTP Server, it is cross-platform and runs on multiple systems.
Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), for its part, is a web server designed for the operating system windows. One of its advantages is the possibility of transforming a personal computer into an intranet or Internet server, making it possible to publish web pages locally or remotely.
LiteSpeed Web ServerIt also uses the Apache HTTP Server configuration format. It became known in 2003 and already had several versions.
Follow: System Software
The importance of security
The web server security is essential to avoid the consequences of a brute force attacka denial of service attack or an attack of another nature. Processes are required encryption and authentication and the use of certificates (such as the ssl certificate) to minimize risks.
A certification authority (AC) is the entity in charge of issuing and revoking certificates. Its function is to guarantee cybersecurity by appealing to cryptography.
See also: Risk management