Web servers

A web server is software that provides a platform for hosting and serving web content on the internet. It responds to incoming requests from web browsers, processes those requests, and returns the requested data in the form of HTML pages, images, videos, or other media files.

Web servers utilize a variety of protocols, such as HTTP and HTTPS, to communicate with client machines and provide interface mechanisms for handling various types of requests. They use a combination of hardware resources like CPU, memory, storage, and networking components, along with specialized software algorithms, to manage and deliver web pages efficiently.

The primary function of a web server is to store, process, and deliver web content to clients in response to HTTP requests. It handles several tasks such as receiving and processing user requests, executing scripts/code required to generate web pages on-the-fly, retrieving content from databases or other sources, and caching frequently accessed objects to minimize load times.

Web servers can also be used to host applications, handle authentication and authorization, secure connections via SSL/TLS, and integrate with other technologies like load balancers, reverse proxies, and content delivery networks (CDN) to provide scalable and reliable web services.

Overall, web servers are essential in modern internet infrastructure, providing a robust and efficient environment for hosting and delivering web content to millions of users worldwide.