Web Servers

Understanding the Backbone of the Internet

 What is a Web Server?
• A web server is softw re or h rdw re th t serves
web p ges to users over the internet or n
intr net. It h ndles client (browser) requests,
serves content, nd m n ges tr ic.

• A web server h s to store the website's iles,

n mely ll HTML documents nd their rel ted
ssets, including im ges, CSS stylesheets,
J v Script iles, fonts, nd video.

• Ex mples: Ap che, NGINX, Microsoft IIS.

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 Key Functions of a Web Server
• Serving Content: Web servers store nd deliver web iles like HTML, im ges, nd CSS
to clients (browsers).

• H ndling Requests: Web servers process HTTP/HTTPS requests from clients nd

return the ppropri te response.

• Security: They implement security protocols like SSL/TLS for encrypted

communic tion.

• Lo d M n gement: Web servers b l nce incoming tr ic to void overlo ds.

• Logging & Monitoring: Record ctivities for perform nce tr cking, di gnostics, nd
troubleshooting.
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 Static and Dynamic Web Servers
• St tic Web Server: A st tic web server delivers ixed content, me ning every user
receives the s me iles, such s HTML, CSS, nd im ges. It doesn't process ny logic
or inter ct with d t b ses. The iles re pre-built nd stored on the server, m king it
f st nd e icient for delivering simple websites or content where user inter ction is
minim l

• Dyn mic Web Server: A dyn mic web server, on the other h nd, gener tes content in
re l-time b sed on user inputs, requests, or other d t . It involves server-side
processing through scripting l ngu ges like PHP, Python, or Node.js. This type of
server connects to d t b se to fetch d t , process it, nd send b ck person lized
or const ntly upd ted content, such s user pro iles, shopping c rts, or blogs.
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 How a Web Server Works
The web server works in client-server
model:
• The client (browser) sends n HTTP request to the
server.

• The server processes the request nd sends n

HTTP response cont ining the requested d t
(HTML, CSS, JS).

M in Components:
• Web server softw re

• Content stor ge (d t b se/ iles)

• Network protocols (HTTP/HTTPS)

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 Types of Web Servers
• St tic Web Servers: Serve pre-de ined HTML iles, o ering no server-side processing
(e.g., Ap che serving st tic content).

• Dyn mic Web Servers: Combine st tic iles nd server-side scripting (e.g., PHP,
Python, Node.js) to cre te dyn mic web p ges.

• Applic tion Servers: Provide business logic processing for web pplic tions (e.g.,
Tomc t, WebSphere).

• Reverse Proxy Servers: Forw rd requests to b ckend servers (e.g., NGINX s

reverse proxy for lo d b l ncing).
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 Popular Web Server Software
• Ap che HTTP Server: One of the most widely used open-source web servers.
Known for lexibility nd customiz tion.

• NGINX: Popul r for high concurrency h ndling, used for lo d b l ncing nd s

reverse proxy.

• Microsoft IIS: Integr ted with Windows Server, commonly used in enterprise
settings.

• LiteSpeed: Known for speed nd perform nce, especi lly in WordPress hosting.

• Tomc t: An pplic tion server used for running J v -b sed web pplic tions.
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 HTTP and HTTPS Protocols
• HTTP (HyperText Tr nsfer Protocol): Protocol used by web servers nd browsers to
communic te over the internet.

Port 80: Def ult port for HTTP communic tion.

St teless: E ch request/response is independent.

• HTTPS (HyperText Tr nsfer Protocol Secure): Encrypted version of HTTP.

Port 443: Def ult port for HTTPS communic tion.

SSL/TLS Encryption: Ensures secure d t exch nge between client nd server.

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 Web Server Architecture
• Single-Tier (Single Server) Architecture:

In single-tier rchitecture, single server is responsible for both processing requests nd

serving web content. This is suit ble for sm ll websites or pplic tions with low tr ic. However,
it h s limit tions in terms of sc l bility nd f ult toler nce.

• Multi-Tier (Lo d-B l nced) Architecture:

In multi-tier rchitecture, multiple servers re used to distribute the worklo d nd ensure high
v il bility. This ppro ch often involves lo d b l ncers th t evenly distribute incoming
requests cross cluster of web servers.
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 Web Server Security
• SSL/TLS: Secures communic tion between the client nd server (HTTPS).

• Firew ll: Controls incoming nd outgoing network tr ic to block m licious ctivities.

• DDoS Protection: Prevents distributed deni l-of-service tt cks th t lood the server
with tr ic.

• Web Applic tion Firew ll (WAF): Protects g inst web-b sed tt cks (SQL injection,
cross-site scripting).

• Security P tches: Regul rly upd ting server softw re to ix vulner bilities.
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 Web Server Performance Optimization
• C ching: Store frequently requested content (e.g., with Redis or V rnish) to reduce lo d on
the server.

• CDN (Content Delivery Network): Distribute content cross multiple geogr phic lly loc ted
servers to reduce l tency.

• Compression: Use Gzip or Brotli to compress iles before sending them over the network.

• Connection M n gement: En ble keep- live connections to reuse TCP connections for
multiple requests.

• D t b se Optimiz tion: Use optimized queries nd indexing to speed up server responses.

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 Conclusion
Web servers re the b ckbone of the internet,
responsible for serving content nd m n ging user
inter ctions. As web tr ic grows, it is cruci l to focus on
sc l bility, security, nd perform nce optimiz tions.
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Thank You
Khushal Patel 226170307076
Devarsh Amin 226170307039
Krishil Bagadia 226170307005