Web Servers: Architecture, Tuning, and Security
Web Servers: Architecture, Tuning, and Security Web servers sit between users and applications. They handle static files, proxy dynamic content, and enforce security policies. A solid setup balances speed, reliability, and security, even during traffic spikes. Clear architecture, thoughtful tuning, and strong protections help keep sites responsive and safe for users worldwide. Architecture Two common models dominate today. Event-driven servers like Nginx handle many connections with small, predictable resources. Multi-process servers, historically seen in older Apache setups, use separate workers. For most sites, a reverse proxy in front of app servers improves scalability, offloads TLS, and enables caching. The exact mix depends on traffic shape, content type, and deployment goals. A simple guideline: put the heavy lifting behind the proxy, serve static files directly when possible, and place dynamic work behind resilient application layers. ...