Web Servers Compared: Apache, Nginx, and Beyond

Web Servers Compared: Apache, Nginx, and Beyond Web servers sit between the internet and applications. They listen for requests, decide how to respond, and deliver pages and data. Apache and Nginx are the two most common choices today, but other options exist for specific needs. The right pick depends on traffic, technology, and how you want to manage configuration. Apache is known for flexibility. It has a long history, a large set of modules, and strong compatibility with many PHP and CGI setups. It supports per-directory rules with .htaccess, which helps shared hosting and rapid changes without touching the main config. On the downside, Apache can use more memory and CPU under heavy load, and serving a lot of static files may be slower unless you tune it or combine with a caching layer. ...

September 21, 2025 · 2 min · 403 words

Web Servers How They Work and Why They Matter

Web Servers How They Work and Why They Matter Web servers are the backbone of the internet. They are software that runs on computers and responds to requests from browsers. A web server stores pages, images, and scripts and sends them over the network when someone visits a site. When you type a web address, your browser asks a domain name system (DNS) to translate it to an address. Your device then opens a connection to that address and talks using HTTP or HTTPS. The first steps are the TCP handshake and, if the site uses encryption, the TLS setup. After that, the browser sends a request like GET /index.html HTTP/1.1 with headers. ...

September 21, 2025 · 2 min · 388 words

Web Servers: Architecture, Tuning, and Scaling

Web Servers: Architecture, Tuning, and Scaling Web servers are the frontline of modern websites. They manage connections, serve static files, and hand off dynamic work to application logic. A practical setup often includes a reverse proxy or load balancer in front, followed by one or more application servers, with caching layers and a content delivery network (CDN) for fast delivery of static content. This arrangement helps handle traffic spikes, improves security, and makes maintenance easier. ...

September 21, 2025 · 3 min · 430 words