What is a Web Server?
If you are new to the world of internet business, you may run across the term "Web Server" from time to time. Web servers are a vital piece of the internet. They provide services to fetch and display web pages that sit on computers around the world. When a visitor arrives at your website, a web server is responsible for gathering all the HTML documents, graphics, and assorted media files to make your website or blog function and look great on the internet.
Do I need a web server?
Yes. But, when you purchase a hosting package with third party vendors, they provide the service of installing, configuring, and maintaining the web server you need. For creating your own website or blog, you do not need to download your own web server. Although, it is possible to have your own web server at anytime.
I am interested in web servers, how can I learn more?
If you are inclined to learn more... it is possible to download a web server and host it at your home or place of business. It is not recommended to host production websites out of your home, but the experience and knowledge of configuring a web server can be helpful and fun. The most popular web server is the apache web server which can be found and downloaded for free, here. A long time ago, Microsoft used to provide a free copy of Personal Web Server with every copy of Windows. The idea may have been to give people the chance to build their own web server environment on their desktop. But, this is no longer the case. To use Microsoft IIS, you must purchase one of their server products.
What are some web servers? Below is a brief list of the most popular web servers on the internet today. According to NetCraft, the most popular web server is Apache, with 64.20% of the market.
That's all for today folks. We hope this small introduction to the world of web servers has been helpful. If there are any questions, please feel free to leave a comment.