The document discusses different types of web servers, including Apache, IIS, Nginx, LiteSpeed, Apache Tomcat, and Node.js. It provides details on each server such as what organization develops it, what percentage of websites each powers, and their key features. The document also mentions other types of servers like mail, application, FTP, database, and DNS servers. It concludes by noting that web hosting companies select servers based on client needs, traffic volume, and other considerations.

1. Understanding a Web Server and Types of Web Servers
Webserverisusedto store,process,anddeliverwebpagestothe user'scommunicationusingHTTP
(HypertextTransferProtocol).Program
It isthe programusedto provide filesthatproduce web pagesforusersinresponse totheirrequests
that are sentbythe HTTP clientsof theircomputer.
Types of Web Servers
Mainlythere are the following typesof webservers
Apache , IIS, Nginx,and LiteSpeed.

2. Apache Web Server
Apache webserverisdevelopedbyApache Software Foundation.Itisthe mostpopularand open-source
software webserver.Apache supportsall operatingsystemssuchasLinux,Windows,Unix FreeBSD,Mac
OS X,and more.Around60% of devicesrunonthiswebserver.
Apache webserverismodularinstructure sothat it iseasyto customize.
As itis open-source,itaddedyourmoduleswhenyouwanttomake changesto adjustyour
requirements.
IIS Web Server
IISWeb ServerisdevelopedbyMicrosoft.Itcoversall featuresofferedbyApache.Asitisnotopen-
source software,itisunmanageable toaddmodulesandmodifythem.
It supportsall the platformsforWindowsoperatingsystem.Also,providegoodcustomersupportif
needed.

3. Nginx Web Server
Nginx isalsoan open-source webserverafterApache.Itincludesof IMAP/POP3proxyserver.Nginx
provideshighperformance,stability,simple configuration,andlow resource usage.
Nginx Web Serverisusedbymanywebhostingcompanies.Nginxhasnotusedanythreadsto handle
the requestsasan alternatelyahighlyscalable event-drivenarchitectureisusedtoa utilizedsmalland
predictable amountof memoryunderload.
LiteSpeed Web Server
LiteSpeed(LSWS) isthe top4thpopularwebserveras a commercial webserveronthe internet.Itisthe
bestreplacementforthe Apache.
By upgradingthe webservertoLiteSpeeditwill experience improvedperformancethatalsowith
loweringoperating costs.
LiteSpeedserveroffersthe featuressuchas.htaccess,mod_rewrite,andmod_securitythatare
compatible withApache.
It isable to loadApache configurationfilesdirectlyandworkasa drop-inreplacementApache with
almostall the hostingcontrol panels.
LiteSpeedcansubstitutethe Apache within15 minuteswithoutanydowntime.
LiteSpeedcanreplace all the Apache functions.However,otherfront-endproxysolutionscannot
simplifythe use andmake the transitionfromApache smoothandeasy.

4. Apache Tomcat
Apache Tomcat isan open-source Javaservletcontainerusesasawebserver.Itis a Java programthat
expandsthe capabilitiesof aserveriscalleda Java servlet.Servletsare usuallyrespondingtoanytype of
requestbuttheymostcommonlyimplementapplicationshostedonwebservers.Thesewebservletsare
Java equivalenttootherdynamicwebcontenttechnologiessuchasPHPand ASP.NET.Sun
MicrosystemsdonatedTomcat’scodebase tothe Apache Software Foundationin1999 presently
became a top-level Apache projectin2005. Apache Tomcat powersjustunderjust1% of all websites.
Apache Tomcat islistedwithotheropen-source Javaapplicationservers.Examplesare Wildfly,JBoss,
and Glassfish.
Node.js
Node.jsisprimaryaserver-sideJavaScriptcontextanditisusedfor the networkapplicationslike web
servers.ItwasfirstwrittenbyRyan Dahl in 2009.

5. Node.jsishavingasmallermarketanditruns 0.2% of all websites.Itisthe Node.jsproject,managedby
the Node.jsFoundation andassisted bythe Linux Foundation’sCollaborative Projectsprogram.
A cross-platformruntimeenvironmentforbuildingnetworkapplicationsmakesNode.jsdifferentfrom
otherpopularwebservers.Anevent-drivenstructure isappliedbyNode.jswhichiscapable of
asynchronousI/O.
Due to these designchoices,throughputandscalabilityare optimizedinwebapplicationswhichhelpsto
run real-time communicationandbrowsergames.Node.jsalsohelpsinunderstandingthe varietyin
webdevelopmentstacks,where Node.jsissimplypartof the HTML, CSS,and JavaScriptstack,as
opposedtoApache or NGINXwhichare a part of several differentsoftware stacks. Node.jshostingisan
open-source serverthatrunson manydifferentplatforms.
Lighttpd
LighttpdwasreleasedinMarch 2003 withitsfirstversion.Itcurrentlyrunsaround0.1% of all websites
and isclassifiedunderaBSD license.
Due to its small CPUload,lowmemory footprint,andspeedoptimizationsLighttpdstandsunique.
Lighttpdusesan event-drivenarchitectureandisoptimizedforalarge numberof parallel connections,
and supportsFastCGI,Auth,Output-compression,SCGI,URL-rewriting,andmanymore features.
It isa commonlyusedwebserverforthe webframeworkslikeCatalystandRubyonRails.

6. There are also some other types of servers are available as below:
Mail Server
Mail serveroffersacentrallylocatedpool of diskspace tostore and share differentdocumentsinthe
formof emailsfornetworkusers.
Mail serversusedasingle locationtostore the dataso that administratorsneedtobackupfilesonly
fromone computer.
Application Server
The applicationserverisaset of elementsthatcanbe accessedbythe software developerviaanAPI
definedbythe platformitself.These elementsare usuallyperformedinanenvironmentsimilartoits
webserver(s) forthe webapplications.
It mainlyworkstosupportthe developmentof dynamicpages.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Server
FTP isusedfor separate control anddata connectionsin-betweenthe clientandthe server.
FTP userscan authorize themselvesinthe formof a username andpassword.
FTP can alsoconnectwithanonymousnamesif permissionisgivenbythe server.
For secure transmission,the username andpasswordshouldbe encryptedusingthe FTPandSSL.
Database Server
Whena computerprogramoffersdatabase servicestoothercomputerswiththe feature of client-
serverfunctionalityiscalled adatabase server.Those are some DBMSs(example:MySQL) thatdepends
uponthe client-servermodelforaccessingthe database.
Domain Name System (DNS) Server
It isthe computerserverthatallowshostsanetworkservice forofferingresponsestoqueries isknown
as a name server.Itmapseitheranaddressingelementornumericidentification.Itisdone bythe server
to give a response toa networkservice protocol request.
The DNS serversprimarilytranslatethe human-memorabledomainnamesandhostnames intothe
correspondingnumericInternetprotocol (IP) addresses.Also,ithelpstorememberanamespace onthe
internetandisusedto findoutor locate the computersystemsandresourcesonthe Internet.

7. Concluding…
All webhostingcompaniesprimarily selectthe webserversdependsonthe demandof clients,the
numberof clientsona single server,the applications/software clientsuse,andthe amountof traffica
webservercan handle generatedbythe clients.
So,while selectingawebserverfirstof all thinkaboutall these aspectsandthenselectone.