Web Server

The main job of a Web server computer is to respond to requests from Web client computers. The three main elements of a Web server are the hardware (computers and related components), operating system software, and Web server software. All three of these elements must work together to provide sufficient capacity in a given situation.

After they have decided on the goals they want to accomplish with their Web sites, most companies begin developing their sites by estimating the number of visitors they expect to have, how many pages those visitors will view during an average visit, how large those pages will be (including graphics and other page elements), and the likely maximum number of simultaneous visitors. The next step is to determine the hardware and software combination that will work best to meet the needs of site visitors.

When people use their Internet connections to become part of the Web, their computers become Web client computers on a worldwide client/server network. Client/server architectures are used in LANs, WANs, and the Web. In a client/server architecture, the client computers typically request services, such as printing, information retrieval, and database access, from the server, which processes the clients' requests. The computers that perform the server function usually have more memory and larger, faster disk drives than the client computers they serve.

The Internet connects many different types of computers running different types of operating system software. Because Web software is platform neutral it lets these computers communicate with each other easily and effectively. This platform neutrality has been (and continues to be) a critical ingredient in the rapid spread and widespread acceptance of the Web.

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