A web server is a piece of software that often runs on a hardware server and offers services to users, commonly referred to as clients. It can also refer to the hardware itself, which is a computer that stores web server software and a website’s component files.
On the hardware side, a web server is a computer that connects to the internet and stores web server software along with the files that make up a website, such as HTML documents, images, CSS stylesheets, and JavaScript files.
On the software side, a web server includes several parts that control how web users access hosted files. At a minimum, it includes an HTTP server, which is software that understands the HTTP protocol used by web browsers to view webpages. The HTTP server can be accessed through domain names and delivers the content of hosted websites to the end user’s device.
When a browser needs a file hosted on a web server, it sends a request via HTTP. The HTTP server on the web server accepts the request, finds the requested document, and sends it back to the browser through HTTP. If the server doesn’t find the requested document, it returns a 404 response.
In summary, a web server is a combination of hardware and software that stores and delivers web content to users over the internet.
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