There are many well-known web server software such as “IIS (Internet Information Services)” provided by Microsoft and “Google Web Server” used by Google. Do you know ” Apache
“, which has a long history among many Web servers?
Due to its high versatility and ease of installation, Apache is often used as the Web server used in system development.
This time, we will introduce in detail the basic information of Apache to its advantages and installation method. If you are a company person who is considering installing Web server software or Apache, please refer to this content.
table of contents
- 1. What is Apache?
- 2. What is Web server software?
- 3. Features and benefits of Apache
- 4. Precautions when installing Apache
- 5. Is there any web server software other than Apache?
- 6. What is Apache recommended for?
- 7. How to open a site using Apache?
What is Apache?
Apache is one of the well-known web server software used worldwide. Due to its high performance and excellent operability, it is gaining popularity regardless of company or individual. The first version was released in 1995, which is as old as 1995, but it has been used for more than 20 years with repeated small updates. When choosing web server software, it is no exaggeration to say that it is a web server software that is an option.
Because it is open-source, it is often included in the rental server plan from the beginning because it is “free to use”. If you want to use a web server at no cost to set up a homepage or blog in a company, why not try using Apache?
By the way, the name Apache is well-established among engineers, but the name Apache is an abbreviation. Officially, it has a longer name, “Apache HTTP Server”.
What is web server software?
Before introducing the specific features and merits of Apache, let’s briefly explain “Web server software”. In the first place, a web server is a server that sends homepage and blog data to the browser of a personal computer or smartphone. To put it simply, you can think of it as “a storage location for the data needed to display a web page.”
A web page is composed of various files such as HTML files and image files, and the place where these files (data) are stored is the webserver. In this Web server, “Web server software” such as Apache handles all the exchanges such as data transfer.
If you want to know more about the server or what other types of servers are there, please refer to the following page. From the basic information of the server to the points in the construction, it is explained in an easy-to-understand manner.
■ What are the points of server construction? Basic knowledge about servers that I can’t hear anymore
Features and benefits of Apache
By the way, what are the features and merits of Apache, which can be said to be the representative of such Web server software?
- Works regardless of OS
- It’s open-source so you can use it for free
- Processing speed is fast
- Abundance of functions
● Works regardless of OS
Depending on the application or system, there may be a malfunction depending on the “OS type”. Apache, on the other hand, runs on multiple operating systems. Since it can be used on major operating systems such as Mac, Windows, and Linux, it is popular as a web server software with a reputation for high versatility.
● Because it is open-source, it can be used for free.
As mentioned in the overview section, Apache has the advantage of being open-source web server software that anyone can use for free. Of course, it costs money to rent the server itself and acquire a domain, but it is the best web server software for cases where you want to open a homepage or blog without spending money.
● Fast processing speed
Apache also has the feature of high processing speed. Since the display of the homepage and the operation of dynamic contents can be processed smoothly, it is an advantage that it is easy to realize comfortable operation even on a large site. The point is that it is easy to link with PHP and databases, and it is easy to run CMS.
● Abundance of functions
Apache, which has been popular for decades, has many additional modules that can be extended. There are many modules that users have developed independently, including those that are officially released. Highly customizable, which allows you to freely install the required functions, is also an excellent element of Apache as Web server software.
Other benefits of Apache include stability and security. In addition, there is a lot of technical information that has been disseminated from many years of experience, and the fact that it is easy for engineers to learn is also hidden merit.
Precautions when installing Apache
At first glance, it doesn’t seem to have any drawbacks, but Apache also has its disadvantages. For example, Apache consumes a lot of memory when performing multiple data processes, and the larger the number of simultaneous processes, the heavier the operation tends to be. It may be resolved with future updates, but this feature makes it unsuitable for websites that are used by a large number of people at the same time.
In addition, Apache has the disadvantage of “no support or warranty” due to its open-source nature. When any trouble occurs, the user must deal with it. If you are not confident in your IT knowledge and skills, you may consider installing Web server software provided by a company such as IIS.
However, as introduced in the previous section, Apache is a web server software with a large amount of information on the market due to a large number of users. Even if a technical problem arises, the troubleshooting itself is extensive and it will be easy to solve the problem.
Is there any web server software other than Apache?
Besides Apache, which has the top share, there are many popular web server software. Among them, let’s briefly introduce two, IIS and Nginx (Engine X), which are easy to compare with Apache.
● IIS (Internet Information Services)
IIS is a web server software provided by Microsoft, which is familiar with Windows. Although it has a lower market share than Apache, it has a high affinity with Microsoft products and is easy to operate visually. It is also recommended for beginners because it has generous support from Microsoft.
● nginx (engine X)
Linux is known as a well-known web server software that divides its popularity with Apache. The biggest feature is that it can handle multiple data processing that Apache is not good at high speed. It is a web server software that is highly customizable and easy to expand its functions. On the other hand, Nginx has a high technical difficulty and has the disadvantage that it is not suitable for beginners.
Since the characteristics of each Web server software are different, it is recommended that you select the most suitable one after understanding the characteristics of each when opening a homepage or blog. If you can select the Web server software that suits your purpose, it will lead to improvements in the ease of operation and management of Web pages and usability.
What is Apache recommended for?
So what kind of use is Apache suitable for in Web server software? Highly versatile Apache is a web server software that is useful for opening any site, such as personal sites and corporate blogs. Since it can be used for almighty, you may choose Apache if you are not particular about it.
However, as introduced in the merit section, Apache has the feature of high processing speed even with a large amount of data. Given this feature, Apache is well suited for large sites (or services) such as “corporate e-commerce sites” or “corporate sites”.
On the other hand, Apache has the characteristic that the processing speed becomes slower as the number of simultaneous connections increases, so it may not be suitable for sites that require simultaneous connections such as SNS services. It is possible to alleviate these disadvantages to some extent by adding modules and building an environment, but it is also a good way to use other web server software such as Nginx and IIS according to the website or service you want to create. You can say that.
How to open a site using Apache?
Finally, let’s talk about site creation and environment construction using Apache.
Apache, which is open source, can be easily obtained and installed from the official site. However, it will be difficult to set up Web server software, build an environment, add modules, etc. without an engineer who is familiar with IT. Engineers who handle Web servers include infrastructure engineers and server engineers, but it is rare for general companies to have these engineers.
Therefore, when creating a site or building an environment using Apache, it is recommended to outsource to a system company. Many system companies are good at handling Nginx and IIS such as Apache, and many companies can request everything from Web server settings to site creation. In particular, in the case of a company that does not have an engineer, “I want to create a site and manage operations!” And “I want to request the construction of a Web server environment”, a system company that is strong in Apache will be a strong ally. ..
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