Before we get into the particulars of Apache, let's talk about what a web server is. In other words, the web server program sits around awaiting requests from visitors' web browsers for objects it has in its possession, and then sends these objects back for the visitor's viewing pleasure. Objects that web servers can serve include HTML documents, plain text, images, sounds, video, and other forms of data. P rotocol, a simple but effective language for requesting and transmitting data over a network. Thus, you'll sometimes hear web servers referred to as HTTP servers.
Web servers come in various shapes and sizes.
They run under a variety of operating systems, have varying levels of power and complexity, and range in price from rather expensive to free. Apache's performance and reliability is legendary. We'll be talking about some of these features in future articles. Chances are you'll find a module that can add the functionality you need. Well, as Apache is open source, you can write one yourself.