Apache HTTP Server

Apache HTTP Server

Apache Server is Open Source, high performance HTTP server from Apache foundation. This server runs millions on website on Internet.

Apache HTTP Server: All You Need to Know About Apache HTTP Server

Apache HTTP server is an open source web server, which is most predominantly used in the world. It is available for free yet it is very fast, secured and supports multi-threaded too. The Apache Web server offers an array of features from support for third party server side programming language, database management, cryptographic code support, etc. This is done through extension of core functionality by compiled modules. The latest version of Apache announced on January 20, 2017 is 2.4.25.

An open source HTTP server

Apache HTTP server is an open source server, whose source code is accessible in the public domain for modification or to be used by developers as per their customized needs. Users can adapt to the server with their tweaks and extensions or add-ons, of which there is a dedicated library. An HTTP server refers to a web server that stores and distributes information or web pages to clients by processing URL request through Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (or HTTP).  Again a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol is the standard underlying code that determines what actions a server and browser needs to take and how data will be transmitted.

The Development

The creation of this HTTP server project by collaborative effort of programmers, under the name Apache Software Foundation, took place in 1995. It developed and flourished after the NCSA code, on which it was based at preliminary stage, stopped functioning and soon NCSA HTTPd was taken over by Apache. It played a major role in rise of World Wide Web (WWW) at the nascent stage. It is now managed by a community of volunteers across various regions.

The Naming

The etymology of the “Apache”, as the software is popularly called, belongs to the native Indian Americans, who are recognized for their unfathomable velour and their great warfare techniques. The derivation indicates the robustness of the server. The name is also used as a pun to sound like “patchy”, since the software was developed using patches of various programmers.

The Application

The most widely used HTTP server is compatible with most of the operating systems of the world, although initially it was designed to suit UNIX. Whether the operating systems are modeled on UNIX like Linux, Digital UNIX, AIX, Solaris; or derived from it like BEOS, Rhapsody; and others like Amiga OS, Windows, MAC OS, OS/2, etc. all of them can work with Apache. However, the support to older platforms, like TPF and BEOS, has been withdrawn with Apache 2.4.
Companies that render web hosting services deploy the Apache for sharing or virtual hosting purpose. Most hosting providers of Word Press use Apache as their server for maximum utility, although they can run on other web servers also.

The Functioning

The Apache HTTP server stores, processes and delivers via internet, contents like HTML documents, multimedia, CSS style sheets, etc. which is availed by the users through computers. Basically, the program runs in background of operating software and manages multithread Universal Resource Locater (URL) requests through HTTP. An application, mainly a web browser or a crawler connects with the server and asks for specific information using HTTP. The server then produces relevant content in form of URL listings, or an error and responds to the client, using browser or crawler, through the HTTP.

The Popularity

Apart from being a flashing, open-source server that can be installed free of cost to handle loads of traffic, the Apache HTTP server has some hybrid uses too. For e.g. it can be applied to integrate with programs like My SQL and PHP, etc. by adding a new module. It also enables unnecessary functionalities to be removed. It became the server to be handling over hundred million websites in 2009 and as of now it has dominance on 46% of the active sites.