Currently, most open source works well on Apache Server. Apache is not necessarily the best web server, but it is free and easy to install. So you can find Apache at any web hosting provider.
What is Apache?
Apache is a free and open-source software installed on web server servers (hardware) to handle requests sent to the server under HTTP or HTTPs protocols.
Requests sent to the server using the HTTP method are also referred to as HTTP requests (or HTTP requests).
Using the browser you can send an HTTP request simply by entering an address and clicking Enter. You have then made an HTTP request to a server on the internet. This server address is determined by the IP address or representative domain you entered.
Apache is developed by the Apache Software Foundation and is currently one of the most commonly used web servers in the world.
You can refer to more on Wikipedia
How does Apache work?
Although we call Apache a web server, it is not a physical server. It is a piece of software that runs on that server. Its job is to establish a connection between the server and the user’s browser (Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari …) and then transfer files back and forth between them (2-dimensional structure as a client-server).
When a visitor loads a website on your website. The user browser sends a request to upload the page to the server and Apache will return the results with all the files that make up the page (images, text, etc.). The server and client that communicate with each other via HTTP / HTTPs and Apache are responsible for ensuring that this process is fast and secure between the two machines.
Advantages and disadvantages of Apache
The Apache web server is a good choice for operating a stable and customizable website. However, it also has some not so good points that you should know.
Advantages
- Free and open-source software, even for commercial purposes
- Reliable software, stable
- Updated regularly, many security patches constantly
- Flexible because of the modular structure
- Easy to configure, beginner-friendly
- Multi-platform (Linux, macOS, and Windows)
- Has a large community and is willing to assist with any issue
Defect
- Having performance issues if the website has a lot of traffic
- Too many setting options can cause security weaknesses
- More resource-intensive than some other web server software
Rival of Apache
Apache has many rivals. Opponents may have some improvements that Apache really does not address. For example, Nginx loads static files better and consumes very few resources. Or LightSpeed is light and has a great cache …
Good luck!
