What is Apache?
Apache, of its official name Apache HTTP Server, is a software installed on a physical server (powerful computer) and acts as a web server. It is even the most popular and the most used by most web hosts. Indeed, its multiplatform character, its stability and its modularity, make it a very good choice for all types of web hosting, including shared hosting and VPS servers.
The Apache web server is an open source software, free of charge. It is also one of the oldest web servers, since it first saw the light in 1995. Since then it has proven itself so that even famous companies like IBM, Adobe, Facebook, make use of it. The Apache Software Foundation is responsible for its development and maintenance.
How the Apache web server works?
As a web server, Apache aims to serve the web pages that visitors of a site request. When a visitor wants to visit a web page on the Internet, the appropriate URL is entered in the browser. The browser then uses this URL to connect with the hosting server of this specific site. Apache receives these requests, handles all the tasks involved in finding and sending the right page to the browser. Communication between the server and the browser takes place using the HTTP protocol.
Apache is a highly customizable server due to its modular nature. That is to say, you only need to add new modules to the Apache base server in order to extend its functionality. This feature is very useful for a web host who can customize their servers to meet specific needs. For web masters, the configuration of Apache server is done through an .htaccess file.
Why choose the Apache server?
Apache is attractive with its stability and continues to evolve with the Internet. It thus offers several other advantages:
- Apache is an open source software and completely free. Thus, for any project, the costs planned for it can be used for other purposes.
- It is also regularly updated. As soon as a bug is revealed, the community in charge quickly fixes the bug. Because of this, very few vulnerabilities are detected on the Apache server.
- It has many modules to extend its functionality and customize its operation.
Its advantages meet the needs of both small and large projects. However, it should be taken into account that adding too many options complicates the management of the server. To remedy this, we recommend adding only the features to be used.