Web server

A Web server is a program that serves the files that form Web pages to Web users (whose computers contain HTTP clients that forward their requests). Every computer on the Internet that contains a Web site must have a Web server program.

The most popular Web servers are Microsoft's Internet Information Server (Internet Information Server, as used by Carp Services), which comes with the Windows NT server; Netscape FastTrack and Enterprise servers; and Apache, a Web server for UNIX-based operating systems. Other Web servers include Novell's Web Server for users of its NetWare operating system and IBM's family of Lotus Domino servers, primarily for IBM's OS/390 and AS/400 customers.

Web servers often come as part of a larger package of Internet- and intranet-related programs for serving e-mail, downloading requests for File Transfer Protocol files, and building and publishing Web pages.

Considerations in choosing a Web server include how well it works with the operating system and other servers, its ability to handle server-side programming, and publishing, search engine, and site building tools that may come with it.

Read more about it at:

> PC Magazine offers a review of Microsoft's Internet Information Server.

> PC Magazine also offers a review of Netscape's Enterprise Server.

> The Apache home page provides more information about this freeware server.

> PC Magazine also offers a review of the Novell Web Server.

> IBM's family of Lotus Domino servers includes support for a number of operating systems.

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