A web server is a computer system that processes requests made via HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). Web servers are primarily used to host websites. User Agents send requests to the server and the server either returns the requested data or an error message. The behaviour of a web server can be controlled using a server language such as PHP (Hypertext Pre-processor) or ASP (Active Server Pages). Physicists at CERN (The European Centre for Nuclear Research) created a browser called WordWideWeb (Hence www) and the first webserver known as CERNhttp in 1982.

what Type of Server do i Require?

Server Installation depends on the type of server required. Is the server for the purposes of centralising file sharing within an office or home environment or is it to deliver information via the internet and HTTP requests. Depending on the size of the business the setting up of a web server can require both hardware and software. The type of hardware required depends on how much data the web server is expected to process. With the correct software a low volume web server can be ran from your own PC. However a business with a high data volume may require the installation of specialist web server technology. The two most popular types of web server software programs are the Apache Web Server and Microsoft Internet Information Services.