The Differences Between Microsoft IIS Server, Apache Web Server, and Other Web Server Hosting Applications - Research Paper Example

Web server stores web pages (contain graphics, text, and multimedia) written using mark up language, and they serve static content across the network to a client’s computer web-browser program. The browser and the server communicate using HTTP. A web server provides essential services across the network to both the private users within organizations, or to public users through the internet, and manages network resources. This is usually based on client-server computing, whereby the client represents the user’s workstations, which acquire services from the server.

Web servers contain the following components; platform (computer hardware, network operating system, and software), software (receives and processes requests for documents), and information. There is a variety of web servers; this includes Apache HTTP server, Internet Information Services, Lighttpd, Sun Java System Web Server, Apache Tomcat, Xitami, Zues, and Jigsaw server. They possess an IP address, and a domain name, both of which are used for request, retrieval, and sending of information to clients and other servers (Yeager, McGrath, 1996).

Microsoft IIS Server IIS is Microsoft’s web server, which runs under versions of windows 2000, 2003, and 2008. IIS describes different servers and services responsible for transferring files, supporting user communication, and publishing information. IIS is composed of five components handled by a number of service hosts. It has HTTP capabilities added to the windows operating system and supports the worldwide publishing services, protocols such as FTP service, Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) service, and SMTP service for e-mail.

Its operating system supports .NET applications, and it allows efficient addition of internet capabilities that weave directly into the organizations infrastructure (Jones, Brown, 2003). Advantages of IIS IIS improves the performance for both static and dynamic pages. Stability is guaranteed in terms of protection of individual processes so that problems with clients or third party application do not result in slowing down or crashing the entire system. IIS enables users to run different applications using the browser, without installation of special software.

IIS applications are compatible with a variety of browser software and operating systems, and provide a familiar development environment and model. It provides reusability of components through the ease of access of web classes from subsequent web classes. IIS prevents non-malicious scripts from modifying files through its expanded set of authentication methods, hence guaranteeing security. The IIS has a variety of features including application health monitoring, dynamic content caching (reduces CPU overhead), process isolation (enables assigning applications to different pools), and improved logging.

IIS is multithreaded. Disadvantages of IIS The IIS is designed to work under the windows environment only hence limiting its functionality, IIS limits users to HTTP only while using Windows XP and Windows server 2003. There are overhead costs incurred in terms of purchasing the product, and installation. Apache Web Server Apache is a program that runs under a suitable multitasking operating