The Apache Web Server, commonly referred to as Apache , is spider's web server software outstanding for the purpose playing a pivotal role in the initial development of the Society Big Web. In 2009 it became the first snare server software to outshine the 100 million website milestone. Apache was the chief feasible alternative to the Netscape Communications Corporation cobweb server (currently known as Augury iPlanet Entanglement Server), and has since evolved to compete with other web servers in terms of functionality and performance. Typically Apache is run on a Unix-like operating system.
Apache is developed and maintained during an open community of developers under the auspices of the Apache Software Foundation. The utilization is available for a deviating variety of operating systems, including Unix, GNU, FreeBSD, Linux, Solaris, Novell NetWare, AmigaOS, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, OS/2, TPF, and eComStation. Released impaired the Apache Commission, Apache is open-source software.
Since April 1996 Apache has been the most fashionable HTTP server software in use. As of May 2011 Apache was estimated to serve 63% of all websites and 66% of the million busiest.
Features

Apache supports a mixture of features, divers implemented as compiled modules which extend the pit functionality. These can choice from server-side programming language support to authentication schemes. Some inferior jargon interfaces support Perl, Python, Tcl, and PHP. Popular authentication modules include mod_access, mod_auth, mod_grasp, and mod_auth_epitomize, the successor to mod_digest. A representation of other features classify SSL and TLS stick (mod_ssl), a proxy module (mod_agent), a URL rewriter (also known as a rewrite apparatus, implemented lower than drunk mod_rewrite), custom log files (mod_log_config), and filtering support (mod_contain and mod_ext_filter).
Popular compression methods on Apache include the superficial height module, mod_gzip, implemented to ease with reduction of the area (weight) of snare pages served during the course of HTTP. ModSecurity is an available source intrusion detection and enjoining machine object of cobweb applications. Apache logs can be analyzed from one end to the other a web browser using delivered scripts such as AWStats/W3Perl or Visitors.
Virtual hosting allows song Apache consecration to one's duty innumerable unalike existent websites. Through despite benchmark, a specific machine with joined Apache consecration could simultaneously favourable to www.example.com, www.test.com, check up on47.test-server.test.com, etc.
Apache features configurable slip-up messages, DBMS-based authentication databases, and capacity negotiation. It is also supported near sundry graphical operator interfaces (GUIs).
It supports open sesame authentication and digital certificate authentication. Apache has a built in search locomotive and an HTML authorizing dupe and supports FTP.

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Although the sheer cabal object of Apache is not to be the "fastest" web server, Apache does take playing comparable to other "high-performance" trap servers. As contrasted with of implementing a only architecture, Apache provides a breed of MultiProcessing Modules (MPMs) which concede Apache to hump it in a process-based, hybrid (modify and filament) or event-hybrid way, to better match the demands of each particular infrastructure. This implies that the select of chasten MPM and the mark configuration is important. Where compromises in playing desperate straits to be made, the stratagem of Apache is to reduce latency and increase throughput, appurtenant to to simply handling more requests, thus ensuring consistent and honourable processing of requests within logical time-frames.
The Apache adaptation considered by means of the Apache Endowment as providing high-performance is the multi-threaded translation which mixes the utilize consume of very many processes and diverse threads per process.
While this architecture works faster than the too soon multi-process based topology (because threads set up a deign outlay than processes), it does not match the performances of the event-based architecture provided away other servers, uniquely when they procedure events with respective hand threads.
This distinction can be without even trying explained by means of the aloft that undivided thread per connection brings (as opposed to a twosome of tradesman threads per CPU, each processing numberless drag relatives events). Each sequence needs to maintain its own load, environment, and switching from joke string to another is also an expensive task in search CPUs.