Web Servers (IIS and Apache)
Outline
9.1 Introduction
9.2 HTTP Request Types
9.3 System Architecture
9.4 Client-Side Scripting versus Server-Side Scripting
9.5 Accessing Web Servers
9.6 Web Resources
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Objectives
In this lesson, you will learn:
To understand a Web server’s functionality.
To introduce Microsoft Internet Information
Services (IIS) and Apache Web server.
To learn how to request documents from a Web
server.
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9.1 Introduction
Web server: Responds to client requests by providing
resources
URI (Uniform Resource Identifier)
Web server and client communicate with platform-
independent Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
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IIS 5.0 IIS 6.0 Apache Web server
Company Microsoft Microsoft Apache Software
Corporation Corporation Foundation
Version 5.0 6.0 2.0.47
Released 2/17/00 3/28/03 7/10/03
Platforms Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003 Windows NT/2000/XP,
Windows XP Mac OS X, Linux and
other UNIX-based
platforms,
experimentally supports
Windows 95/98
Brief The most popular The newest release of Currently the most
description Web server for IIS from Microsoft. popular Web server.
Windows 2000.
Price Included with Included with Freeware.
Windows 2000 Windows Server 2003
and Windows
XP.
Web servers discussed in this chapter.
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9.2 HTTP Request Types
get :
Get (retrieves) information from a server
i.e: retrieve HTML document or image, fetch search results
Sends information as part of URL
www.search-engine.com/search?name=value
post:
Post (sends) data to a server
i.e: authentication information, form data.
Sends form data as an HTTP message, not as part of URL
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Browsers often cache (save on disk) Web pages
Quickly reload the page (speed up browsing experience)
Browser asks the server if the document has changed or
expired
If not, the browser loads the document from the cache
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9.3 System Architecture
Multi-tier application (n-tier application):
Information tier (data or bottom tier)
Maintains data for the application
Stores data in a relational database management system
(RDBMS)
Middle tier
Implements business logic and presentation logic
Control interactions between application clients and
application data
Client tier (top tier)
Application’s user interface
Users interact directly with the application through the client
tier 7
Information tier (data or
Client tier (top tier) Middle tier
bottom tier)
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9.4 Client-Side Scripting versus Server-
Side Scripting
Client-side scripts
Validate user input
Reduce requests needed to be passed to server
Access browser
JavaScipt, VBScript
Server-side scripts
Executed on server
Generate custom response for clients
Wide range of programmatic capabilities
Access to server-side software that extends server
functionality 9
9.5 Accessing Web Servers
Request documents from Web servers
know the Host names
Local Web servers
Access through machine name or localhost
Remote Web servers
Access through machine name
Domain name or Internet Protocol (IP) address
Domain name server (DNS): Computer that maintains a
database of host names and their corresponding IP address
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9.6 Web Resources
www.microsoft.com/msdownload/ntoptionpack/askwiz.asp
www.w3.org/Protocols
www.apache.org
httpd.apache.org
httpd.apache.org/docs-2.0
www.apacheweek.com
linuxtoday.com/stories/18780.html
www.iisanswers.com
www.iisadministrator.com
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