A web hosting server is a computer or a cluster of computers that are specifically configured to host websites. These servers are connected to the internet, and they store the files that make up a website, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images and videos. When a user types in a website’s domain name in their web browser, the server retrieves the requested files and sends them to the user’s browser, which then renders the website on the user’s device.
Web hosting servers typically run specialized software, such as Apache or Nginx, which is used to manage and serve the website’s files. They also may include additional software such as databases, scripting languages like PHP and Perl, and email servers.
There are different types of web hosting servers, depending on the hosting service:
- Shared hosting servers: shared among multiple customers, it’s the most basic and cheapest option, but also the one with the most limitations.
- Virtual Private Server (VPS): similar to a dedicated server but with virtualization technology, it allows multiple customers to share a single physical server while having their own private resources and control.
- Dedicated servers: a single customer rents the whole server, it’s the most powerful and customizable option, but also the most expensive one.
- Cloud servers: servers that run on a cloud computing environment, it allows customers to pay only for the resources they use and to easily scale up or down as needed.
Web hosting servers are typically located in data centers, which are secure facilities that provide power, cooling, and networking infrastructure to keep the servers running smoothly.
