What is Apache?
Apache HTTP Server is the world's most widely used open-source web server software. Developed by the Apache Software Foundation, it serves web pages to browsers and supports a vast ecosystem of modules for extended functionality.
How Does Apache Work?
Apache has been a cornerstone of the internet since 1995 and powers a significant portion of websites worldwide. It uses a process-based architecture where each connection is handled by a separate thread or process, making it reliable and well-understood. Its .htaccess configuration files allow per-directory settings without restarting the server.
Apache supports virtual hosting (multiple websites on one server), URL rewriting, authentication, and SSL/TLS. While Nginx has gained popularity for its event-driven architecture and better static file performance, Apache remains the default on many hosting platforms and excels at serving dynamic content through modules like mod_php.