Week#4
HTTP and Web Servers
Understanding Requests and Responses
Ms.Nosheen Iqbal
26/09/2024
What is HTTP?
Definition: Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the foundation of data communication on
the web.
Purpose: It defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and how web servers
and browsers should respond to various commands.
Works as a request-response protocol between client and server.
HTTP/1.1 is the most common version; HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 are faster versions introduced for
efficiency.
Key Characteristics:
Stateless protocol: Each request is independent.
The Client-Server Model
Client:
The user's web browser or application requesting resources (e.g., Chrome, Firefox).
Server:
The web server that stores or processes the requested resources.
Communication:
The client sends HTTP requests, and the server sends HTTP responses.
Example:
Typing a URL in the browser sends a request to the server, which returns a webp
The Client-Server Model
Definition: A model where clients (browsers, applications) request resources from
servers.
Diagram:
Structure of an HTTP Request
HTTP Request Components
Request Line: Method (GET, POST, etc.), URL, HTTP version.
Headers: Provide additional information about the request (e.g., User-Agent, Host).
Body: Optional. Data being sent to the server (e.g., form submissions).
Common HTTP Methods
GET: Retrieve data from the server.
POST: Send data to the server (e.g., submitting a form).
PUT: Update or replace existing resources.
DELETE: Remove a specified resource from the server.
HEAD: Similar to GET but without the response body (fetches headers).
PATCH: Apply partial modifications to a resource.
Web Server Software Comparison
Apache:
Widely used, flexible configuration.
Good for smaller-scale applications.
Nginx:
High performance, great for handling multiple concurrent connections.
Often used as a reverse proxy for load balancing.
Structure of an HTTP Response
Status Line: HTTP version, status code, status message.
Headers: Information about the response (e.g., Content-Type, Content-Length).
Body: The actual data (HTML, JSON, images, etc.) returned by the server.
HTTP Status Codes
1xx (Informational): Request received, continuing process.
2xx (Success): Request successfully received, understood, and accepted (e.g., 200 OK).
3xx (Redirection): Further action needed to complete the request (e.g., 301 Moved
Permanently).
4xx (Client Error): The request contains bad syntax or cannot be fulfilled (e.g., 404 Not
Found).
5xx (Server Error): The server failed to fulfill a valid request (e.g., 500 Internal Server Error).
Understanding Web Servers
A web server is software that serves web pages in response to HTTP requests.
Hosts websites and handles requests for static (e.g., HTML) and dynamic content (e.g.,
PHP, Python scripts).
Examples: Apache, Nginx, IIS.
A web server can also act as a reverse proxy, handling traffic between clients and multiple
servers.
The Role of DNS in HTTP Requests
DNS (Domain Name System): Translates domain names (e.g.,
www.example.com) into IP addresses.
Process:
Client requests domain (www.example.com).
DNS server translates it to an IP (93.184.216.34).
The HTTP request is then sent to this IP address.
HTTP vs HTTPS
HTTP:
Data is sent in plain text.
Suitable for non-sensitive data.
HTTPS:
Encrypts data to ensure privacy.
Essential for sensitive data like passwords, banking information.
Uses SSL/TLS for encryption.
Web Server Architecture
Static Content: Directly served from file storage (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript).
Dynamic Content: Generated on-the-fly using server-side scripts (e.g., PHP, Python).
Database Connection: Web servers often interact with databases (e.g., MySQL) to retrieve or store
data
Conclusion
HTTP is the backbone of web communication, facilitating data transfer between clients and
servers.
Web servers play a critical role in delivering both static and dynamic content.
The evolution of HTTP, from HTTP/1.1 to HTTPS, has enhanced the speed, security, and
performance of the web.
