Formerly known as the “APatCHy Server,” based on existing code and a series of “patch files“, the mature code name deserves to be linked to the native Apache tribe, well known for their superior attributes in strategy confrontations and extraordinary adaptation to the environment. Apache is an open source HTTP server. Apache has played and plays an essential role in web development, currently being used in about 65.2% of web pages.
The web server is an automated program responsible for accepting the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request from clients through the web browser. The role of a web server is to serve HTTP responses, such as HTML documents, related objects, images, etc.
On the other hand, Apache is an open source server, in other words, the HTTP service is free for users. Apache was launched in 1995, and in 2009 it became the first web server to create more than 100 million sites. Apache is a web server with a notable contribution to the development of the Internet (world wide web). Apache was the first viable alternative to Netscape Communications Corporation and quickly evolved into functionality and performance as a competitive rival for other Unix-based web servers.
Apache is developed by an open community of programmers under the Apache Software Foundation logo. The application is available for a wide variety of operating systems including Unix, FreeBSD, Linux, Solaris, Novell NetWare, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows and OS/2. Apache supports a wide variety of modules that extend its functionality, ranging from server-side programming to authentication schemes.
Some supported languages are mod_perl, mod_python, Tcl, and PHP. Other modules include: SSL and TLS support (mod_ssl), a proxy module, URL rewrite mode (known as a mod_rewrite engine), custom log files (mod_log_config), and filter support (mod_include and mod_ext_filter).
Another Apache server quality is virtual hosting, which is the ability to host multiple sites simultaneously on the same server. On the other hand, the significant disadvantage of the Apache HTTP server is the lack of compatibility for Java Servlets or the Java Server pages that cannot run with the Apache HTTP server. That’s why Apache Tomcat was created to solve this problem.
Apache Tomcat, also known as “Tomcat” is an open-source web server, developed and maintained by the Apache Software Foundation. It is a software implementation for Java technologies and runs on Java Servlets and JavaServer pages, known as JSPs. As for Apache HTTP Server, Tomcat provides support for Java Servlet and JSP for served pages. Tomcat also works as a test server and can run in different ways to ensure excellent performance. Often used together, Tomcat can add value to installing Apache HTTP Server. However, Tomcat can also stand on its own as a web server without Apache HTTP Server.
However, if multiple static pages are run simultaneously or other dynamic techniques are required, it is better to opt for Apache HTTP Server and run Tomcat in- or out-of-process.