Software that is designed to be used on a computing server, where it is used to harness the computing power of the server for use in a variety of services and functions, is known as server software, the focus of this category.
Servers, consisting of both hardware and software, provide the functionality to other programs and devices that are known as clients. This client-server model is used in email, network printing, and the World Wide Web, the part of the Internet that most of us are familiar with.
In response to a request from the client, the server software interacts with the server's hardware infrastructure to accomplish a specified purpose.
Server software can be categorized according to the type or usage of the server, including application server software, cloud computing server software, database server software, filer server software, and web server software, each of which use the server for different functions and services, but they all depend on the server computer's capacity and resources.
In some cases, the same computer might operate as both a server and a client, depending on the scenario. As an example, a web server might receive a request from a client and, in response to that request, become a client to a separate database server. Some servers have specialized hardware, although server software is often run on top of an operating system, such as Linux, macOS, or Microsoft Windows. When this software receives requests from clients, it turns the computer into a server.
A common type of server is the web server, which is often stylized as one word, webserver. A web server handles requests from browsers, such as Safari or Microsoft Edge, across the Internet or on local networks, and responds with webpages, images, or whatever else might be requested by the browser. Server software from the Apache Foundation powers a large portion of the World Wide Web, but others exist, as well, including Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS)
Other types of servers include database servers, and file and print servers. For our purposes, however, database servers are covered in the Database category, and file and print servers are commonly found in office networks, and run on computers that are also be used for other office work.
This category, then, primarily refers to web servers software, and the resources listed here are focused on such software.
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Amahi is an open-source software development company. Its home server software system requires either Fedora or Ubuntu Linux, a physical PC or virtual machine on which to install the software, and a working Internet connection. The software is installed on a dedicated computer that serves as a central computer for the home, handling the entertainment, storage, and computing needs, while TV shows, videos, and music can be stored, organized, and delivered to media devices on the network.
https://www.amahi.org/
Commonly known simply as Apache, the Apache HTTP Server is a free and open-source (Apache License), cross-platform web server software developed by a community of developers hosted by the Apache Software Foundation. Most Apache servers run on Linux distributions, but there are versions for Microsoft Windows and other Unix-like systems. The development of the Apache Server system began in 1995, and Apache played a significant role in the early growth of the World Wide Web and is still dominant.
https://httpd.apache.org/
Written in Erlang, and released in 2003, Ejabberd is an XMPP application server that can run under several Unix-like operating systems, including macOS, GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and OpenSolaris, as well as Windows. Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License, it integrates easily with several applications, listed on its site, supports interaction with web browsers and web apps, as well as real-time messaging. Its features and uses are outlined.
https://www.process-one.net/en/ejabberd/
IBM Cloud offers a wide range of software options, which are installed using each vendor’s best practices and are licensed and billed month-to-month, along with the rest of the solution. IBM Cloud supports most common open-source and proprietary operating systems, utilities, and applications. Supported operating systems, virtualization and security software, databases, control panels, backup options, and software-defined storage are documented, and related products are introduced.
https://www.ibm.com/cloud/server-software
Previously known as Mac OS X Server and OS X Server, then a standalone operating system, macOS Server is distributed as an operating system add-on or application that provides additional server programs along with the management and administration tools for iOS or macOS, allowing any Mac or iOS mobile device to become a server. Its features and technical specifications are presented in this section of Apple’s website, and it may be purchased from the Apple App Store.
https://www.apple.com/macos/server/
Microsoft Internet Information Services is an extensible web server created by Microsoft for use within the Windows NT family. Although it has been a part of the Windows NT family since Windows NT 4.0, it is not active by default. The Microsoft IIS site offers an introduction to the IIS administration API, along with instructions, an online user manual, and help section, configuration references, an informational blog, and a support forum. Supported downloads for IIS are available.
https://www.iis.net/
Pronounced as “engine X,” Nginx is an open-source (2-clause BSD) web server that can also serve as a reverse proxy, load balancer, mail proxy, and HTTP cache. Created by Igor Sysoev, it was released in 2004 and is being developed by a company of the same name, formed in 2011, and which was acquired by F5 Networks in 2019. The software uses an asynchronous event-driven approach, rather than threads, to handle requests. Development news, documentation, and support data is posted.
https://nginx.org/
Available as free and open-source software under the terms of the New BSD License, Sabre/DAV is a WebDAV server built in PHP, as an implementation of the WebDAV protocol, with extensions for CalDAV and CardDAV, resulting in a native PHP server implementation that operates on Apache2 and Nginx web servers. Instructions for installing, upgrading, getting started, and troubleshooting are put forth, along with a full user and developer guide, and support page.
http://sabre.io/dav/
Developed by Codeorigin, LLC, Sysax Multi Server is a secure FTP server and an SSH2 secure shell server for the Windows operating system, combined into one product. It simultaneously supports remote access and file transfers via FTP, FTPS, SFTP, Telnet, and Secure Shell, and also supports web-based file transfers through HTTP and HTTPS. Sysax Multi Server is available in several editions, which are described on the site, including prices and other details.
https://www.sysax.com/server/
The Ubuntu Linux server edition uses the same APT repositories as the Ubuntu Desktop Edition and uses a screen-mode, character-based interface for the installation rather than a graphical installation process, which enables its installation on machines with a serial or dumb terminal interface without graphics support. Recent versions support hardware virtualization and can be run in a virtual machine, inside of a host OS or a hypervisor. Support options are discussed.
https://ubuntu.com/download/server
Zope is a line of free and open-source (Zope Public License) servers written in Python. Zope was the first system using the object publishing methodology for the web and has recently developed several new web frameworks, Zope being the most widespread of these. An introduction to the Zope Community is given, along with documentation for its products, developer information, and an application for those interested in becoming a contributor.
https://www.zope.org/
