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It’s tough to dispute that Apache HTTP Server is one of the most popular web servers. It serves millions of the web’s most popular domains and is responsible for bringing you a good chunk of the enterprise tools you use daily. Domotz is a network management software for network device monitoring.
Here’s a basic rundown and how to enable our Apache Monitoring tool.
Do you know what your Apache HTTPS instance is doing now? The Domotz Apache monitoring tool lets you see CPU usage, request stats, transfers, and more on a per-server basis. To get started, integrate it into your Domotz monitoring client via its web app.
- Review the configuration and actual performance of your Apache HTTP Server
- Monitoring of Apache HTTP server resource consumption
- Check the traffic and duration of requests
- Review the mod_status information
Learn all about our monitoring of your Apache instance with Domotz.
What is Apache?
The Apache HTTP Server, colloquially called Apache, is a free and open-source web server. The release of the software is under the terms of the Apache License 2.0.
Apache is developed and maintained by an open community of developers under the direction of the Apache Software Foundation. It’s one of the oldest and most reliable web server software supported by the Apache Software Foundation, with the first version released in 1995.
What is a web server?
A web server is a system that stores files (usually web pages) and makes them accessible via a network or the internet. When you type in a web address like www.example.com, your computer contacts the example server and requests the files it stores there. The server then sends them to you for display on your screen/monitor/device.
Web servers don’t always have to share public-facing webpages – like this one. They can also host interfaces to tools and services, like the GUI you log into via your browser to configure your router.
Web servers also tend to handle related background processes – like databases. This common practice makes it possible to get more out of your computing hardware, but it can also impact the availability of system resources, making it helpful to keep a close eye on things.
For some, Apache Web server is crucial to monitor all your IT infrastructures to ensure that it continues to perform effectively, which applies equally to your Web server.
What does Apache do?
Firstly, Apache serves web page content to make a long story short.
Moreover, it can support the standard HTTP and secure HTTPS protocols and works with IPv6, WebSockets, compression, logging, and throttling.
Apache’s popularity is partially down to its speed and ease of use. The software serves pages by looking for them in a specific directory – the same one where you or your webmaster puts all the files with your business blogs, pet-selfie photo albums, digital retail listings, etc.
This server maintains a one-to-one relationship between the files in your directory tree and the pages on your site. Imagine you’re running a place called “mypets.co.” If the server’s Apache root directory contains a path like “cats/index.htm” then Apache will serve up a page like “mypets.co/cats/index.htm“
How does Apache work?
Thanks to its flexible architecture, Apache does an excellent job of using resources and keeping pages up. It uses several different components to do its work, including the Apache Web Server Core and the Apache Modules.
Administrators can tweak Apache to their liking by editing the configuration files. The main configuration file, typically called httpd.conf, is located in the /etc/apache2/ directory on many Unix-like systems – but you can configure where it should be.
The Apache Web Server Core handles income client requests by returning the appropriate responses. Most setups achieve this by using several different threads to handle each request – but threads aren’t the only option. Apache can work with processes and events too.
The Apache Modules are a set of libraries that extend the functionality of the core server. There are modules for everything, including authentication, caching, compression, logging, and more. As an administrator, you can compile modules when you build the initial server or add them later as extensions.
Who uses Apache?
Apache technology powers a lot of the web. That includes many high-profile sites, including those run by major retailers, news organizations, you name it. The server is scalable enough to handle tens of thousands of client connections simultaneously – although your hardware is also a limiting factor.
But it’s not just for the big players – Apache is popular among small businesses and individual developers. It’s easy to set up and configure (compared to other web servers) and runs on most major operating systems.
In all likelihood, you’re reading this on a computer that has Apache HTTP Server installed. If you’ve got a terminal app handy, you can see if you have Apache by trying “which httpd” – If that reveals a path, use “man httpd” to find out more about the command itself.
A server monitoring tool is an essential piece of the puzzle for providing a better customer experience. If you’re currently using Apache Web Server, monitoring is equally important. Make sure you have the necessary tools and visibility to address performance concerns. Domotz software and Apache monitoring tool can help you with this.
Learn more about monitoring Apache web servers in our instructions.
You can also check out the links to the examples showing how to modify the drivers – and monitor any stat you imagine.
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