Dealer Focus - Web Servers: In with the internet crowd

No doubt about it, the internet and intranets are the happening scene in networking. But which Web server is right for the job? We look at five strong contenders

The growing importance of Web technology is even beginning to threaten other well-established technologies, such as client/server. It is time, therefore, to assess what is going on in this field ? in other words, time for the big Web server test.

The software that makes it possible to offer Web content to the outside world is called an HTTP-daemon, or Web server. In fact, HTTP-daemon is nothing more than Unix speak for a Web server. A Web server offers all sorts of information on the internet and intranets. What few IT managers seem to realise, however, is that Web technology can be used to do much more than merely offer static information. A Web server can be used as an interface to another server in order to extract information from it.

No wonder then, that the IT industry is starting to regard Web servers as a means of offering a variety of network services. The Web server undoubtedly is the most likely candidate for future interfaces and server technology: its main assets are simple technology and the fact that it is a generally accepted standard that guarantees support on many platforms.

Slowly, but surely, the Web is threatening the very existence of various types of software. Take, for instance, the typical client/server technology used to manipulate large databases. More and more of these applications are operated through a World WIde Web client. The release of a Web server that can interface to their database products by both Oracle and Lotus (Web server and Domino respectively) therefore seems a logical step. Groupware manufacturers can also feel Web technology breathing down their necks as more Web-based applications become available. Online bulletin boards, diaries, directories and other types of groupware are cheaply and easily placed on a Web server.

It is also possible to use a Web server to manage network devices. Routers, firewalls and servers can all be managed using an ordinary browser, greatly simplifying accessibility and maintenance. Why would anyone use a complex system such as SNMP, as in Hewlett Packard?s Openview, when a simple browser will suffice? Web technology can make all sorts of network applications a lot simpler.

Quite a number of things have changed since the early days of the Web server. The mother of all Web servers was developed by Tim Berners-Lee for the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland. This institute needed a simple means of exchanging research data. When the NCSA department of the University of Illinois came up with a similar standard, the World Wide Web was born.

Even today a great many Web sites depend on these freeware servers, which only run on Unix machines. The freeware tradition, meanwhile, has been carried on by excellent new daemons like Apache and Spinner. In recent years, however, the Web has become big business, with commercial servers such as Netscape and O?Reilly?s appearing on the scene.

The technology on which most Web servers are based has undergone considerable development. Whereas a Web server originally offered little more than some static HTML documents, nowadays it is possible to link to other applications on the server using CGI-scripting, to have secure areas using IP addresses or passwords, encrypt data and offer pages that are created on the fly by using databases. The Web has come a long way.

Web servers today can run on platforms other than Unix. Many Web sites were being developed by graphic design studios that worked mainly with Macintosh systems. This created a considerable demand for servers running on that platform. It was met by products like Mac HTTP and Webstar. A similar development occurred on the NT platform. Nowadays Web servers can therefore be found on many platforms, such as Macintosh, Windows NT, Dos, OS/2, Windows 95, VM, VMS and AS/400.

This increasing diversity has given rise to a whole new development where the platform has taken precedence over the server program. This change has divided the Web world into two camps.

The first, led by commercial giants such as Microsoft and Netscape, opted for the NT-platform, whereas the second swore by Unix and the (mostly) freeware servers that come with it.

Not only do these two camps use different servers, they also use different tools. Most NT-adepts build their CGI scripts using Visual Basic while a true Unix-fan would typically use something like C or Perl.

The situation is complicated further by the recent development of an increasing number of specific groupware or database-related servers.

Prime examples are Oracle?s Web server, which allows for the dynamic creation of Web pages from a database using PL-SQL, and Lotus Domino, which can be linked direct to Notes.

There?s no straight answer to the questions of which platform or which server is best? The server market still clings to the various Unix platforms, but there is also evidence of a strong movement towards the NT platform ? especially with IIS. One could, however, also choose to set up a Mac or Netware-based server.

The right choice clearly depends not only on which Web server you plan on using, but also on the type of server. Where quality and performance are concerned, these two are closely interconnected. So, what should you look for when selecting a platform and a server?

Once a Web server has been properly set up, it requires administration and maintenance. An easy-to-use interface that offers an administrator complete freedom is therefore of great importance. Another thing to consider is remote administration. Most Web servers can now be configured using a browser, which tackles both these issues at once. In spite of its importance, however, on no account should ease of use ever take precedence over the matter of security.

Another point of interest is the ease with which Web pages can be maintained. Traditionally, file transfer protocol (FTP) is used to update information on the server. A Wysiwyg package such as Frontpage, however, can perform this task automatically. Such a feature is important for anyone who wishes to allow less technically inclined personnel to create their own Web contents.

Obviously, performance is important. How much so, depends on the server?s key functions. An ordinary Web server used for simple informative purposes doesn?t have to be a speed monster. After all, such a server is generally connected to the Web through a 64Kbps line at best, and usually doesn?t receive more than a few visitors each day.

An intranet server, on the other hand, has a much tougher job, so performance is a greater issue. Speed depends on three factors: hardware, operating system and server-program.

When choosing a Web server, ease of database connectivity is another important factor. A number of sample scripts that come with a server will make life a lot easier.

The type of databases that you want to connect to is significant as well. When you are used to working with SQL, Microsoft?s IIS would be a logical choice for a server. For a company that uses Oracle databases, a Unix platform would be a more appropriate choice. You could then make use of the Oraperl library or the proprietary Oracle Web server.

One important Web server feature is brought about by the so-called common gateway interface (CGI) scripts, These make it possible to run various programs on a server and send their output back to a user in the form of HTML pages.

The key question is which programming options a server offers. Which languages can you use in developing CGI scripts, and which of those are you familiar with? Most Unix, NT, OS/2 and even Mac platforms support the use of Perl scripts, but this language feels most at home on a Unix system.

Some servers, like Apache, offer built-in Perl support, allowing for faster program execution. For anyone who has a Windows background, a combination of Visual Basic and IIS would seem more suitable.

A log can be kept of all visits to a Web site. The data that the log contains can later be used to generate all sorts of statistics. The figures might, for instance, serve to evaluate the commercial value of a Web site. It is therefore important that a server is able to store data in a standard format that can be read by analysis tools.

It is also useful if a Web server is ?multi-homed?. This means that multiple sites with different host names can be run on one server. For example, say Mercedes launches a new A-model and uses a Web site for promotional purposes. Naturally the company wants to offer the information in various languages such as English, German and French. Servers for all languages have their own host names, such as www.model-a.uk for English and www.classe-a.fr for French. A multi-homed server will automatically refer to the appropriate language directory when one of these host names is selected. The unpleasant alternative is a long host name with several directory levels.

Most Web servers offer a host of other gadgets such as built-in search-engines, the capability to work with various streaming multimedia-formats, and the use of HTML templates.

Security measures

Naturally, the amount of security required strongly depends on your particular situation. A few pages of company information call for a different level of security from a full-size intranet. The security issue can therefore be broken down into several levels.

• Server-level security. The Web server is connected directly to the world outside. It is therefore crucial that both the platform and the server are absolutely safe, so no hackers can gain access. When your site contains little more than some harmless company information, protection against mere vandalism will suffice. With an intranet containing sensitive information, much more is at stake. Microsoft?s IIS versions 1 and 2 suffered some serious security problems that made accessing and crashing the server quite simple.
• User-level security. A systems administrator will require the ability to protect certain areas of a site using a user ID and password. An administrator might also wish to limit access to certain IP addresses. These measures prevent internal network users from gaining direct access to the server while at the same time restricting unauthorised access from outside.
• Connection-level security. Whenever information is being sent from a server to a client, it travels the open roads of the internet. Somewhere along the way, anyone can intercept and read this information. To prevent this, a secure socket layer (SSL) can be used. Such a layer garbles the information using public key encryption.

Cost of ownership

Every Web server comes at a price. The purchase cost of a system, the HTTP-daemon and additional software can be easily calculated. The same goes for other direct costs. However, indirect costs should be considered as well, even though they are often less evident. This so-called cost of ownership applies to personnel, consultancy and whatever else is necessary to keep the system up and running. An important choice has to be made between freeware and a proprietary operating system. The first is, obviously, free of charge; the second isn?t. It is therefore necessary to consider the extra costs that come with freeware usage and compare them with the price of purchasing a system. Furthermore, you should make an inventory of the various options a system offers, and compare those with your specific needs.

Test procedure

Testing computers is a thankless task: devise a set of tests to stretch one part of it and users will say they use the other; stretch the other and the manufacturers say it is not relevant. Testing a Web server is even worse.

It is very hard to perform a Web server test that is comprehensive and representative. The HTTP-daemon, for instance, is not the only part of the system that determines its speed ? both the underlying operating system and the hardware it runs on play a crucial role in the overall performance of the system.

We decided the best method was to simulate a number of Web surfers to put the system under load. We created a site containing 13 HTML documents, 37 graphics files and one sound file, totalling 217Kb. The actual simulation was performed using WGET, a Unix program that is generally used to download entire Web sites.

The Web servers were installed on a 200MHz Pentium Pro PC with 64Mb Ram and an IDE hard disk. This was connected to a Lan using an Ethernet-adaptor. The test software ran on a Linux workstation.

The first test launched six WGET programs simultaneously. The second called the first six times as did the third with the second. This 6 x 6 x 6 access made sure our server was visited by 216 virtual clients in a very short time.

This test serves to measure the HTTP-daemon?s performance as a true Web server where it applies to the distribution of HTML pages and other electronic documents.

The Reviews

Netscape Enterprise Server

Netscape became a household name for Web users thanks to Navigator, its popular browser. Its actual source of income came from the various types of Web servers that were needed to supply all those browsers with information. Originally the company only offered a Web server, but thanks to Suitespot it now offers a complete product range, including a mail and news server.

Although Netscape has never been willing to admit it, the company has received some serious blows from arch-rival Microsoft. No wonder then, that the company has radically altered course and is now focusing more and more on intranet applications. And rightly so, for Netscape offers everything one could wish for to build an efficient intranet environment.

We tested the beta version of Netscape Enterprise Server 3 for Windows NT. Less adventurous spirits might go for version 2 or opt for the cheaper and less powerful Fasttrack servers. Netscape is fairly unique in the large number of operating systems and platforms for which it offers its server products. The HTTP-daemon we tested is not only available for NT, but also for various Unix machines.

So, what can we say about this server? Administration is performed using a Netscape browser running Javascripts. Remote administration can be restricted to certain IP addresses. As for security, whole sites or parts of them can be protected using access control lists. If needed, these can be combined with user data from a certificate server, which is sold separately. Naturally, the Enterprise Server also supports SSL encryption.

Web masters are treated to a number of tools that should make their lives easier. Pages can be created and edited using Navigator Gold?s built-in editor. To keep a clear picture, the server also comes with a site manager. A site?s contents can be indexed using the Verity search engine.

An increasingly important facility is the ability to integrate databases into a Web site. The Livewire development platform provides a library with a full range of database connectivity functions, enabling developers to connect to any relational database. These can be used to interact with databases from Oracle, Sybase, Informix, Illustra and any others that support ODBC.

Future battles between Microsoft and Netscape will no doubt be fought in the area of additional servers and services.

The battles will be between products such as Netscape Media Server and Microsoft Netshow, which allow the use of online audio and video, and Calendar Server and Microsoft Schedule (not an intranet application), which are used to synchronise diaries. As well as these, the directory and certificate server, used for authentication purposes, will be the pawns in this chess game.

Product: Netscape Enterprise Server

Supplier: Netscape

Platforms: Windows NT, HP/UX, AIX, Solaris, SCO Unix

Conclusion: The HTTP-daemons belonging to Netscape?s server family are well-designed products that offer lots of features

Microsoft Internet Information Server 3

Together with Internet Explorer, the first version of Internet Information Server (IIS) spearheaded Microsoft?s attack on the internet market. That initial product had quite a few teething troubles. It completely lacked any form of standard logging and suffered from some serious security bugs, giving outsiders ample opportunity to mess about with Web pages. Two versions down the road, IIS has grown to become the leading commercial server platform.

Part of this success might be explained by the product?s freeware-like status. It isn?t exactly freeware, but is supplied gratis with Windows NT 4. Whether it is free or not, the fact is that IIS pushed down Netscape?s market share by a fair margin.

IIS version 2 is shipped with NT Server 4. Anyone who wants the latest release will have to download it from Microsoft?s Web site or upgrade using the service pack. Although version 3 offers some interesting extras, the server highly resembles its predecessor.

As for functionality, version 2 offered virtually everything that might be expected of a good Web server. It can efficiently distribute electronic documents in HTML and other formats, both on the internet and intranet. It supports the use of CGI-scripts that can be programmed in languages like Visual Basic and C++. However, it also supports Perl. IIS is easily connected to various databases. It can cope with Microsoft standards like SQL Server and Access, but in fact can be linked to any type of database that supports ODBC. Security is offered in the form of password protection and SSL datastream encryption.

Version 3 adds to this some rather spectacular features. First of all there?s MS Netshow, which offers a means of distributing multimedia, live and on demand. It can send video and audio streams to any compliant browser. Then there?s active server page technology, which allows scripts to be placed inside HTML code. These can be executed on the fly, thereby creating dynamic Web pages. An interesting new feature which is particularly useful in an intranet environment is the Index Server. This application provides a simple means of indexing data directories or complete sites. Users can then perform all sorts of queries using their browser. Systems administrator can also quickly create index-based search facilities.

Maintenance and configuration can be performed using a Web interface or using NT menus. Updating a Web site?s contents can be carried out using the built-in FTP server. You can also use tools like Frontpage and update pages through the so-called server extension.

Microsoft still hasn?t completely cornered the market, and so IIS remains freeware for now. That also goes for a host of very nifty tools and utilities.

Among these are all sorts of internet assistants that simplify the process of converting Office documents into a form suitable for Web usage, and Crystal Reports, a data analysis tool used to extract useful information from the server?s logs. Naturally, as its market share increases, Microsoft is starting to think dollars. Under the name of Normandy, also called Microsoft Commercial Internet System (MICS), Microsoft plans on selling server software to service providers. This market has, until now, been dominated by Unix machines.

Product: Internet Information Server 3

Supplier: Microsoft

Platforms: Windows NT

Conclusion: IIS is a very complete product and comes with numerous extras. By shipping it free of charge with NT 4, Microsoft has managed to capture important market share. It wouldn?t be a bad idea to give it a try

Apache 1.2 B7

Apache?s presence in the list of most widely used Web servers is quite remarkable, because it isn?t a commercial product. In fact it is a further development of NCSA, one of the earliest, rudimentary servers. In the meantime, it has grown into a full-sized Web platform. Apache only runs on Unix-machines, but it does so on just about every exotic variation of this OS one can imagine.

A typical freeware product, Apache offers no form of customer support whatsoever. Help has to be found in various newsgroups, on the Apache Web site and on the bug report page. But this form of support can easily compete with that offered by professional companies. In fact some commercial versions are available that come with support, such as the ?Stronghold release? (www.c2.net).

To fully understand the possibilities of Apache, one has to be familiar with the concept of freeware, which was also responsible for the success of the Linux operating system. Because nobody makes any money from these products, the source code is freely available. This results in hundreds of people all over the world starting to improve on the product.

The standard version of Apache consists of a basic module that can be expanded using extra modules. The basic system offers CGI scripting, cookies, various types of user authentication, proxying, Mime support, advanced logging and access to SQL databases.

Additional modules exist that offer LDAP directory access, NIS support, Kerberos, Postgress 95, a Web counter and so on. Many sample CGI scripts and libraries can be found on the internet, one of which offers Oracle connectivity. Site indexing can be performed using Glimpse, another freeware product.

As we said, all this software is being distributed freely on the internet. In most cases, it?s even ready for immediate use. All you have to do is invest the necessary time to find out what a program does and how it is to be installed.

This may sound strange to the ears of someone who is used to a professional IT environment, complete with CD-Roms, seminars, courses, helpdesks and manuals, but it does not mean this way of doing things is less professional or less efficient.

The irony is that freeware can sometimes offer considerably more value than any commercial counterpart. Apache is the ideal server for any Web master who is looking for a cheap, high-performance solution and who is not afraid to search for all the help, tools and information himself.

When we talk installed base, Apache beats any other server with flying colours. It runs on some 200,000 systems and, according to the latest figures, has a 40 per cent share.

The product is used by many universities, but professional providers such as Cimad, Telindus and Eunet have also discovered this priceless jewel.

Product: Apache 1.2 B7

Supplier: Freeware

Platforms: Unix

Conclusion: Apache is the ideal program for any technically inclined Unix administrator. An outstanding product for anyone who doesn?t have to call a helpdesk when there?s a problem

Lotus Domino 4.5

Notes has long been one of the prominent players in the groupware and email market, and it was evident from the start that Lotus someday had to face the Web. The company realised this all too well, and so it released Domino, a Web server annex development platform that contains Notes functionality such as excellent security, databases, email and so on. Suddenly, the proprietary and closed system of Notes became a complete cross-platform intranet and internet solution. Lotus may well increase its market share even further thanks to Domino.

Domino development is performed using the typical Notes client. Thanks to this interface and built-in templates, a project can be easily structured and implemented. And yet, for someone who is used to working with traditional internet tools, Domino has a peculiar look and feel. Fortunately, the product contains some sample applications that are ready for use. A brief glimpse at these reveals a search engine, an interface to Notes mail, a FAQ application, a registration form and a discussion forum or newsgroup application.

Domino can be used in two ways. First, for publishing all information contained in Notes on the Web and second, as a groupware extension. Building entire Web sites based on a combination of Domino and Notes proves to be less simple. During the Webathon event two teams received an assignment to do so. Although their results were promising, they could not compete with teams that used traditional tools.

Domino, used as a groupware extension, is not directly related to the internet or intranet. In such cases Domino is used where rapidly changing confidential data is involved. This data has to be secured without making life impossible for an average user.

Lotus allows for parts of the Notes clients to be replaced by Web clients. But in most cases, using Domino on large sites is absolute overkill. It is therefore not surprising that we could only find a few Domino-based sites during our Web survey.

Product: Lotus Domino 4.5

Supplier: Lotus

Platforms: Windows NT, AIX, Solaris, OS/2

Conclusion:

Domino is the ideal interface between the Web and Notes, especially where intranets are concerned

Novell Intranetware Web Server

Until recently, Novell clung to IPX like a drowning man to a lifebelt, while the rest of the world slowly but surely switched to IP. Perhaps, somewhere in a dimly lit office, a company strategist was still dreaming of an SPX/IPX-based information superhighway. Meanwhile, Novell has shifted its course by 180 degrees and included TCP/IP in Netware 4.

This suddenly gave Netware a whole new perspective. It may at first seem strange to use Netware for running a Web server, but after all, Netware is extremely stable. Besides, so many Netware servers exist in numerous offices, happily going about their business as a file servers, print servers or whatever.

So, after a quick look in our old Novell manuals, we installed Netware and the appropriate loadable module. Such an installation is just as simple or as hard as that of a Unix or NT-based server. The original Novell Web server wasn?t much more than an HTTP-daemon with a few extras, but version 3 offers a search engine (Novell Quickfinder Search Index), database connectivity to Oracle 7, multi-homing, SSL and CGI support for languages such as Perl. In short, it has become a full-blown Web server.

The outstanding integration of Novell Directory Services (NDS) is quite unique. Rightly so, as NDS has earned an excellent reputation as a means of user administration. Combined with a Web server, NDS provides a Web master with a simple and safe way of controlling access rights to information on the server.

This product should not be seen as a serious contender on the internet server market. That market is governed by dedicated machines running Unix or NT. Nobody in their right mind would consider setting up a Netware-based Web server. This product has a bright future in companies that already use Netware and additionally want to use their Lan or Wan as an intranet. This particular application has a very low cost of ownership.

The question is, which Web server should be used on a Netware platform? With the motto ?the enemies of my enemies are my friends?, Novell and Netscape started a joint venture named Novonyx. This company was brought to life to port Netscape servers to the Netware platform, which implies the entire Suitespot family of products. The first servers will be released in autumn. A key element in this deal undoubtedly is NDS. The internet community is slowly reaching maturity and realises all too well the value of a tried and tested directory service. So, obviously, for Netscape this is an important strategic alliance in its battle against Microsoft.

We weren?t able to find any Web site running Netware. Novell itself, strangely enough, doesn?t use its own product. Instead, it still uses the traditional NCSA. Perhaps the Netware Web server can be found on some company intranets.

Product: Novell Intranetware Web Server

Supplier: Novell

Platforms: Netware 4

Conclusion: Its co-operation with Netscape could well put Novell on the board as a key player in the internet and intranet market. This server certainly is worth consideration, especially for companies already running Netware ? at least if they don?t want to wait for Netscape?s Netware products

Conclusions

When we look at the test results we can clearly see how close they are together. One should realise, however, that in a less severe test the results may differ completely. The amount of network traffic we emulated hardly ever occurs on an average server, but might be seen on an intranet server when used intensively. Smaller test figures imply a faster server.

Novell?s Web server scores particularly well and clearly proves that the company can stand its ground in the intranet arena.

We are not sure of the system?s performance, however, when other applications are being run concurrently. Using the same machine as a file server or a print server or as an Internet router may slow things down considerably.

Clearly, these results do not tell the whole story. Although they offer a strong clue about the performance of a Web server, it would be unwise to buy a product based on these figures. Especially since all these servers handle HTTP requests in their own particular fashion.

Web servers are without doubt the client/server environment of the future. More and more we?ll use Web browsers to access information and applications on networks. A Web server must therefore offer an ever increasing number of features. This was clearly demonstrated by the servers tested, offering SSL, passwords, database connectivity, dynamic pages, advanced logging and so on.

It looks like future Web servers will be an integral part of operating systems or groupware. Web servers from Microsoft and Novell are an example of the first development, as is Domino of the second. Netscape has anticipated this and is trying to offer its servers and clients as an overall solution. It therefore looks like the market share for standalone server software will fall, unless, of course, we?re talking freeware.

Pick of the bunch

Our initial favourite was Apache, because it is a product that has proven its worth on many sites over a long period. But things are complicated by the fact that some of the programs tested are niche products that hardly allow themselves to be compared with others. After all, Novell Web Server or Domino only offer a feasible alternative for owners of Netware or Notes respectively. IIS has made some serious progress but still is less complete than Netscape. That server, on the other hand, is quite expensive, whereas IIS and Apache are gratis. If money isn?t an issue, we would select Netscape Enterprise Server as our favourite.