web server

Software that provides services to access the Internet, an intranet, or an extranet. A web server hosts web sites, provides support for HTTP and other protocols, and executes server-side programs (such as CGI scripts or servlets) In the J2EE architecture, a web server provides services to a web container. For example, a web container typically relies on a web server to provide HTTP message handling. The J2EE architecture assumes that a web container is hosted by a web server from the same vendor, so it does not specify the contract between these two entities. A web server can host one or more web containers.