Both web server and database server are two different kinds of server used for different purposes. Often people understand it for same purpose as both are used for infrastructure on Internet. Although number of similarities exists between them but here the concern is what are these two terms and what are the basic elements which distinguish between them? First understand the introduction of both terms before going for understanding the difference. Web server is a tool, which can be in form of software or hardware and is used to store the contents and data of any website. The term database is means to organizing the collected data and term server stands for a computer program or software used for managing the resources via Internet.
What is Web Server?
Web server is a tool, which can be in form of software or hardware and is used to store the contents and data of any website. Whenever you type any URL or website address in a web browser the address automatically inspected by the IP address of the server, where are the files of URL or database are stored. So in short, web server actually save the HTML content of the requesting websites and provides the same on demand of any user. In 1990, Time Berners developed the first web server. That time it was needed to develop a platform via which data can be easily exchanged between web server and web browser. For this purpose a common language was introduced known as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). Today with the advancement of other Internet programs, Internet languages has also been raised. PHP, ASP and JSP are also used in addition to HTTP.
What is Database Server?
The term database is means to organizing the collected data and term server stands for a computer program or software used for managing the resources via Internet. So the Database server is a computer software, which is used to backup the program and data of other computers or just computer programs. It is also known as client server model. It performs its work through Database Management Systems. MySQL, Oracle, SAP, IBM DB2, etc. are some well known Database Management System & Software. Every database server uses its own computer language or query language to executes the tasks. All these database server are capable of analyzing, storing and archiving the data. One main advantage of a database server is that you can store all your specific data at one place. Like if you are using Oracle, all your inserted data will be automatically saved by the Oracle Database Management System.
Key Differences between Web Server and Database Server
- The languages of both server are different from each other. Web server uses a common language in shape of HTTP, PHP, ASP or JSP and any web browser can locate the web server if it is using a different supportable language. While database server has its own specific program language or query language and without having common language, which is used by it, it cannot perform.
- Database server deals with the storing and managing the data of a computer or computer programs while web server is used to save the static and dynamic content and pages of websites.
- Database server can manage the web based, enterprise based or business based services at the same time while web server only performs web based services.
- Apache HTTP Server, Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), Nginx, Google Web Server (GWS) and Sun Java System Web Server are examples of web server. While Oracle, SAP, MySQL and DB2 are some common examples of database server.