Server software
Apache
Apache is a popular server software because of its highly сonfigurable nature. Because it is an Open Source server, it evolves rapidly and there are always plenty of volunteers to help find and fix the bugs.

The best thing the Apache server is that you can configure by folder basis using the .htaccess file. This contains information about the folder and the files in it will behave when requested, allowing you to have many custom error pages, password protection a your images from displaying on unauthorized sites!

Apache can be confusing to understand how to configure at first, but it is worth pursuing because it is so flexible in the ways that it can be configured; spend enough time with it and you'll be able to get it to do pretty much what you want it to do. If you?d rather not get too intimate with the inner workings of an Apache server, then you might be able to do the configuration using a more user-friendly control panel. This will make the task much easier to understand and may even allow you access to change the behaviour of parts of the server you wouldn?t otherwise have the permissions to be able to alter.

So what Combination should I go for?
While it is certainly possible to install Apache on a Windows server, the two most common OS/Server combinations are Apache on *nix and IIS on Windows. IIS will only run on a Windows system at the present time, so having IIS on *nix is not an option.

- If you don't have any specific server needs, then it doesn't really matter combination you go for; i need someone to write my essay for me choosing a *nix server over Win OS will give you better value for money in terms of performance.
- If you use a specific technology and you know that it has limitations dependant on the OS of your server, the choice of software should be clear to you.
- ASP developers are better off using a Win OS server running IIS, but can also use a Unix server if a 3rd Party add-on is used.
- PHP and Perl developers can use any environment that supports them, but it is worth noting that Apache has modules available that improve the efficiency of these languages; so perhaps they are more suited for use on a computer running Apache.
- If any PHP or Perl requires the send mail program, then the OS will have to be *nix.

If you are just starting out and want to know which server is the right choice for further development of your site; then you should base your choice on the features you will want to make use of in the future. Making the right choice early on will save you a lot of hassle; switching server side technologies from one platform to another is not as easy as simply uploading the files and hoping for the best!