Xitami Web server: Multi-platform multi-threaded Web servers

Xitami: Multi-platform, multi-threaded open source Web server.

Xitami (the correct pronunciation is Shi-tami or ksi-tami, reread the second syllable) is a free web server. For some organizations, this information may be sufficient, as long as it is free. However, the Apache flag bearer for this Open-source server is free, and it is very popular.

Today, there are two kinds of Web servers in the market to occupy an absolute advantage, one is open, free Apache, according to Netcraft monthly survey shows that it is stable to occupy more than 65% of the market share; another is not free IIS, Netcraft survey shows that its market share is around 20%. Of course, there are many other Web servers on the market, but two of them are definitely the kings of the market.

Now further, in terms of image, most of the organizations that run with neckties all day are using IIS, and those who do not love to wear ties and jeans are more likely to run with Apache. According to a monthly survey by a Port80 software company, an IIS tool vendor, almost 54% of the world's Fortune 1000 companies chose IIS, while only less than 15% use Apache.

Dividing Web server software into free software camps and commercial software camps is a good reason, if you choose a commercial Web server such as IIS, it is probably because it is already part of your IT infrastructure and you have a stable and mature it budget and support system. So to be honest, if your organization has integrated a business Web server into a complex business IT infrastructure, you will not be interested in Xitami anymore, and you don't have to read it at all.

Xitami is undoubtedly part of the Free software server camp, in this camp, Apache is certainly the leader, perhaps you will ask, since Apache is also a free multi-platform, multi-threaded server, and has taken up such a large advantage, then why Choose Xitami?

To put it simply, Apache is very versatile and has grown into an extremely powerful and widely deployed software behemoth for years, but it has a steep learning curve. And Xitami is more user-friendly, it has no ambition to meet all the needs, but the function is definitely not weak. The first thing a webmaster does is work with the right tools, and the most powerful tools are not always necessary, and you don't need to use missiles to hit mosquitoes.

Xitami can run on almost all modern operating systems, and we tested its version of Windows. Its download package is less than 2MB, and it takes up about 4MB of disk space after installation. It is worth mentioning that Xitami does not have most Windows platform software common install installation files, install the compressed package directly to the desired directory, and then run the management tools on it.

After decompression, Xitami is already able to service documents under its default Web root directory. If you want to access Xitami's web-based Settings tool, you will also need to manually modify a settings file to create an admin password. After you have enabled the Admin interface, you can set up the Xitami through a series of web pages, and the entire setup interface is very simple, but think about it, if you use Apache, you may need an afternoon to modify the obscure text-based configuration files of Apache.

The relatively simple setting can be said to be a big reason for Xitami to win a small but very stable crowd of fans.

Xitami supports a variety of basic Web service protocols (such as http/1.0, cgi/1.1), and also supports SSI, picture maps (image maps) and persistent connections, as well as basic FTP capabilities. Its standard web logs can be further analyzed using tools such as analog.

The real sparkle of Xitami is its very small footprint and extremely fast speed. Compared with the Apache installation, which performs the same function, the Xitami multithreaded engine takes up less resources and provides better performance. Although Apache 2.0 is already multi-threaded, it still looks bloated and sluggish compared to the small, fast xitami. The core of Xitami is a Web server that is basic and efficient.

However, the Xitami Setup tool based on the Web interface does not function properly on opera browsers, but it works well on Netscape 7/mozilla 1.4 and Internet Explorer 6.

Xitami's documentation and service support are far worse than Apache. Xitami can also be augmented for more complex configurations, and several additional modules can be added to script support such as PHP and Perl. Its professional edition also supports SSL, but the Professional edition is no longer free, but offers 99 dollars. However, if you want to do work that requires more complex functions, Apache is more appropriate, because this is the power of Apache.

In many ways, the Xitami Elephant is a fast and simple motorcycle, while Apache is like a luxurious sports car.

Advantages: Rapid deployment, simple web-based management interface, fast, low server resource consumption.

Disadvantage: It is still a bit difficult for complete beginners, limited support, less than the Apache function.

Editor's note: The evaluation version number in this article is 2.5.