When you make a web request by entering a URL in your browser, the request is sent to the server that hosts the domain specified in the URL. This server is typically a web server, a machine specifically configured to listen for incoming HTTP or HTTPS requests on standard ports (usually port 80 for HTTP and port 443 for HTTPS)
. Here is a detailed overview of where the request goes and what kind of machine handles it:
- DNS Resolution : First, your browser sends a DNS request to a DNS server to translate the human-readable domain name (e.g., www.example.com) into an IP address of the server hosting the website
- Network Routing : The request is then routed through the internet to the IP address obtained. It passes through various network devices such as routers and possibly firewalls, which filter and monitor traffic for security
- Load Balancer (if used) : For large websites, the request may first hit a load balancer, a device or software that distributes incoming requests across multiple web servers to balance load and ensure availability
- Web Server : The request finally reaches the web server machine. This is a specialized server that listens for incoming HTTP/HTTPS requests on specific ports. The web server processes the request by serving static files (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) or forwarding the request to an application server for dynamic content
- Application Server and Database (if needed) : If the request requires dynamic content, the web server passes it to an application server, which executes business logic and may query databases to generate the response
In summary, the machine listening for your request is a web server , which is part of a larger infrastructure that may include load balancers, application servers, and databases. This web server listens on standard ports for incoming requests, processes them, and sends back the appropriate response to your browser
