Apache Web server and Microsoft Internet Information Server are the first and second most used Web servers worldwide. But Linux Web server administrators might be interested to know that the Zeus platform recently unseated Sun's iPlanet (or Sun One Web Server) for third place, according to Netcraft, which tracks Web server operating systems on the public Internet.
While Apache remained the top Web server in April, with 56.3% of sites surveyed using the open source platform, and Microsoft was second with 32%, Zeus came in at 2.26%, just barely edging out Sun.
Zeus, a U.K. firm, has quietly gained some traction in the Web serving market and has been deployed by Internet-based businesses such as eBay and INterflora and at service providers such as WorldCom, Telewest and Cable & Wireless.
While Apache remains the overall most popular Web server, Zeus says its product is aimed at the most high-end Web applications, where it can outperform Apache six to one in terms of thousands of transactions per second. While any vendor claims on performance comparisons should be taken with a grain of salt, that fact that Zeus can take customers away from Sun is noteworthy.
Zeus runs Unix and Linux platforms, as well as open source Unix variants such as FreeBSD, but not on any Windows server platforms. While based on open network standards, the software is not open source, and starts at $1,700, whereas Apache is freely available.
RELATED LINKS
Read more about Netcraft's survey
Phil Hochmuth is a Network World Senior Writer and a former systems integrator. You can reach him at phochmut@nww.com.
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