What is a Webserver and an Application Server?

Web Server - is software responsible for receiving and processing HTTP requests from clients (such as web browsers) and serving static files. It is usually used in conjunction with Application Servers, such as Passenger, Puma, or Unicorn, for deploying Rails applications. This helps to separate functionality between servers, providing efficient servicing of both static and dynamic content of the web application. Application Server - is software responsible for hosting and servicing applications based on Ruby on Rails, managing the execution of Ruby code, processing incoming HTTP requests, and generating responses. Its main goal is to ensure the efficient operation of web applications written in Ruby on Rails by executing program code and processing requests.

The main difference between Application Server and Web Server lies in their functionality and purpose.

Application Server is designed for hosting and servicing applications. It can execute program code, manage the execution of that code, process HTTP requests coming from clients, and generate responses to them. In other words, the Application Server is responsible for dynamic content and application logic.

Web Server, on the other hand, is designed to handle HTTP requests from clients and serve static files such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc. Its primary function is to accept requests and send responses to clients. The web server is not capable of executing program code; it merely passes it to the appropriate Application Server, which performs the necessary operations.

The main distinction is that the Application Server executes program code and processes dynamic content, while the Web Server handles HTTP requests and serves static content. Both servers are often used together for the effective deployment and servicing of web applications.