What are Web Servers?

For you to understand how the web server works, you must first understand what a web server is. Before we discuss Litespeed shared web hosting here, let’s dive into web servers without too much technical language. Web servers are made up of software and hardware that use HTTP protocol and other protocols to send and respond to client requests over the World Wide Web (WWW).

In the real sense, web servers all depend on the WWW protocol of the internet. Web servers also support protocols like – SMTP and FTP (File Transfer Protocol) for file transfer, emails, and storage. Still wondering how this web server system works? Read more on how to setup a web server.

Think of a web server as a restaurant for websites. You stroll into a restaurant, sit at a table, and expect to be served the exact meal you ordered. Well, when you type a web address into your browser, like “www.servermania.com,” the WWW protocol essentially moves through the digital equivalent of a restaurant and pulls your order forward to the frontend page.  Look at how to setup a new environment on your cloud server.

So, basically, web server hardware is what connects your website to the internet and lets you exchange data with other devices. On the other hand, web server software controls how users can access the files that are hosted on your website. The web server process is a great example of the client and server model.

Also, does every computer hosting website need web server software? It is important. Web servers are basically the backbone of web hosting. They handle all the data for websites and web-based applications, also known as web applications. 

Web servers are like the elements that ensure you see the website you want on the frontend. Now, let’s see how LiteSpeed could make this process even better.

What is LiteSpeed Hosting?

LiteSpeed hosting providers are basically the hotshots of the web server world. It’s a piece of software that serves websites but does it with speed and efficiency (well, not as fast as ServerMania cloud server hosting, but close). LiteSpeed web server is one of the most popular web servers with a great operating system that makes it better than the Apache webserver.

Imagine you’re at a busy coffee shop, and the barista is making everyone’s coffee one at a time, slowly. That’s how some web servers work – they upload web pages to visitors one after the other, and that can make your website load like it’s stuck in slow motion.

Thanks to its advanced technology, it serves multiple web pages simultaneously. This means your website loads faster, and your visitors don’t have to twiddle their thumbs while waiting for your content to appear.

LiteSpeed is like the upgrade you give your server to make it go faster, but for websites. It is a free starter designed to better a website’s performance and make everything smoother and quicker. If you want your website to load quickly and keep visitors happy, LiteSpeed is a great option. You may also want to look at the cost to rent a server before you get started.

Features of LiteSpeed Web Hosting Services

Now that we’ve met LiteSpeed, let’s check out why it’s not your average web server. It has some nifty features.

Performance Benefits

The major benefit of LiteSpeed servers is their efficiency and stability. Event-driven architecture streamlines LiteSpeed, improving speed and stability. The system can manage several customers simultaneously while using less memory and CPU. Most of the time, LiteSpeed web hosting servers can serve more users than expected and handle abrupt website traffic spikes and even DDoS attacks, assaults without additional hardware. Apache is process-based, whereas LiteSpeed is event-driven. The main difference is as follows. Apache uses new methods to process requests efficiently, maximizing resource use. LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) allows numerous connections by using fewer processes.

Dynamic content performance

There is a server-side API named LiteSpeed Server Application Programming Interface (LASPI) to be used with the LiteSpeed web server. It provides the best dynamic content and high performance, optimized for server and third-party application communications. The LiteSpeed Server Application Programming Interface is open source. The LiteSpeed Server Application Programming Interface is compatible with the following scripting languages: PYTHON, PHP, and RUBY ON RAILS.

User-Friendly and Ecosystem Compatibility: 

Whether your website runs on WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, or some other platform, LiteSpeed plays well with all platforms. It is the fastest WordPress hosting company and better than other web servers. It’s compatible with a wide range of web applications. You don’t need a Ph.D. in computer science to use LiteSpeed web server as it comes with a user-friendly interface that you can navigate easily. With everyone using smart devices to access the web, LiteSpeed optimizes your site for versions including mobile, ensuring your mobile visitors have the best experience.

Protection and Security 

LiteSpeed, over the years, has improved its web servers’ security systems for best performance and constant user data protection. The Apache server security can be used with mod_security and has built-in anti-DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) abilities. The highly secured web server is also compatible with Atomicorp  Realtime ModSecurity, with massive security updates for new threats that may occur.

How To Use Litespeed on a cPanel Server

LiteSpeed is a web server software that can really speed up your website performance. Using it on a cPanel server is not as challenging as you might think. Some considerations may be required depending on the specific server setup and requirements. If you are uncomfortable setting up LiteSpeed alone, ask for help from a professional or the support team from you cloud server hosting provider.

Step 1: Check for Compatibility

Make sure your server meets LiteSpeed’s requirements. You should ensure your cPanel version supports it. Also, ensure your server has enough resources (CPU, RAM) for LiteSpeed.

Step 2: Get LiteSpeed

Create a hosting account, purchase a LiteSpeed plan, or use the free version, LiteSpeed OpenLiteSpeed. Once you have it, download the installer. Look at the plan and price section to get more information.

Step 3: Installing LiteSpeed

Log into your server via SSH (use a tool like PuTTY). Navigate to the directory where the installer is saved and run it. It should guide you through the installation process.

Step 4: Configuring Litespeed

Once installed, you’ll need to configure LiteSpeed. You can do this through a web-based control panel that LiteSpeed provides. It’s user-friendly and helps you set things up like domains, virtual hosts, and SSL certificates.

Step 5: Switching from Apache to Litespeed

By default, cPanel uses Apache as the web server. You’ll need to switch it to LiteSpeed. In the LiteSpeed control panel, there’s often a feature to switch from Apache to LiteSpeed automatically. Just follow the prompts.

Step 6: Test Your Websites

After the switch, ensure all your websites are working correctly. Check the URLs, links, and any custom configurations you have. This is crucial to ensure everything’s running smoothly.

Step 7: Optimizing your LiteSpeed hosting server

LiteSpeed comes with various optimization features. You can set up caching, tweak security settings, and enable other performance-enhancing options. Explore the control panel to fine-tune these settings.

Step 8: Regular Maintenance

Keep LiteSpeed updated to the latest version to benefit from improvements and security patches. Also, regularly monitor your server’s performance and adjust settings as needed.

Conclusion

In this article we’ve covered a couple of steps to getting LiteSpeed up and running on your server. As you can see LiteSpeed is a force to reckon with in the web server space. ServerMania has all the technology required to host a web server like LiteSpeed and we can help get you up and running quickly. Consider using the server on the cPanel from the ServerMania admin dashboard. If you cannot set this up alone, you can reach out to the ServerMania support team. We are available around the clock, regardless of your time zone.

FAQs 

Is LiteSpeed free?

Yes, it is the fastest hosting provider, and the best LiteSpeed cache plugin is free and open-source. The free, open-source LiteSpeed cache plugins provide simple tools to help you manage that cache.

Is LiteSpeed offered on shared hosting plans?

Yes, LiteSpeed hosting is a shared hosting solution that provides users with cost-effective and reliable performance. They provide users with unlimited bandwidth and access to advanced tools such as Softaculous, SSH, staging, and managed WordPress hosting CLI. It also works well with other shared hosting services.