Palvelinmoduulit

Palvelinmoduulit, often translated as server modules, are components or software elements that extend the functionality of a web server. These modules are designed to be loaded into a web server process, such as Apache HTTP Server or Nginx, to provide specific features or handle particular types of requests.

The purpose of server modules is to offer a flexible and efficient way to customize server behavior without requiring modifications to the server's core code. This modular design allows administrators to enable or disable functionalities as needed, improving performance and security by only loading necessary components. Common examples of functionalities provided by server modules include support for different programming languages (like PHP, Python, or Perl), enhanced security features (such as SSL/TLS encryption), content compression, URL rewriting, authentication mechanisms, and logging capabilities.

Server modules can be developed by the server software's creators or by third-party developers. They are typically written in compiled languages like C or C++ for performance reasons, though some can be dynamically loaded and configured. The integration of modules allows web servers to adapt to a wide range of application requirements and web technologies. When a web server starts, it loads its configuration, which specifies which modules should be activated. As requests come in, the server can then utilize the functionalities provided by these loaded modules to process the request and generate a response.