Book excerpt: The success of the web depends not only on the creation of stimulating and valuable information, but also on the speed, efficiency and convenient delivery of this information to the Web consumer. This authoritative presentation of web server technology takes you beyond the basics to provide the underlying principles and technical details of how WWW servers really work. It explains current technology and suggests enhanced and expanded methods for disseminating information via the Web. Features: Covers measurement of WWW component performance--the networks, server hardware, and operating systems--and suggests alternative Web server software designs for improving performance. Explains the costs and benefits of mirroring and caching Web documents. Surveys the web's current search tools and uses the library system as a model layout to illustrate indexing, searching, and retrieval techniques. Assesses web security hazards and presents mechanisms for combating these vulnerabilities, including an in-depth discussion of firewalls. Analyzes the risks and explains the technologies used in a variety of services available for making monetary transactions online.