Network servers and Java

Even before the Web, network servers played a central role on the Internet. They facilitated e-mail, GOPHER, telnet, and FTP (file transfer protocol) usage. Additional servers, including those supporting HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), have been developed to handle Web traffic. HTTP, along with the new computer language called Java, has raised our consciousness about network servers. Many of us know that servers are involved with moving information over the net, but exactly what they are and how they function, we have left to the system administrators. We explain the rudiments of network servers and show how they can be easily implemented in Java. In particular, we implement a simple HTTP server for use on a DOS or UNIX platform for experimentation.