What is Litespeed Web Server, and why does Zume use it?

The Litespeed Web Server is a popular "drop-in replacement" for the Apache Web Server. Read to find out more about Litespeed and why Zume uses it.

Why does Zume use Litespeed Web Server?

The Litespeed Web Server stands out as a sophisticated alternative to the typical Apache. Created by Litespeed Technologies, it easily replaces the traditional Apache on web-hosting platforms. For those familiar with Apache, adapting to Litespeed is pretty straightforward.

LSCache and its Advantages

LSCache, or Litespeed's proprietary caching system, is certainly ahead of other caching mechanisms such as Apache's mod_cache and Varnish. Its compatibility ranges from platforms like WordPress and Joomla to others like Drupal and XenForo.

At Zume, Litespeed is integral to our hosting services, ensuring our clients receive optimal performance straight off the bat. It's just the way we like to do things.

How LSCache Operates

For those intrigued about how LSCache works, it's pretty simple. When a user accesses a page not in the cache:

1. Litespeed checks its cache but doesn't find the page.
2. This results in a "cache miss".
3. The web app then creates a static HTML page for the user.
4. Litespeed delivers this page to the user.
5. And for future reference, this static page gets stored in Litespeed's cache.

Then, when another user visits the same page later:

1. Litespeed finds the page in its cache.
2. Recognises a "cache hit".
3. Instantly serves the cached page to the user.

The whole process makes accessing web content faster and more efficient, once a page is cached, which is quite beneficial for the user experience and also takes some load off the servers.