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Download PDF I always had the idea Google runs on Apache. But today playing with my Web Server Detection Tool and HTTP Header Checker i noticed www.google.com to return the following HTTP Header:
URL: http://www.google.com/
HTTP Header:
Status: HTTP/1.0 200 OK
Cache-Control: private
Content-Type: text/html
Set-Cookie: PREF=ID=90107988a9ae4a88:TM=1157210262:LM=1157210262:S=ltFJ-O9yIsDIPVaS; expires=Sun, 17-Jan-2038 19:14:07 GMT; path=/; domain=.google.com
Server: GWS/2.1
Content-Length: 0
Date: Sat, 02 Sep 2006 15:17:42 GMT
Connection: Keep-Alive
So.. the web server google is using is GWS/2.1. Which i guess to stand for “Google Web Server”.
I couldnt find any trace of it over Google Labs or elsewhere. So couldnt digg up much info on it other than a list of Google server types (from answers.com). You can check out if you are interested.
List of Google Server Types - Services and Server Software used by Google
Main Search: GWS/2.1
Google Accounts: GFE/1.3*
Google AdSense: GFE/1.3*
Google AdWords: GFE/1.3*
Google Analytics (Login Page): GWS/2.1
Google Analytics (Auth Page): GFE/1.3*
Google Analytics (Other Pages): ucfe*
Google Analytics (Analysis Image and JS): ucfe
Google Analytics (Images/JS/CSS/Flash): ga-reporting-fe
Google Answers: GFE/1.3
Google Base: asfe
Blogger: Apache
Google Book Search: OFE/0.1
Google Calendar: GFE/1.3
Google Catalogs: OFE/0.1
Google Code: codesite/2104877
Google Desktop: GFE/1.3
Google Directory: GWS/2.1
Google Downloads: GWS/2.1
Google Finance: SFE/0.8
Google Finance Stock Charts (Images): FTS (C)1997-2006 IS.Teledata AG
Froogle: cffe
Google Groups: GWS-GRFE/0.50
Hello: Apache/2.0.53
Google Help Pages: TrakhelpServer/1.0a
Google Images: GWS/2.1
Google Labs: Apache
Google Local / Maps: mfe
Google Local/Maps (Images): tfe
Google Mail: GWS/2.1
Google Mobile: GWS/2.1
Google Moon: mfe
Google Moon (Images): GWS/2.1
Google Music Search: mws
Google News: NFE/1.0
Orkut: GFE/1.3*
Google Pack: COMINST/1.0
Picasa (.com): Apache/2.0.53
Picasa (.google.com): GWS/2.1
Google Page Creator (Sign-up page): GFE/1.3*
Google Page Creator (User pages): GFE/1.3
Google Personalized Homepage: igfe
Google Scholar: GWS/2.1
Google Search History: Search-History HTTP Server
Google Sets: Apache
Google Site-Flavored: GWS/2.1
Google Sitemaps: GFE/1.3
Google SMS: GWS/2.1
Google SMS Search Requests: SMPP server 1.0
Google SMS (GMail Registration): GFE/1.3*
Google SMS (Page Viewer): GFE/1.3
Google Suggest: Auto-Completion Server
Google Transit: mfe
Google Translate: TWS/0.9
Google Video: GFE/1.3
Google Reader: GFE/1.3
Google Ride Finder: Apache
Google Talk: GWS/2.1
Google Toolbar: GFE/1.3
Google Toolbar (PR Lookup): GWS/2.1
Google Web Accelerator: GFE/1.3
Google Web Alerts: PSFE/4.0
Blogger and Google Labs also gives a little diffrent “HTTP Header” reply than usual Apache gives. (version number missing).
Please do share if you know more about GWS
June 29th, 2008 at 5:29 am
According to Apache’s license, are they not forced to release it?
June 26th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Any chance to release the code for the public?
Jack
March 4th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Google runs a custom modified version of apache :)
January 26th, 2008 at 5:19 am
Its quite easy to change the ID of the server like on my Java Written Webserver you just change one line of code :)
January 21st, 2008 at 11:22 am
yeah….i’ve noticed that when compiling apache…server id can be change prior to the security purpose and management
November 21st, 2007 at 10:30 pm
GWS its a modified version of Apache made it by Google
September 2nd, 2007 at 5:21 am
I imagine that GFE is an acronym used to id the “Google Front End” servers - notice the google personal home page (iGoogle) is IGFE. I can only speculate that your response headers were from visiting the “Front End” of the website.
August 25th, 2007 at 8:17 am
Apache can be complied to reply with any Server: id.
August 8th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
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February 27th, 2007 at 10:00 am
Thks bro finally I got smthing about Google web server thks a lot :-)