what happens when your type https://www.google.com in your browser
ZAKARIA CHAMAKH
Full Stack Engineer @ alx_africa | SaaS Development | Data Science
The purpose of this article is to explain simply one of the most basic processes in the web world. As the topic is self-explanatory, let’s start this journey step by step!
To answer this question, I will proceed to break down the URL : https://www.google.com .
First Step : Browser query for domains IP address
When someone enters a URL and hits enter, the browser starts by finding out the IP address of the server hosting the website. It does this by making a DNS query (also called a DNS request), where the user's computer (DNS client) requests the IP address linked to the domain name from a DNS server (a computer server holding a database of public IP addresses and their corresponding hostnames).
Second Step : The TCP/IP Connection
After the IP address for the domain, the client then establishes a connection to it through a process known as TCP 3-way handshake. This involves the synchronization between the client and the server, identified as SYN (synchronize) and ACK (acknowledge) respectively. In this process, the client selects an initial sequence number, conveyed in the very first SYN packet that comes along. Subsequently, the server selects its sequence number, incorporates the client's SYN number, sets it in the SYN/ACK packet, and awaits acknowledgment from the client by incrementing its SYN number!! It's kind of a digital dance between the two parties, with the packets doing the talking and the syncing happening all the way through. Who knew networking could be this much fun?
Third Step : HTTPS/SSL
Once the oh-so-important TCP/IP connection is established, the fancy browser starts its chit-chat with the server using a super secure protocol that goes by the fancy name of HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). This here protocol lays out all kinds of requests (like GET, POST, and PUT) and responses, which are all shielded by a standard security protocol known as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). SSL does its magic of encrypting and decrypting the data that's sent back and forth between the client and the server infrastructure, mainly at the load balancer level.
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Fourth Step : Load Balancer
Redescribing the concept:
After establishing a connection, the user's browser (client) and Google's website (server) can exchange data that is securely through the HTTPS protocol. In cases of heavy traffic, traffic where numerous users are accessing the website simultaneously, a load balancer evenly distributes these requests among multiple servers. This helps prevent downtimes and avoids a Single Point of Failure (SPOF) situation.
Filled with errors:
After establishing a connection, the user's browser (client) and Google's website (server) can exchange data securely through the HTTPS protocol. In cases of heavy traffic, traffic where numerous users are accessing the website simultaneously, a load balancer evenly distributes these requests among multiple servers. This helps prevent downtimes and and avoids a Single Point of Failure (SPOF) situation.
Fifth Step : The Great Wall
The Great Wall, commonly referred to as the firewall, functions by meticulously scrutinizing incoming traffic according to predefined rules. It filters out traffic originating from unsecured or questionable sources to thwart potential attacks. When users make requests, the firewall assesses them; if the requests are deemed non-malicious or non-suspicious, they are permitted to connect to a webserver designated by the load balancer.
Web and Application Server
A web ?еrvеr, consisting of both software and hardware, specializes in handling НТТР/НТТРS requests аnd serving static content ?uсh a? basic НТМL pages, plain text files, оr images. An Applicatiоn server runs behind а web server and in front оf а Database Management Sу?tеm (DBMS). It? main purpo?е i? tо generate dynamic content ?upporting an applicatiоn’s development and delivery providing businе?? logic behind the application.
Data Management
let's discuss the Database Management System (DBMS); it is a program making easy interaction with a database—an organized collection of structured information or data stored in a computer system. The DBMS allows defining, manipulating, retrieving, and managing data as per the request. In this context, the database serves users with any information they query from google.com as well as stores data such as account creation details unnecessarily.
Once the request is processed, the web server responds to the user or client! This is the sequence of events that occurs when you enter https://www.google.com into your browser and press the Enter button.