<World-Wide Web> A configuration of a World-Wide Web
server that appears to clients as an independent server
but which is actually running on a computer that is shared by
any number of other virtual servers. Each virtual server can
be configured as an independent website, with its own
hostname, content, and security settings.
DNS maps the hostnames of all virtual servers on one
physical server to its IP address. The web server software
then uses the "Host" header in the HTTP request to determine
which virtual server the request was for, and then processes
the request using that virtual server's configuration.
Virtual servers allow Internet Service Providers to share
one computer between multiple websites while allowing the
owner of each website to use and administer the server as
though they had complete control.
