What is LAMP?

 LAMP’s Detailed Explanation

LAMP is the acronym for Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Perl/Python. These (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Perl/Python) are its 4 original open-source components. It is one of the most common examples of a web service stack. LAMP best serves the purpose of building dynamic websites as well as web applications. All of these four open-source components contribute something unique when it comes to the development of web applications that provide a very high standard of performance. Most Linux distributions’ software repositories contain LAMP stack’s components. Classis layered architecture is used in LAMP. It has Linux at the lowest level followed by Apache and MySQL. The next layer, which is the top or presentation layer, is that of PHP. Despite that the PHP component resides inside Apache.

LAMP is a web development platform that is open-source. In it Linux is used as the Operating System. It uses Apache as the web server. MySQL functions as the relational database management system (RDBMS) in it. PHP/Perl/Python serves the purpose of the object-oriented scripting language. Since this platform has four layers, it is often referred to as a LAMP stack. The components of LAMP are interchangeable. The original selection is not the only option for it which implies that a LAMP stack’s modularity might vary. This particular combination (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Perl/Python) owes its popularity to the fact that it is capable of hosting a diverse range of website frameworks (Drupal, WordPress, Joomla etc.)

When these tools are used by developers with a Windows Operating System then it is termed as WAMP. When used with a Macintosh system then it is termed as MAMP and it is referred to as SAMP when used with a Solaris system.

Many other open-source and free software packages can be used in combination with the LAMP stack. Some of these are, RRD tools for diagrams; Cacti, Nagios or Collected for monitoring; netsniff-ng for hardening and security testing purpose etc.

Web Hosting’s Purpose

Let us digress a bit at this point and mention briefly the purpose of web hosting. Web hosting is a service that is provided by web hosting companies where server space is leased by these companies to store and provide the files that are related to websites. The website owners avail various plans from web hosting companies which enable them to use the services and technologies provided by these companies in order to keep their sites up and running without any problem. Hosting services can often be referred to as “WordPress Hosting in India”, or as the “Best Windows Dedicated Server Hosting” or as “Linux Dedicated Server Hosting in India”. These refer to different types of web hosting services provided by website hosting companies.

Components of LAMP Stack

Returning to our main topic regarding LAMP, let us shed some light on its four components. LAMP stack is a software stack that is made up of four components (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Perl/Python) which are arranged in layers in order to support each other. These components will be explained in more detail now.

Linux- Linux which is a free and open-source Operating System, is at the core of this stack model. The other layers are arranged and run atop this layer. Its flexibility as well as ease of configuration makes it a good option.

Apache- The second layer in this stack model has the web server software and it is present atop the Linux layer. This is usually the Apache Web Server. Apache HTTP Server is available as a free web server software package that provides a secure as well as an extendable web server. It can be used under an open-source license.

MySQL- This is a relational database management system (RDBMS). It is open-source and serves the purpose of storing application data. It maintains all the data in a format that the SQL language can query very easily. Details that can be queried by scripting in order to construct a website are stored by MySQL. MySQL generally resides atop the Linux layer alongside Apache.

SQL is capable of handling easily the most complex and extensive websites. It functions very well with business domains that are well-structured.

PHP- PHP as well as those other web programming languages that are similar to it are present in the scripting layer. Dynamic web pages are created when the PHP open-source scripting language works with Apache. HTML can’t be used for dynamic processes. PHP code is dropped into parts of a page that is required to be dynamic. It is within this layer that web applications and websites run. Efficiency is the key feature of PHP. Programming is made easier with it.

LAMP’s Advantages

Last but not the least, let us consider the benefits of LAMP.  The components of the LAMP stack are all free and open-source software. Since these are free and easily available for download, this makes it popular among many website developers who do not want to pay a lot of money for this purpose.

Being a free and open-source software, the software’s source code can be shared to implement changes that aid in its improvement. This leads to an enhanced overall performance. Moreover, the LAMP stack has gained the reputation of being a stable as well as a secure platform. This is a direct result of those contributions that are made by its large community, in the event that a problem is encountered. Another major advantage is that such a stack can be customized very easily and its components can be interchanged with other open-source software in order to meet the requirements.

Source: https://www.htshosting.org/index.php/knowledgebase/10/What-is-LAMP.html