what happens when you type https://www.google.com in your browser

 what happens when you type https://www.google.com' in your browser and press Enter


texts such as  'https://www.google.com' are known as Uniform Resource Locator(URL) - it is a reference or address used to locate resources on the internet

  • DNS request

The journey begins with a Domain Name System (DNS) request. Humans find it easier to remember words rather than numerical IP addresses, which computers understand.

An Internet Protocol(IP) address - is a numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network. It serves as a unique identifier for that device within the network

DNS serves as the translator, converting the URL you type into the corresponding IP address, such as "192.168.72.3," which identifies the location of the website on the internet.

If the URL has been recently accessed, the DNS retrieves the IP address from its cache; otherwise, it contacts the DNS server for the IP address.


  • TCP/IP

With the IP address in hand, the next step involves the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) within the TCP/IP suite.

TCP defines rules for how data is transmitted over the internet. Data is segmented into packets and transmitted between the client (your device) and the server (hosting the website).

TCP ensures reliable delivery by managing packet sequencing, acknowledgment, and error detection, guaranteeing that all packets are successfully delivered and assembled at the destination.

  • Firewall

Before the packets of data proceed further, they must pass through a security checkpoint known as a firewall.

Firewalls act as gatekeepers, inspecting incoming and outgoing network traffic to determine if it's safe or potentially harmful. They enforce security policies and filter traffic based on predefined rules to protect against unauthorized access and malicious activity, thus safeguarding the network and its resources.

  • HTTPS/SSL

Most websites utilize the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to deliver data to clients. However, HTTP transmits data in plain text, leaving it vulnerable to interception by malicious actors.

To address this security concern, websites implement an extra layer of protection through HTTPS (HTTP Secure), which encrypts data using SSL/TLS protocols.

SSL certificates authenticate the website's identity and establish a secure encrypted connection between the client and the server. This encryption ensures that sensitive information remains confidential and secure during transmission, reducing the risk of eavesdropping and tampering.

  • Load-balancer

Upon passing through the firewall, the packets of data reach a load balancer.

Load balancers serve as traffic distributors, allocating incoming requests across multiple servers to optimize performance, ensure high availability, and prevent any single server from becoming overwhelmed by traffic.

Load balancers employ algorithms like round-robin, least connections, or weighted distribution to evenly distribute requests among available servers, thereby enhancing scalability and reliability.


  • Web server/ application server

The load-balanced traffic reaches the web server, which serves as the gateway for handling client requests and delivering web pages.

Meanwhile, the application server executes server-side scripts and processes dynamic content, such as user authentication, session management, and business logic.

Web servers primarily serve static content, while application servers interact with databases and perform computations to generate dynamic content tailored to each user's request

  • Database

Behind the scenes, the application server communicates with a database to retrieve or store data required for dynamic web applications.

Common database technologies like SQL (Structured Query Language) or SQLAlchemy facilitate interactions with relational databases.

The database stores critical information such as user profiles, product catalogs, and transaction records, enabling the application server to fetch and manipulate data as needed to fulfill user requests.


Finally the website loading the content you had requested returns to you in a few seconds without you realizing all the steps it had to go through to get back to you, isn't tha amazing?


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