Why You Need a Web Server

It might seem tempting to remove the web server in order to simplify your server setup, especially since some cache servers (such as Varnish) offer powerful URL rewriting facilities, easy manipulation of HTTP headers and advanced access control lists.

However, production sites without a web server are rare, and if you plan to offer personalised sites (with user login, etc.), session binding is required. Some cache servers (such as Varnish) have built-in session binding but others do not. Therefore, web servers are likely to be needed for the foreseeable future. For more on session binding, see Session Binding.