Also on the cross platform issue...

This library represents years of cross platform (web) server
coding know-how and it is used for the new Apache 2.0 that
recently reached final status (after a really long beta):
http://apr.apache.org/

The APR also supports very well threading even under Windows.

(Windows was the weak spot for previous Apache versions.
Although in my experience Apache looked to be more stable
than MS IIS on Windows NT4, Apache did not consider the
Windows version of the server "Production Quality".
Now they do!
)


Have fun,
Paulo Gaspar