Podcasters need an application server to power their podcasting business. But which one should you choose? This guide is designed to help you make the right decision based on your specific needs. We’ll take a look at the pros and cons of each type of application server, and offer some recommendations for what would work best for your business.
Application Server Vs Web Server
The Web server
A Web server handles the HTTP protocol. When the Web server receives an HTTP request, it responds with an HTTP response, such as sending back an HTML page. To process a request, a Web server may respond with a static HTML page or image, send a redirect, or delegate the dynamic response generation to some other program such as CGI scripts, JSPs (JavaServer Pages), servlets, ASPs (Active Server Pages), server-side JavaScripts, or some other server-side technology. Whatever their purpose, such server-side programs generate a response, most often in HTML, for viewing in a Web browser.
Understand that a Web server’s delegation model is fairly simple. When a request comes into the Web server, the Web server simply passes the request to the program best able to handle it. The Web server doesn’t provide any functionality beyond simply providing an environment in which the server-side program can execute and pass back the generated responses. The server-side program usually provides for itself such functions as transaction processing, database connectivity, and messaging.
While a Web server may not itself support transactions or database connection pooling, it may employ various strategies for fault tolerance and scalability such as load balancing, caching, and clustering—features oftentimes erroneously assigned as features reserved only for application servers.
The application server
As for the application server, according to our definition, an application server exposes business logic to client applications through various protocols, possibly including HTTP. While a Web server mainly deals with sending HTML for display in a Web browser, an application server provides access to business logic for use by client application programs. The application program can use this logic just as it would call a method on an object (or a function in the procedural world).
Such application server clients can include GUIs (graphical user interface) running on a PC, a Web server, or even other application servers. The information traveling back and forth between an application server and its client is not restricted to simple display markup. Instead, the information is program logic. Since the logic takes the form of data and method calls and not static HTML, the client can employ the exposed business logic however it wants.
In most cases, the server exposes this business logic through a component API, such as the EJB (Enterprise JavaBean) component model found on J2EE (Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition) application servers. Moreover, the application server manages its own resources. Such gate-keeping duties include security, transaction processing, resource pooling, and messaging. Like a Web server, an application server may also employ various scalability and fault-tolerance techniques.
Difference between web server and application server:
| S.NO | Web Server | Application Server |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Web server encompasses web container only. | While application server encompasses Web container as well as EJB container. |
| 2. | Web server is useful or fitted for static content. | Whereas application server is fitted for dynamic content. |
| 3. | Web server consumes or utilizes less resources. | While application server utilize more resources. |
| 4. | Web servers arrange the run environment for web applications. | While application servers arrange the run environment for enterprises applications. |
| 5. | In web servers, multithreading is supported. | While in application server, multithreading is not supported. |
| 6. | Web server’s capacity is lower than application server. | While application server’s capacity is higher than web server. |
| 7. | In web server, HTML and HTTP protocols are used. | While in this, GUI as well as HTTP and RPC/RMI protocols are used. |
| 8. | Processes that are not resource-intensive are supported. | Processes that are resource-intensive are supported. |
| 9. | Transactions and connection pooling is not supported. | Transactions and connection pooling is supported. |
| 10. | The capacity of fault tolerance is low as compared to application servers. | It has high fault tolerance. |
| 11. | Web Server examples are Apache HTTP Server , Nginx. | Application Servers example are JBoss , Glassfish. |
Web Server vs Application Server Examples
As an example, consider an online store that provides real-time pricing and availability information. Most likely, the site will provide a form with which you can choose a product. When you submit your query, the site performs a lookup and returns the results embedded within an HTML page. The site may implement this functionality in numerous ways. I’ll show you one scenario that doesn’t use an application server and another that does. Seeing how these scenarios differ will help you to see the application server’s function.
Scenario 1: Web server without an application server
In the first scenario, a Web server alone provides the online store’s functionality. The Web server takes your request, then passes it to a server-side program able to handle the request. The server-side program looks up the pricing information from a database or a flat file. Once retrieved, the server-side program uses the information to formulate the HTML response, then the Web server sends it back to your Web browser.
To summarize, a Web server simply processes HTTP requests by responding with HTML pages.
Scenario 2: Web server with an application server
Scenario 2 resembles Scenario 1 in that the Web server still delegates the response generation to a script. However, you can now put the business logic for the pricing lookup onto an application server. With that change, instead of the script knowing how to look up the data and formulate a response, the script can simply call the application server’s lookup service. The script can then use the service’s result when the script generates its HTML response.
In this scenario, the application server serves the business logic for looking up a product’s pricing information. That functionality doesn’t say anything about display or how the client must use the information. Instead, the client and application server send data back and forth. When a client calls the application server’s lookup service, the service simply looks up the information and returns it to the client.
By separating the pricing logic from the HTML response-generating code, the pricing logic becomes far more reusable between applications. A second client, such as a cash register, could also call the same service as a clerk checks out a customer. In contrast, in Scenario 1 the pricing lookup service is not reusable because the information is embedded within the HTML page. To summarize, in Scenario 2’s model, the Web server handles HTTP requests by replying with an HTML page while the application server serves application logic by processing pricing and availability requests.
Pros of using an Application Server.
An application server helps to speed up your process by allowing you to access data from multiple sources in a single place. This can save you time and money, as well as improve the accuracy and completeness of your data.
The Application Server Can Help You Scale Your Business
Applications servers can help your business grow by scaling up or down to accommodate for ever-changing demand. By adding more applications servers, you can increase the capacity of your data center while reducing the startup costs associated with launching a new business.
The Application Server Can Help You Monitors Your Data
By monitoring and managing your data, an application server can keep you informed of changes and updates to your information, which can save you time and money in the event that something goes wrong.
Cons of using an Application Server.
An application server can be expensive to set up and use. For example, a server for an online store may cost hundreds of dollars, while a server for handling email may be much cheaper. Additionally, the application server can be too heavy or slow for some applications. For instance, a website that is used by millions of people might not be able to run on an application server that is too slow or overweight.
Subsection 2.2 The Application Server Can BeToo Heavy for Some Applications.
When an application server becomes too heavy or slow for a particular application, the site may not be able to load at all. This can prevent users from logging in and accessing their accounts, which could lead to lost sales or customer data. Furthermore, using an application server that is too heavy can also lead to system failures when there are large files stored on it.
Subsection 2.3 The Application Server Can BeToo Slow for Some Applications.
When an application server is too slow for a particular application, the website might not function at all. This could prevent users from logging in and accessing their accounts, which could lead to lost sales or customer data. Additionally, using an applicationserver that isSlow can also lead to system failures when there are large files stored on it.
Subsection 2.4 The Application Server Can BeToo Latix for Some Applications.
Some applications, such as online banking, may not be able to run on an application server that is too Latix. This means the application could not be properly processed or executed, which could cause problems for the user’s account or the site itself.
Open source web servers and application servers
The market is flooded with web servers and application servers—too many to list here. Instead, we thought it might be more valuable to list the most popular free, open source options available:
Nginx
Nginx (Link resides outside IBM) is an open source web server that includes reverse proxy, load balancing, mail proxy, and HTTP cache capabilities. Commercial, supported versions of Nginx are also available, at Nginx, Inc. (Link resides outside IBM). According to the internet research and cybercrime prevention company Netcraft (Link resides outside IBM), Nginx served or proxied nearly 38% of all the world’s websites and over 25% of the million busiest sites as of December, 2019. World-known enterprise Nginx users include Dropbox, Netflix, and Zynga.
Apache HTTP Server
First released in 1995, Apache HTTP Server (also just known as ‘Apache’) is another very popular free, open source web server that, until very recently, powered more websites than any other web server—71% at its peak—before being overtaken by Nginx in April, 2019. As of December 2019, Apache served over 24% of all sites worldwide and 31% of the million busiest sites.
Apache Tomcat
Apache Tomcat (Link resides outside IBM) is an open source application server that executes Java Servlets, renders and delivers web pages that include JavaServer Page code, and serves Java Enterprise Edition (Java EE) applications. Released in 1998, Tomcat is the most widely used open source Java application server.
Glassfish
Glassfish (Link resides outside IBM) is an open source Java EE application server launched by Sun Microsystems in 2006, and it is hosted today by the Eclipse Foundation (Link resides outside IBM). Like most Java application servers, Glassfish supports Java Servlets, Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB), and more, but it can also function as a web server, serving up web content in response to HTTP requests.
How to Choose the Right Application Server.
When you choose an application server, you need to consider the specific needs of your business. For example, if you’re a small business that doesn’t require a lot of features or if you want to use an application server that is available in your area.
Choose an Application Server that is Available in Your Area
Many businesses find it helpful to have an application server located in their town or city. This way, they can get access to all the features their applications need and still be able to run from anywhere in the world.
Choose an Application Server that is easy to Use
Applications that are difficult to use or those that require a lot of configuration can quickly become unaffordable for smaller businesses. By choosing an easy-to-use application server, you can save time and money while maintaining quality control over your applications.
Conclusion
There are a variety of Application Servers on the market, which can be a great choice for your business. However, it’s important to choose an Application Server that is right for you and is available in your area. Additionally, it’s also important to choose an Applicationserver that is easy to use. By following these tips, you can make sure that your business is successful.