The web server provides run time for web applications and it is more relevant for the static pages whereas the application server provides runtime for the enterprise applications and it is more relevant for the dynamic pages. Apache Tomcat, Resin, etc. are examples of web servers. Weblogic, JBoss, Websphere, etc. are some of the examples of application servers. In this article by Scaler Topics, we will look at the differences between Web Server and Application Server.
Web Server
A web server receives the requests from clients from a website and accepts and fulfills them for the static content(like videos, images, files, and HTML pages). HTTP requests and responses are handled by the web server. A web server is considered a computer program by which a request for data is accepted and a specific document is sent. Web servers can also be computers for keeping online content.
Features
Some of the features of web servers are given below:
- Large data storage is supported by the web server, so multiple websites can be made by it.
- Log file set-up configuration becomes easy.
- It also supports controlling the bandwidth so that there is network traffic regulation.
- Dircetory security and website configurations become easier.
- Making virtual directories easier and also supporting the mapping of both virtual and physical directories.
Examples
- Resin
- Apache Tomcat
Application Server
An application server supports exposing business logic to the clients by which dynamic content is created. The application server is a software framework by which specialized functionality offered by a service, business, or application is provided by data transformation. Interactive sections of the website are enhanced by the application server and can be displayed differently according to the request context.
Features
Some of the features of the application server are given below:
- It supports application security management.
- Load balancing and clustering are also provided by it.
- It provides High-performance distributed application services.
- Application development APIs.
- Interoperability.
Examples
- Websphere
- JBoss
- Weblogic
Difference between Web Server and Application Server
Below are some points to explain the difference between a Web Server and an Application Server
| Parameters | Web Server | Application Server |
|---|---|---|
| Target Environment | Run time is provided by the web server for the web applications. | Run time is provided by the web server for the enterprise applications. |
| Uses | It smoothly works for static content like HTML pages. | It is considered more relevant for dynamic content like banking websites. |
| Purpose | Only web containers are there in the web server | Both EJB and web containers are there in any application. |
| Resource Consumption | Web server consumes fewer resources in comparison to application server resource consumption, like CPU, memory, etc. | Application server consumes much more resources in comparison to web server resource consumption |
| Multithreading Support | Multithreading is not supported by it. | Multithreading is supported by it. |
| Supported Protocols | HTTP protocols are supported by the web servers. | Along with HTTP protocols, the application server also supports RPC/RMI protocols. |
| Capacity | Capacity of the web server is lesser in comparison to application server capacity. | Capacity of the application server is much higher in comparison to the web server capacity. |
| Examples | Apache Tomcat, Resin, etc. are some examples of web servers. | Weblogic, JBoss, Websphere, etc. are some of the examples of application servers. |
Conclusion
- A web server receives the requests from clients from a website and accepts and fulfills them for the static content(like videos, images, files, and HTML pages).
- Large data storage, Log file set-up configuration, etc. are some features of web servers.
- An application server supports exposing business logic to the clients by which dynamic content is created.
- Application security management, Load balancing, and clustering, etc. are some features of the application server.
- The main difference between a Web Server and an Application Server is that a Web server provides run time for web applications whereas an application server provides runtime for enterprise applications.
