----- Original Message -----
From: Varuna Seneviratna
To: users@httpd.apache.org
Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2008 5:43 AM
Subject: [EMAIL PROTECTED] What is the Difference between A webserver(apache)
and an application server?
What is the Difference between A webserver(apache) and an application server?
Varuna
Various levels of complexity ;)
At one level the answer is, they different stupid.
At a higher level, the answer is, not much, same thing, different flavor.
The more you learn, the closer they get.
In general Java has cornered the brand name "application server", and there
are many.
On the spectrum, it moves through web pages, they become intelligent web
pages (CGI, PHP, servlets), they become remote procedure calls (SOAP and Web
services), they become managed beans (little applications) called the
application server.
However that sequence is not orderly, a good PHP developer may knock the
pants of a Java servlet developer and a Java servlet developer may run rings
around an EJB coder... it depends on what you doing, and how good you are with
various tools.
There are some nice distinguishing charateristics.
When a system switches from delivering web a pages to doing remote
procedure calls.
When the client is a browser, or when the client becomes another
application.
Some technology feels very much like a tool, others you definitely know you
living in someone elses system (world).
Some systems mix, in others its near impossible to introduce another system.
The POJO cult versus the EJB cult
The KISS (keep it simple stupid) versus complexity cult.
There is no short cut, you need to look at em all...
The one you looking at is an anchor, you just got to know Apache httpd.
The other one thats worth looking at is Tomcat.
These two systems mix well, and will probably cover 95% of your needs.
That other 5% is a difficult choice... SOAP versus EJB versus POJO etc.
Its a good question, you need to learn em, or else you will never make the
right choices.
Choosing incorrectly, can get one into big trouble, round peg, square hole
problems that only emerge after 6 months of work.
They are certainly all interesting, and once you have studied them, you see
the patterns.
Dont learn em, and they can bite ;)
Have fun...
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