What is the difference between application server and web server?

Question

What is the difference between application server and web server?

Answer 1

Application server and web server both are used to host web application. Web Server is deal with web container on the other hand Application Server is deal with web container as well as EJB (Enterprise JavaBean) container or COM+ container for Microsoft dot Net.

Web Server is designed to serve HTTP static Content like HTML, images etc. and for the dynamic content have plugins to support scripting languages like Perl, PHP, ASP, JSP etc and it is limited to HTTP protocol. Below servers can generate dynamic HTTP content.

Web Server's Programming Environment:

IIS : ASP (.NET)

Apache Tomcat: Servlet

Jetty: Servlet

Apache: Php, CGI

Application Server can do whatever Web Server is capable and listens using any protocol as well as App Server have components and features to support Application level services such as Connection Pooling, Object Pooling, Transaction Support, Messaging services etc.

Application Server's Programming Environment:

MTS: COM+

WAS: EJB

JBoss: EJB

WebLogic Application Server: EJB