Web container

A web container (also known as a servlet container;^[1] and compare "webcontainer"^[2]) is the component of a web server that interacts with Jakarta Servlets. A web container is responsible for managing the lifecycle of servlets, mapping a URL to a particular servlet and ensuring that the URL requester has the correct access-rights. A web container handles requests to servlets, Jakarta Server Pages (JSP) files, and other types of files that include server-side code. The Web container creates servlet instances, loads and unloads servlets, creates and manages request and response objects, and performs other servlet-management tasks. A web container implements the web component contract of the Jakarta EE architecture. This architecture specifies a runtime environment for additional web components, including security, concurrency, lifecycle management, transaction, deployment, and other services.

List of Servlet containers

The following is a list of applications which implement the Jakarta Servlet specification from Eclipse Foundation, divided depending on whether they are directly sold or not.

Open source Web containers

• Apache Tomcat (formerly Jakarta Tomcat) is an open source web container available under the Apache Software License.
  • Apache Tomcat 6 and above are operable as general application container (prior versions were web containers only)
• Apache Geronimo is a full Java EE 6 implementation by Apache Software Foundation.
• Enhydra, from Lutris Technologies.
• GlassFish from Eclipse Foundation (an application server, but includes a web container).
• Jaminid contains a higher abstraction than servlets.
• Jetty, from the Eclipse Foundation. Also supports SPDY and WebSocket protocols.
• Payara is another application server, derived from Glassfish.
• Winstone supports specification v2.5 as of 0.9, has a focus on minimal configuration and the ability to strip the container down to only what you need.
• Tiny Java Web Server (TJWS) 2.5 Tiny Java Web Server, small footprint, modular design.
• Virgo from Eclipse Foundation provides modular, OSGi based web containers implemented using embedded Tomcat and Jetty. Virgo is available under the Eclipse Public License.
• WildFly (formerly JBoss Application Server) is a full Java EE implementation by Red Hat, division JBoss.

Commercial Web containers

• iPlanet Web Server, from Oracle.
• JBoss Enterprise Application Platform from Red Hat, division JBoss is subscription-based/open-source Jakarta EE-based application server.
• JRun, from Adobe Systems (formerly developed by Allaire Corporation).
• WebLogic Application Server, from Oracle Corporation (formerly developed by BEA Systems).
• Orion Application Server, from IronFlare.
• Resin Pro, from Caucho Technology.
• ServletExec, from New Atlanta Communications.
• IBM WebSphere Application Server.
• SAP NetWeaver.
• tc Server, from SpringSource Inc.

References

1. Pilgrim, Peter A. (20 September 2013). "The lifecycle of Java Servlets". Java EE 7 Developer Handbook. Professional expertise distilled. Packt Publishing Ltd (published 2013). ISBN 9781849687959. Retrieved 2016-06-16. Java Servlets are governed by a web container (a Servlet container).
2. Puthal, B (2009). "J2EE Framework for project development". Retrieved 2016-06-15. The types of components within J2EE environment are [...] JSP or servlet as web components running inside webtainer [...]