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TuxCare BlogWeb Server vs. Application Server: A Comprehensive Comparison
by Rohan Timalsina
October 7, 2024 - TuxCare expert team
- Web servers handle static content (HTML, CSS, images) and focus on fast, efficient delivery using HTTP/HTTPS.
- Application servers manage dynamic content, execute business logic, and provide features like transaction management, security, and scalability.
- In enterprise environments, web servers and application servers often work together, with the web server acting as a proxy for the application server.
The terms “web server” and “application server” are often used interchangeably, but they serve distinct purposes. Understanding the difference between web servers and application servers is critical for anyone managing web applications. Though they often work together to deliver static and dynamic content.
In this article, we’ll dive into web server vs. application server comparisons, highlighting their core functions, popular examples, and their roles in modern web applications.
Understanding Web Servers
A web server handles HTTP requests from clients (typically web browsers), delivering static content such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and images. It manages communication between users and the server-side infrastructure, often by serving files directly from the filesystem.
Web servers typically use the HTTP or HTTPS protocol to communicate, and they listen on specific network ports (often port 80 for HTTP and port 443 for HTTPS). They are optimized for delivering static content swiftly and efficiently, though they can also generate dynamic content in collaboration with other back-end services or scripting languages, such as PHP, Python, or Node.js.
Some popular examples of web servers include:
Apache HTTP Server (httpd): One of the most widely used web servers known for its stability and extensive features.
NGINX: A high-performance option renowned for its efficiency and scalability, often used for serving static content and as a reverse proxy.
Key Features of Web Servers
- Serving Static Content: Web servers are optimized to serve static resources such as images, CSS, and HTML files.
- Reverse Proxying: Many web servers can act as reverse proxies, forwarding client requests to application servers and returning the application’s responses to the client.
- Handling HTTP Requests: Web servers are specifically designed to respond to HTTP/HTTPS requests and are tuned to handle large volumes of requests simultaneously.
Understanding Application Servers
On the other hand, an application server provides a platform for running dynamic applications. It processes dynamic requests by running business logic, accessing databases, and delivering dynamic content back to the web server.
Unlike web servers, application servers are primarily focused on executing application logic and providing the necessary services for dynamic web applications. They often rely on web servers to handle the initial request processing and serve static content.
While many developers may view application servers as simply web servers with additional features, this is an oversimplified perspective. Application servers are often part of multi-tier architectures, where they communicate with databases, middleware, and front-end services.
Key Features of Application Servers
- Dynamic Content Processing: Application servers execute business logic, database interactions, and generate dynamic content.
- Session Management: Application servers manage user sessions, enabling user-specific data retention during interactions.
- Middleware Services: These servers often provide additional services such as transaction management, security, and messaging.
Some popular examples of application servers include:
Apache Tomcat: A widely used Java EE application server, often used for deploying Java applications.
Node.js: A JavaScript runtime environment for building scalable network applications, often used for real-time applications and APIs.
WildFly (JBoss): A powerful application server for Java EE applications.
Key Differences Between Web Servers and Application Servers
While both web servers and application servers play essential roles in web development, they have distinct features. Here are some key differences:
| Aspect | Web Server | Application Server |
| Primary Function | Serves static content and forwards dynamic requests to application servers. | Runs and manages dynamic applications. |
| Request Handling | Primarily handles HTTP requests. | Handles business logic, data processing, and dynamic content generation. |
| Performance | Optimized for high volumes of static requests. | Optimized for processing-intensive dynamic requests. |
| Resource Usage | Lightweight, optimized for speed and efficiency. | Requires more resources for complex operations. |
| Protocol | Uses HTTP/HTTPS. | Can use multiple protocols like HTTP, RMI, etc. |
How Do Web Servers and Application Servers Work Together?
In many enterprise environments, web servers and application servers are deployed together to deliver content. The web server typically acts as the front-end proxy, handling all incoming traffic and forwarding relevant dynamic requests to the application server. This combination allows for optimal resource utilization by separating the responsibility of serving static files from processing complex requests.
For instance, in a typical three-tier architecture:
- The web server (e.g., NGINX or Apache) handles the presentation layer, serving HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other static files.
- The application server (e.g., Apache Tomcat, JBoss, Node.js) comprises the application layer, executing business logic, connecting to databases, and generating dynamic content.
- The database server (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle) stores the data needed by the application server to generate dynamic responses.
Extended Lifecycle Support for Enhanced Security
As Linux operating systems reach their end of life (EOL), continuing to run essential web servers and application servers, such as NGINX, Apache, and Apache Tomcat, can pose significant security risks. Unpatched vulnerabilities in these servers, along with core packages like the Linux kernel leave systems exposed to potential attacks. TuxCare’s Extended Lifecycle Support (ELS) offers an affordable and effective solution for organizations seeking to extend the lifespan of their critical infrastructure.
TuxCare’s ELS supports a wide range of Linux distributions, including CentOS 6, CentOS 7, CentOS 8, CentOS Stream 8, Oracle Linux 6, Oracle Linux 7, Ubuntu 16.04, and Ubuntu 18.04. This service provides up to four additional years of vendor-grade security patches for essential packages like NGINX, Apache, Tomcat, Node.js, Linux kernel, OpenSSL, glibc, Python, and more.
Organizations can ensure that their web and application servers remain secure, even on outdated Linux distributions. This also allows organizations to avoid forced migrations and take the time to plan their upgrade paths safely. Implementing ELS is as simple as running a single command to change the location of key repositories. There is no need for reboots, downtime, or disruption of operations.
Final Thoughts
Web servers are optimized for serving static content and acting as reverse proxies, while application servers are designed to handle dynamic content generation and complex business logic. In large-scale deployments, combining web servers and application servers can provide significant benefits, including improved performance, enhanced scalability, and enhanced security.
With TuxCare’s Extended Lifecycle Support, organizations can mitigate the risks associated with running end-of-life Linux systems, protect their critical infrastructure, and ensure business continuity.
TuxCare supports not only Linux operating systems but also programming languages like Python and PHP, as well as software development frameworks such as Spring projects.
