Web container

Web container (also known as a Servlet container) is the component of a web server that interacts with Java 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 for servlets, JavaServer 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 Java EE architecture, specifying a runtime environment for web components that includes security, concurrency, lifecycle management, transaction, deployment, and other services.

List of Servlet containers

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

Non-commercial Web containers

• Apache Tomcat (formerly Jakarta Tomcat) is an open source web container available under the Apache Software License.
• Apache Geronimo is a full Java EE implementation by Apache.
• GlassFish (open source), from Oracle
• JBoss Application Server (open source) is a full Java EE implementation by Red Hat inc., division JBoss.
• Jetty (open source) is from the Eclipse Foundation. Also supports SPDY and WebSocket protocols.
• Jaminid contains a higher abstraction than servlets.
• Enhydra
• 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 [1], small footprint, modular design
• Eclipse Virgo provides modular, OSGi based web containers implemented using embedded Tomcat and Jetty. Virgo is open source and available under the Eclipse Public License.

Commercial Web containers

• Borland Enterprise Server
• Sun GlassFish Server, from Sun Microsystems
• Sun Java System Web Server, from Sun Microsystems
• Sun Java System Application Server (is an Application Server, but includes a web container)
• JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (open source)
• JRun, from Adobe Systems (formerly developed by Allaire Corporation)
• LiteWebServer (open source)
• WebLogic Application Server, from Oracle Corporation (developed by BEA Systems)
• Orion Application Server, from IronFlare
• Caucho's Resin Server (open source)
• ServletExec, from New Atlanta Communications
• IBM WebSphere Application Server
• SAP NetWeaver
• tc Server (SpringSource)