Application Server

An application server is a specialized software that runs on back-end servers to manage, run, and deploy applications and services. It acts as a go-between, connecting the visible part of an application (what users interact with) and the hidden parts, like databases and networks, that store and process the information.

Application servers provide a robust, scalable, and efficient environment for executing complex business logic and supporting a wide range of applications, including web, enterprise, and mobile applications.

They ensure that applications can handle many users simultaneously and keep everything running securely and quickly.

Origins in Early Internet Days

Application servers emerged in the 1990s as a response to the growing complexity of applications and the need for a more efficient way to manage resources, such as database connections and memory allocation.

They evolved from simple web servers to more sophisticated platforms that could handle a wide range of tasks, including application hosting, data processing, and system integration.  

Application Server Benefits

The centralization and standardization of essential software functions in Application Servers provide important benefits, including:

• Middleware: The application server acts as middleware, simplifying application development, deployment, and management by providing a layer of abstraction between the application and the underlying infrastructure.
• Scalability: Application servers are designed to handle many concurrent users and transactions, providing horizontal and vertical scaling options to meet the application’s growing demands.
• Performance: By employing caching, connection pooling, and load balancing techniques, application servers enhance the performance and reliability of applications.
• Security: Application servers offer essential security features, including encryption to protect sensitive data, and authentication and authorization to ensure that only authorized users can access the system.
• Support for various programming languages and frameworks: Application servers support multiple programming languages and frameworks, such as Java, .NET, PHP, and Python, allowing developers to build applications using their preferred language and tools.  

Popular Application Servers 

Organizations often use these popular application servers in their technology stack:

• Apache Tomcat: An open-source Java-based application server widely used for deploying and running Java Servlets, JavaServer Pages (JSP), and Java Web Services.
• IBM WebSphere: A commercial application server provided by IBM for building, deploying, and managing enterprise Java applications.
• Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS): Both a web server and application server for the Windows platform, which supports applications built using the .NET framework.
• Oracle WebLogic: A Java EE application server developed by Oracle, commonly used in large-scale enterprise environments.
• JBoss (WildFly): An open-source Java EE application server developed by Red Hat, known for its lightweight and modular architecture.  

Conclusion

Application servers evolve as new technologies and requirements emerge, such as containerization, microservices, and serverless computing.

These modern methods help application servers offer even more flexibility, scalability, and resilience, ensuring that the applications we use daily continue to meet our needs.

Introduction to Application Server fundamentals – 5 mins

Web / Application / Database Server Explained – 12 mins