Re: Tomcat vs. Other App Servers

[Arnaud Dostes - NTI]

Well, this is interesting.... I've raised this issue many times around me and it always becomes a philisophical debate on open-source and stuff like "is open-source compatible with a companies needs" etc.... I've also discussed this with one of the guys working on the Orion app server. And I wrote a paper on this for a conference in my university.   First of all, you need to take into perspective a few points : Tomcat is NOT an application server, it cannot run EJB, it is not built on a J2EE model, you can't deploy beans and such.... Tomcat is servlet engine, it processes JSP and servlets.   Now, let's talk about "web*" app servers, like websphere and weblogic. Both these products cost thousands of dollars, $10k as you put it is not including services offered by IBM or BEA, the manufacturers. Both these products are very heavy, and DO NOT run well on a i386 architectures compared to when they run on 64 bit machines, like Solaris Sparc machines. (I've used weblogic on a sunblade in a production environment and it runs nicely). Websphere is a security nightmare, you can crah it by telnetting garbage to it on port 8009 (if i remember corrrectly)   So choosing a server depends on your needs.   Application Architecture : Apparently, you don't need a J2EE architecture, since you've been working with tomcat for a while. Tomcat can suit you well.   Costs : If you can't afford services, a 30 000 $ server, $10 000 for weblogic or websphere, go with tomcat.   Performances : On a pentium architecture, tomcat runs a million times faster. The architecture I like (and recommend my customers) is Apache with mod_jserv and Tomcat, on a linux box, on a dual-pentium 3 server. Why dual proc ? Memory leaks =) Apache is the most widely used web server out there, it has nothing to prove, it is secure and administrable, performant etc... It runs better than all its expensive competitors.   So it comes down now to politics, if someone somewhere in the process refuses to rely on open source software, go with the bigshots, and don't hesitate to buy services and support (not necessarily from the manufacturer), you'll gain alot of time and money in the long run. The arguments against using open-source are usually the following : * We don't get support : false, many small start-ups offer consulting and support for less than the big shots, and you get support from the community for free (like on this list) * It can get discontinued without warning : inexact : the Apache foundation has been around for longer than most dotcoms, and doesn't show signs of weaknesses. And didn't Symantec discontinue Visual Caf� ? * It's buggy software : and websphere and weblogic aren't ? Websphere (on NT) has been used in my school to demonstrate the bugs in the Swing API. I keep tweaking the weblogic perl scripts too... Tomcat has a new release every night or so. * The developpement is hectic : did you ever see a company release software on time ? ask the gamers out there... * Why is it free if it's so good ? : so people use it, so programmers get some glory, so you can get rich and make a donation...   And afterall, Websphere runs Apache as an http server. (yes, IBM managed to SELL Apache). And some of the most talented programmers in the world work for the Apache foundation.   I personnaly don't hesitate running a stable version of Apache/Tomcat in a prod environment.   About Resin, It's really nice and it's fun to use, and performant. It costs 500$, and you can plug it in Apache. It's not open-source, if i remember correctly, and the EJB part is beta, it's not fully J2EE compliant. If you want a good J2EE compliant app server, you can purchase Orion app server (http://www.orionserver.com) for $1500 or so.   ----- Original Message ----- From: Curtis Spencer To: Tomcat User List Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2001 10:55 AM Subject: Tomcat vs. Other App Servers Hi, I have been working with Tomcat for a few months now with little problems.  I am wondering if this app server is ready for prime time when it comes to business end of the things.  What do the other servers that cost upwards of $10000 offer that Tomcat doesn't?  Also, I have been hearing a lot about Caucho's Resin Servlet engine as another open source alternative?  Anyone have any takes on the app server market?   Thanks Curtis