"The "user's choice" for application servers, according to more than 700 software developers, include two of the oldest - one might say mature - and one relative newcomer. Developers ranked Adobe ColdFusion, the open-source Apache Geronimo, and Oracle WebLogic Server, among their favorite options, according to a free report distributed by Evans Data (free registration required)."
"In most cases, the server exposes this business logic through a component API, such as the EJB (Enterprise JavaBean) component model found on J2EE (Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition) application servers. Moreover, the application server manages its own resources. Such gate-keeping duties include security, transaction processing, resource pooling, and messaging. Like a Web server, an application server may also employ various scalability and fault-tolerance techniques."
"May 16, 2006—BEA Systems at JavaOne will expand beyond its traditional, bread-and-butter Java base, demonstrating PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) running on the WebLogic Server application server"
"BOSTON (04/30/2008) - SpringSource, maker of the Spring Framework for Java development, announced a new application server on Wednesday that it claims will "liberate" Java users from "antiquated legacy Java technologies.""
"April 3, 2006—BEA Systems is working to modularize services from its WebLogic Server application server, enabling them to run independently with open source frameworks."
"Cloud computing isn't the only thing being added to the definition of an application server. Application servers for Java are traditionally packaged in very specific ways: web archives, ejb jars, enterprise archives, resource archives15. With the advent of OSGi, a specification for modules becomes a platform for application servers."
"Sun Microsystems' latest J2EE specification (1.4) has made significant changes in two complimentary features that will extend the capabilities of application servers. Java Connector Architecture (JCA) 1.5 and EJB 2.1 Message Driven Beans combine to allow new server components to be deployed within application servers in a portable and standardized way. Developers are now able to extend the services offered by the application server to any protocol or technology. The application server is now truly extensible."
"I wouldn't be surprised at all if one day a feature-rich Web 2.0 application's download size approaches that of a well-developed desktop application deployed via Java Web Start. With that in mind, I propose building a thick client for your end users instead, while leveraging a traditional J2EE/Web application server architecture. This tutorial will get you started by walking through the creation and deployment of a thick-client stock trader application."
"The service-oriented approach provides an extremely modular architecture and supports advanced plug-and-play capabilities. Application servers based on SOA, such as HP's Application Server 8.0, help make businesses more responsive by providing the facilities for rapidly extending the application server to offer access to new and evolving enterprise APIs. In addition, this approach dramatically reduces the risk of infrastructure obsolescence since the end user can extend the functionality with new services or potentially even replace existing services with better and more advanced implementations. Service-centric application servers are positioned to support the next generation of enterprise applications by providing a framework that can adapt to the velocity of business and the rapid emergence of new technologies."
"With the growing emphasis on software architecture, it seems likely that application servers will become an essential tool in the programmer's arsenal. A solid knowledge of application server technology provides the scope for gaining a greater appreciation of the direction being taken by the software industry and the ways in which this it affects software engineering culture. This in turn equips the modern IT worker with some useful tools for moving up the value chain."
