Version 17 of application server

Updated 2003-08-23 18:45:50

[What is an application server?]


ulis, 2002-07-11

An application server is a server which service is to launch applications?


What kind of applications? How is an application server different than a shell, or a cron program, or any of the other ways that one can start an application?


ulis, 2003-08-21

Like a shell or a cron program, an application server can deliver services around an application. But an application server has a manageable database of applications and can spread applications' execution across a network, sending back the result of the execution to the caller.

It seems easy to design an application server for Tcl scripts:

  • a database server to manage and deliver the scripts,
  • an execution server for each node to route the calls, launch a script and send back the result.

I've seen such a server (for binary applications) in the 80's.


james garrison (Qualcomm) - Aug 21, 2003

Interesting, we have developed a 3-Tier architected system (all in Tcl) where we have a thin client residing on the desktop that contacts a Service Provider Server and requests a application, from which the Service Provider will deliver the files to the client and the client runs the application...

The application's components (scripts, images, libraries, etc.) are stored and managed in a database (called a framework). We even provide the user with multiple environments (production, test, and development) to try out the application early in the design phase.

Each application (if required) contacts the Service Provider for services (database access, upload/download files, etc.), so the client does not need to have ODBC, Oracle, etc. to be installed or configured.


Category Glossary | category internet