Tomcat Servlet Engine for NetWare

Tomcat was first introduced to NetWare as part of NetWare 6. As with Apache, Tomcat is an open source application. Its specific function is servlet container. A servlet is a server-side program that generates dynamic Web pages based upon user input. Tomcat provides a runtime environment within which servlets can execute and be managed. Apache Web server depends upon Tomcat to process servlets and JavaServer Pages (JSP).

As with Apache, two instances of Tomcat can be loaded on a NetWare 6.5 server. The first is an admin instance that is used in conjunction with the Apache admin server to support the various management tools and other services available with NetWare 6.5. The admin instance of Tomcat is loaded automatically when NetWare 6.5 is installed.

The second instance is a public copy that is used in support of Web applications that are served from the NetWare 6.5 server. You will use this version to build your own Web environment.

NOTE

Tomcat provides basic servlet and JSP support for NetWare 6.5. For a more robust Web application development environment, Novell offers Novell exteNd Application Server. For more information on Novell exteNd offerings, see the NetWare 6.5 online documentation, and visit http://www.novell.com/solutions/extend/.

Installing and Configuring Tomcat

Because Tomcat is useless without a Web server with which to interoperate , Tomcat is installed automatically with Apache Web server. For information on installing Apache and Tomcat, see the Apache installation section earlier in this chapter.

By default, Tomcat files are installed into a directory structure starting at SYS:\TOMCAT . Both the admin and public versions of Tomcat will share this directory.

Similar to Apache Web server, Tomcat offers two utilities to help you configure and use the Tomcat servlet container:

• Tomcat Admin: Provides Web-based configuration of the Tomcat environment. Tomcat Admin is not a Novell utility. It was created by the Apache Foundation so that Tomcat could be managed from any Web browser. Tomcat Admin is accessible from Web Manager by selecting the Open Source link, selecting Tomcat in the left column, and then clicking Tomcat Admin in the yellow box on the right.

• Tomcat Manager: Provides Web-based deployment and management of servlets and Web applications. Tomcat Manager is accessible from Web Manager by selecting the Open Source link, selecting Tomcat in the left column, and then clicking Tomcat Manager Application in the yellow box on the right.

TIP

For more information on Tomcat, see the NetWare 6.5 online documentation, and visit the comprehensive Tomcat documentation site at http://jakarta.apache.org.