SpringSource tc Server is an enterprise version of Apache Tomcat, the widely used Web application server. SpringSource tc Server is hardened for enterprise use and is coupled with key operational capabilities, advanced diagnostics, and is backed by mission-critical support.
SpringSource tc Server is designed to be a drop in replacement for Apache Tomcat 6, ensuring a seamless upgrade path for existing custom-built and commercial software applications already certified for Tomcat. Maintaining this level of compatibility enables our customers to add the business-critical functionality they need to more effectively run and manage their applications with the least amount of effort.
The following sections list the additional features that SpringSource tc Server adds to standard Apache Tomcat.
The following table lists the standard application server features of both SpringSource tc Server and Apache Tomcat.
| Application Server Features | SpringSource tc Server | Apache Tomcat |
|---|---|---|
| Servlet 2.5 Support | Yes | Yes |
| Java Server Pages (JSP) 2.1 Support | Yes | Yes |
| HTTP Session Clustering | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced I/O Features | Yes | Yes |
| Pre-built advanced non-blocking I/O components | Yes | Yes |
| Basic Windows service wrapper | Yes | Yes |
SpringSource tc Server is based on Apache Tomcat 6 and therefore provides a powerful yet lightweight platform that is compatible with existing Tomcat-based applications as well as with Web applications that run on other Java EE application servers such as IBM WebSphere or Oracle Weblogic. Applications can be seamlessly moved from Apache Tomcat to SpringSource tc Server in order to gain the added benefits that SpringSource tc Server provides beyond the base Apache Tomcat.
The following table compares the enterpise features of SpringSource tc Server versus Apache Tomcat.
| Additional Application Server Features | SpringSource tc Server | Apache Tomcat |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple runtime instances from a single binary installation | Yes | No |
| New high-concurrency JDBC connection pool` | Yes | No |
| Pre-configured for JMX management | Yes | No |
| Includes latest security vulnerability and bug fixes | Yes | Rebuild tomcat yourself to apply incremental fixes |
| Binary patch updates | Yes | Binary patches are not provided by Tomcat community |
| Unix boot scripts | Yes | No |
| Enhanced Windows service wrapper | Yes | No |
The following table compares the advanced configuration features of SpringSource tc Server versus Apache Tomcat.
| Advanced Configuration Features | SpringSource tc Server | Apache Tomcat |
|---|---|---|
| Templated production-ready configuration out-of-the-box | Yes | No |
| Create Tomcat single server configuration | Yes | No |
| Modify general server configuration including JVM startup parameters | Yes | No |
| Modify context container configuration | Yes | No |
| Modify server defaults for JSPs and static content | Yes | No |
| Add, modify, and delete JDBC data sources | Yes | No |
| Modify HTTP and AJP connector settings | Yes | No |
| Create and view general services | Yes | No |
| Modify general engine configuration | Yes | No |
| Pre-turned JVM options | Yes | No |
SpringSource tc Server includes advanced, distributed management and monitoring capabilities via a centralized management console referred to as AMS (Application Management Suite).
The tables in this section list the capabilities that SpringSource tc Server provides over and above the base Apache Tomcat and also notes the features that AMS provides for existing Apache Tomcat environments.
SpringSource tc Server provides a wide range of capabilities that enable developers, administrators, and operators to centrally diagnose, measure, and monitor the distributed application infrastructure their applications are deployed on.
| Diagnostics, Metrics, and Monitoring Features | SpringSource tc Server | Apache Tomcat |
|---|---|---|
| Application deadlock detection, including pre-configured deadlock trigger set to create heap and thread dumps with URL-to-thread association. | Yes | No |
| Uncaught exception detection, including heap/thread dumps | Yes | No |
| Garbage collection metrics including throughput and count | Yes | No |
| SQL query time monitoring metrics | Yes | No |
| Enhance reponse time monitoring metrics | Yes | No |
| Enhanced connection pool health metrics | Yes | No |
| Enhanced thread pool health metrics | Yes | No |
| Role-based customizable dashboard | Yes | Yes (via AMS) |
| Automated inventory of application servers and software resources | Yes | Yes (via AMS) |
| Real-time metric collection and monitoring of tc Server, Tomcat, Apache Web server, Apache ActiveMQ, underlying JVM, operating system, and other resources | Yes | Yes (via AMS) |
| Historing charting and graphing performance | Yes | Yes (via AMS) |
| Advanced alerting: multi-conditional, availability, event, and recovery alerts, group-based alerting, and escalation schemes. | Yes | Yes (via AMS) |
| Log file tracing, alerts on event levels | Yes | Yes (via AMS) |
| Alerts based on configuration file updates | Yes | Yes (via AMS) |
| Performance baselining for alert thresholds | Yes | Yes (via AMS) |
SpringSource tc Server provides a centralized, secure dashboard that enables administrators and operators to organize, operate, and control their distributed applications and infrastructure.
| Centralized Operations and Management Features | SpringSource tc Server | Apache Tomcat |
|---|---|---|
| Secure, distributed, JMX-based server management | Yes | No |
| Create application server groups | Yes | Yes (via AMS) |
| Application server start/stop/restart from central console | Yes | Yes (via AMS) |
| List deployed applications and current status | Yes | No |
| Application deploy/undeploy/reload/start/stop | Yes | No |
| Security and access/authorization control | Yes | Yes (via AMS) |
| Scheduled control: maintenance activities, on-demand actions, scheduled remediation actions, or scheduled responses to alert conditions | Yes | Yes (via AMS) |
SpringSource tc Server provides scripting support for administrators and operators who prefer to create and run scripts to handle distributed configuration and deployment steps.
| Scripting Features | SpringSource tc Server | Apache Tomcat |
|---|---|---|
| List deployed servers | Yes | No |
| Create server groups | Yes | No |
| Add/delete servers to/from groups | Yes | No |
| List deployed applications, including current status | Yes | No |
| Deploy application WAR file | Yes | No |
| Undeploy application | Yes | No |
| Start, stop, and reload deployed applications | Yes | No |
| Get (download) configuration files and JVM parameters from a server | Yes | No |
| Modify configuration files on an individual server | Yes | No |
| Se (push) configuration files and JVM parameters to a server group | Yes | No |
| Start, stop, and restart a server or group of servers | Yes | No |