If you decide to deploy servlets on a real Web site, you have several choices about your server.
You might choose to use a commercial hosting provider, in which case they will choose the server software, but you will choose your provider.
You might place your pages on a corporate Web server, in which case the department that runs the server will choose the server, but you may be asked for suggestions.
And finally, you might have a server of your own connected to the Internet 24 hours a day, in which case you have complete freedom to choose your own server.
SUN microsystems maintains a list of some of the full Web servers that support servlets (in addition to the Java Web Server).
A number of these servers are free. That sounds terrific, but it often means they are unsupported, or have few features other than servlet support.
Choosing a Web server can be a big decision with big consequences. Wait until you’ve completed this course to make that choice, if you can.
In the next lesson, you will learn about add-ons for non-servlet Web servers.

Apache Tomcat is an open source software implementation of the Java Servlet, JavaServer Pages, Java Expression Language and Java WebSocket technologies. The Java Servlet, JavaServer Pages, Java Expression Language and Java WebSocket specifications are developed under the Java Community Process.
Apache Tomcat is developed in an open environment and released under the Apache License version 2. Apache Tomcat is intended to be a collaboration of developers from around the world.
Apache Tomcat powers numerous large-scale, mission-critical web applications across a diverse range of industries and organizations. Some of these users and their stories are listed on the PoweredBy wiki page. Apache Tomcat, Tomcat, Apache, the Apache feather, and the Apache Tomcat project logo are trademarks of the Apache Software Foundation.

Core features

1. Servlet container
2. JSP container
3. HTTP server

Additional features

1. Native web server integration (AJP)
2. Basic application server features (JNDI, JDBC)
3. Clustering and session replication

Started at Sun Microsystems

1. Reference Java Servlet and JSP implementation
2. Donated to Apache Software Foundation in 1999

ASF TLP (Toplevel Project)

1. Since 2005
2. Before developed under Jakarta umbrella