Web container

A web container (also known as a servlet container; and compare "webcontainer" ) is the component of a web server that interacts with Jakarta Servlets. A web container is responsible for managing the lifecycle of servlets, mapping a URL to a particular servlet and ensuring that the URL requester has the correct access-rights. A web container handles requests to servlets, Jakarta Server Pages (JSP) files, and other types of files that include server-side code. The Web container creates servlet instances, loads and unloads servlets, creates and manages request and response objects, and performs other servlet-management tasks. A web container implements the web component contract of the Jakarta EE architecture. This architecture specifies a runtime environment for additional web components, including security, concurrency, lifecycle management, transaction, deployment, and other services.

List of Servlet containers
The following is a list of applications which implement the Jakarta Servlet specification from Eclipse Foundation, divided depending on whether they are directly sold or not.

Open source Web containers

 * Apache Tomcat (formerly Jakarta Tomcat) is an open source web container available under the Apache Software License.
 * Apache Tomcat 6 and above are operable as general application container (prior versions were web containers only)
 * Apache Geronimo is a full Java EE 6 implementation by Apache Software Foundation.
 * Enhydra, from Lutris Technologies.
 * GlassFish from Eclipse Foundation (an application server, but includes a web container).
 * Jaminid contains a higher abstraction than servlets.
 * Jetty, from the Eclipse Foundation. Also supports SPDY and WebSocket protocols.
 * Payara is another application server, derived from Glassfish.
 * Winstone supports specification v2.5 as of 0.9, has a focus on minimal configuration and the ability to strip the container down to only what you need.
 * Tiny Java Web Server (TJWS) 2.5 Tiny Java Web Server, small footprint, modular design.
 * Virgo from Eclipse Foundation provides modular, OSGi based web containers implemented using embedded Tomcat and Jetty. Virgo is available under the Eclipse Public License.
 * WildFly (formerly JBoss Application Server) is a full Java EE implementation by Red Hat, division JBoss.

Commercial Web containers

 * iPlanet Web Server, from Oracle.
 * JBoss Enterprise Application Platform from Red Hat, division JBoss is subscription-based/open-source Jakarta EE-based application server.
 * JRun, from Adobe Systems (formerly developed by Allaire Corporation).
 * WebLogic Application Server, from Oracle Corporation (formerly developed by BEA Systems).
 * Orion Application Server, from IronFlare.
 * Resin Pro, from Caucho Technology.
 * ServletExec, from New Atlanta Communications.
 * IBM WebSphere Application Server.
 * SAP NetWeaver.
 * tc Server, from SpringSource Inc.