Which web server should I use with NetBeans?

Question

I have not been developing Java for 8 years, but started building a NetBeans web application. When I look at the web application wizard, it asks for the server that I will use.

What would be the best and easiest server for me to start with NetBeans?

Answer 1

Since NetBeans IDE is a Sun product, I would suggest that the Glassfish application server would be natural.

However, one of the advantages of developing a web application in Java is that the interface for working with http is standardized (i.e., the servlet specification), so you can choose any servlet container that you want: be it Glassfish, Tomcat , Jetty, or Weblogic. Since it seems to me that you are experimenting and you want to use something easy to manage, I can go with Glassfish. However, be open to reviewing this solution when you need to actually deploy your web application in a production environment. Be sure to check out other options such as Tomcat or Jetty.

Answer 2

If you do not deploy to a full J2EE application server, I would recommend using Tomcat. Tomcat can act as a standalone web / servlet / jsp server and avoids some of the complexities of a full J2EE application server.

Netbeans web development kit will include installers and automatic integration with Glassfish and Tomcat. You will get the “best” Netbeans experience with these servers.

However, Netbeans workflow can be easily integrated with other application servers. Starting with version 6.1, this includes Sun Java System Application Server 8 and 9, GlassFish v1 and v2, Apache Tomcat 4, 5 and 6, JBoss 4, BEA WebLogic 10, IBM WebSphere 6.0 and 6.1, Sailfin V1. See the Netbeans J2EE Features website for more information.

Answer 3

Glassfish is actually an easy to use application server. I find this easier for beginners and it is integrated with Netbeans. For example, setting up database caching is easy.

You control the server through this web page:

http://localhost:4848 

(login: admin, password: adminadmin)

Glassfish will run your applications on port 8080.

Glassfish Homepage: http://glassfish.dev.java.net (really no need to read)

For non-Netbeans users, there is a QuickStart guide:

 http://glassfish.dev.java.net/downloads/quickstart/index.html 

Here is an overview of screencasts:

 http://download.java.net/javaee5/screencasts/admin-console/index.html 

At some point, you might want to know Tomcat too, because it's so common, but Glassfish is a much more friendly start. Actually, it's probably better than a production server if you can find an affordable host.