Sun Java System Web Server Architecture

Sun Java System Web Server incorporates a modular architecture that integrates seamlessly with all products in the Sun Java System family of servers. In addition, Sun Java System Web Server 6.1 supports a variety of APIs and programming technologies that enable you to do the following:

• Generate dynamic content in response to client requests

• Modify and extend the behavior of the server

• Modify the content stored in the server

Sun Java System Web Server includes a number of software modules. These are discussed in the following topics:

• Content Engines

• Server Extensions

• Runtime Environments

• Application Services

Content Engines

Sun Java System Web Server content engines are designed for manipulating customer data. The following three content engines make up the web publishing layer of the Sun Java System Web Server architecture:

• HTTP (Web Server)

• Content Management

• Search

The HTTP engine represents the core of Sun Java System Web Server. From a functional perspective, the rest of the Sun Java System Web Server architecture resides on top of this engine for performance and integration functionality.

The Content Management engine enables you to manage the your content of the server. You create and store HTML pages, JavaServer Pages™ (JSP™) pages, and other files such as graphics, text, sound, or video on your server. When clients connect to your server they can view your files provided they have access to them.

The Search engine enables Sun Java System Web Server users to search the contents and attributes of documents on the server. As the server administrator you can create a customized text search interface that works with various types of document formats. Sun Java System Web Server converts many types of non-HTML documents into HTML as it indexes them, so users can use a web browser to view the documents that are found for their search.

Server Extensions

Sun Java System Web Server extensions enable you to extend or replace the function of the server. The following server extensions are part of the core Sun Java System Web Server architecture:

• Common Gateway Interface (CGI)

• Netscape Server Application Programming Interface (NSAPI)

• Java™ Servlets and JavaServer Pages (JSP)

Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is a stand-alone application development interface that enables you to create programs that process your client requests dynamically.

Netscape Server Application Programming Interface (NSAPI) is used to implement the functions the server calls when processing a request (Server Application Functions or SAFs), which provide the core and extended functionality of Sun Java System Web Server. It allows the server’s processing of requests to be divided into small steps that may be arranged in a variety of ways for speed and flexible configuration.

Java Servlets and Java Server Pages extensions enable all servlet and JSP metafunctions, including instantiation, initialization, destruction, access from other components, and configuration management. Servlets and JSPs are reusable Java applications that run on a web server rather than in a web browser.

Runtime Environments

In addition to the various server extensions, Sun Java System Web Server includes a set of runtime environments that support the server extensions. These runtime environments include the following:

• CGI Processor

• NSAPI Engine

• Java Virtual Machine (JVM)

Application Services

Finally, the Sun Java System Web Server architecture includes a set of application services for various application-specific functions. These application services include the following:

• Security and Access Control

• Session Management Service

• File System Service

• Mail Service