Apache Tomcat Server vs. Oracle Weblogic Server
Java App Server Cost and Support More Important Than Performance
© John Wu
Nov 16, 2009
Many organizations conduct speed tests to pick Tomcat or Weblogic for their J2EE application server. This is almost always the wrong approach, especially if the JVM chosen or the JVM settings are different. There is a significant cash investment with using Oracle Weblogic, but it comes with support that's unavailable with Apache Tomcat.
Performance and JVM
In most cases, the choice of JVM affects performance a lot more than picking either Tomcat or Weblogic. As the JVM progressed from version to version (eg. 1.5 to 1.6), there have been substantial improvements made that affect speed such as improved garbage collection. The choice of JVM implementation affects performance as well. For example, Sun's JVM may work better in one hardware configuration while Jrockit works better with another. However, if the JVM is the same, the performance differences from picking between Tomcat and Weblogic are minimal.
There is one exception to this. Tomcat's memory footprint is much smaller than Oracle Weblogic. On a server short on memory, Tomcat will perform better than Weblogic because it's smaller.
Technical Support for Oracle Weblogic Worth It?
Apache Tomcat support consists of having access to the source code and public message forums on the internet. If developers at a company are self sufficient and can leverage the source code and forums, the cost savings over a license from Oracle can be substantial.
On the other hand, many businesses are much more comfortable with reliance upon the vendor's tech support infrastructure. This is especially true if the skill set of the employees in the IT department does not lend itself to self-sufficiency. Some IT organizations value having access to Oracle's tech support organization as a risk mitigating factor in the business.
The right choice entirely depends on the skill set of the people managing the J2EE application infrastructure as well as the organization's comfort level with the support model chosen.
Oracle Weblogic Cost
The cost of Oracle Weblogic is now over $25,000 per CPU. Despite the appearance of free Java application servers such as Apache Tomcat server and Sun Microsystem's Glassfish, many companies need technical support contracts to satisfy risk management. Others are forced to use Weblogic due to middleware application requirements requiring a commercial product such as Weblogic or Websphere. Prices are high because there is not much competition in the commercial Java application server market. The only major alternative in the J2EE application server market is IBM Websphere.
Future Without J2EE Applications?
Besides switching to Apache Tomcat or Glassfish, IT executives should consider migrating away from J2EE architecture altogether in their next generation software. Many alternatives exist including PHP based applications, which potentially provide much better performance than J2EE. Unfortunately, this may take a year or two of software development. In the meantime, there are many things to consider when deciding which Java application server to pick.
IT decision makers reading this article may also be interesting in reading about how to choose a Windows virtualization solution as well as pros and cons of an Oracle to MySQL migration.
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