Application Server and Web Server

Web Server:

• Web Server is designed to serve HTTP Content.
• Serves content to the web using http protocol.
• Web servers are well suited for static content, most of the production environments have web server acting as reverse proxy to app server.

            Eg: Apache

Application Server:

• Application Server can also serve HTTP Content but is not limited to just HTTP. It can be provided other protocol support such as RMI/RPC.
• Hosts and exposes business logic and processes.
• Application servers are well suited for dynamic content.

           Eg: Tomcat, Weblogic, Jboss, IBM