Difference between server and container

Hi,

Can anyone tell the difference between the server and container?

Thanks and Regards,
Narendranath

Container refers to the component that manages lifecycle of servelet/JSP or EJB. Server refers to the infrastructure which contains those containers.
For an example
JBOSS server is contained with an EJB container.
TOMCAT server is contained with servelet container/JSP engine and etc.

Thanks for what u said. But EJB container and EJB server are synonymous I think. In that case can't we interchangebly use container and server?

Regards,
Narendranath

The EJB server must provide one or more EJB containers. Hence EJB container and EJB server are NOT synonymous. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Hi Kanishtha, thank you for the fruit for thought. Now I know what to say when asked of the same question.

About the synonymity, I wonder if it is valid if, (and only if) the server has only one container. Hmmm, debatable isn't it ? :roll:

Another frequent question is: Is the "hardware" server synonymous with the "software" server. E.g. I'd often been compelled to say that they were synonymous when a server box contains only one server application (e.g. http server) to clients that couldn't tell between a server box and a loudspeaker, let alone the servers we are talking about. Telling them the actual thing would be equivalent to forcing them to spend a night with Hannibal Lecter. It would sure scare them off. It'd nearly scared me off !

IT life is sprinkled with confusion and paradoxes, isn't it ?

Originally posted by kanishtha Kramalekhakha:
The EJB server must provide one or more EJB containers. Hence EJB container and EJB server are NOT synonymous. Please correct me if I am wrong.

[ April 19, 2005: Message edited by: Ken Loh ]

As far as I what I read, EJB server and EJB container are synonymous.

Here is the piece of text taken from EJB by EdRoman

The server provider is the same as the container provider. Sun has not yet differentiated these (and they may never do so). We will use the terms EJB container and EJB server interchangeably in this book.

OK. So as far as your world is hardly bound into that book EJB server and EJB container are synonymous for you. Enjoy your own world!