Tomcat Simple Configuration

Since the hardest thing for begginers who wants to work with java web applications is understanding and working with the Tomcat webserver configurations and deployment. I decided to write few tips that helps Tomcat begginers to work and deploy java web applications.

• Tomcat Directory Structure:

  tomcat/bin	Contains the required startup and shutdown scripts
  tomcat/common	Contains classes and library files accessible by all web applications |>serverd by the current tomcat inluding the tomcat server itself
  tomcat/conf	Contains the tomcat configuration files "server.xml" and applications xml configurations under the Catalina dir
  tomcat/logs	Contains the log files of the tomcat standard output "catalina.out" and the web applications logs usually *.txt
  tomcat/server	Contains the server basic classes, libraries, and applications (admin, manager)
  tomcat/shared	Contains classes and libraries accessible by all web applications serverd by the tomcat but not accessible to the tomcat itself
  tomcat/temp	Temp directory to be used by your application
  tomcat/webapps	Contains the web applications in a WAR format or in expanded directory structure (illustrated later)
  tomcat/work	Contains the compiled JSP files and servlets
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• Startup and Shutdown:
• For startup you will need to run the tomcat/bin/startup.sh script. Usually the tomcat server with the default configurations will run and listen on port 8080 to test it open your browser and type http://localhost:8080/ you should see the tomcat welcome page.
  
• For shutdown you will need to run the tomcat/bin/shutdown.sh script. It should take about 5 seconds for the tomcat to shutdown and about 20 to startup.
• Manager and Admin web applications:
• The manager should be installed by default. It is used to monitor the status of your web applications serverd by the running tomcat server.
• To access the manager application you must create a username and password and associate them with the manager role.
• To create a new user with the manager role got to tomcat/conf/tomcat-users.xml and add the following line   <user username="userName" password="choosePassword" roles="admin,manager"/>    you will need to shutdown and start your tomcat server again in order to apply the changes.
• Now point with your browser to http://localhost:8080/manager/html it will ask you for a username and password you must provide those with the manager role. You shoud see a list of applications and its status, number of sessions, and a set of commands to use Start |> Stop Reload Undeploy .
  

  

• Web Application Directory Structure:
  

  application/	Where to place your JSPs, images, and files you need web users to access
  application/WEB-INF/	Where to place configuration files and files that aren't accessible by the entire web application or browsers
  application/WEB-INF/classes/	Where to place your classes and servlets
  application/WEB-INF/lib/	Jars and external libraries />