Apache/Tomcat vs. Tomcat - What's best?
I have a question on the server structure that should be used for Java web applications:
Until now I've thought that in productive environments it is best to use a bundle of Apache web server / mod_jk / Tomcat instead of a Standalone-Tomcat, because static contents can be served by Apache much more efficient.
Now I've found the following statement on the Tomcat web site: "When using a single server, the performance when using a native webserver in front of the Tomcat instance is most of the time significantly worse than a standalone Tomcat with its default HTTP connector, even if a large part of the web application is made of static files."
http://tomcat.apache.org/tomcat-5.5-doc/connectors.html
Now I'm a little bit confused: Is there still a need to use a Apache web server in front of Tomcat? What are the remaining advantages when performance is no longer one of them?
