Stand Alone

Using Application Servers/ Containers

shown using Java

Pros:

• Simple Deployment
• Less Server-side maintenance and setup
• Less work understanding application server/container configuration.
• More direct control over distribution, persistence, security.
  

Cons

• Typlically can be More effort in creating distributed, secure, scalable applications (where application server may handle some of these)
• Often less modularity by default
• More understanding of distributed programming, security, or other features needed by program where Application Servers can burry some of this detail

shown using Java

Pros:

• Can burry some of the detailed programming to make application distributed and secure.....easier coding
• More built-in modularity to environment.
• More natural ability to functionaly seperate business logic from presentation logic from data layer.
  

Cons

• More complicated deployment
• More server-side programs (application servers) to setup and maintain
• Containers/Application servers may not have control you desire
• May impact performance if not carefully designed

Encapsulates business logc and data layer of enterprise application.

• java: EJBs

Contains one or more enterprise application componenets to form an individual enterprise service.

• Also contain module deployment descriptor for defining configuration and deployment properties of module
• java: EJB modules packaged into JAR files along iwth XML deployment descriptors for EJBs.

Collection of enterprise application modules and possibly also web applicaton modules

• Also contain deploymnet descriptor.
• java: Web applications and EJB modules represented by WAR and EJB JAR files respectively which can all be packaged into a single EAR(enerprise archive) file. Along with XML-based edployment descriptor.

Provides runtime environment, interfaces between enterprice application components and services providecd by underlying applicatino servere.

• java: will have multiple. Container for Servlets/JSP (web applications), Container for EJB.

Provides insfrastructure such as enterprise communication services, transaction management services, security and services in an integrated application server environment.

• java: implementation of J2EE-based services and APIs.
• Note: often times Application Server and Container are synonyms.