Web Server

A web server is an application that accepts requests from the client, typically a browser, and returns responses according to the request made. Typically, a web server only accepts requests for static files.

A application server is also an application that accepts requests from the client and returns responses according to the request made. The difference from the web server is that the application server typically allows dynamic processing of requests enabling the building of applications.

In a three-tier architecture, the web server is configured to serve static files delegating dynamic processing to the application server (typically JSPs and servlets). It is important that in this architecture, the web server and the application server are configured to access different file structures.

Therefore, consider WEB_ROOT_PATH as the path for static files and APPLICATION_PATH for the path for dynamic files.

To set up this architecture, it is necessary to move the static files that are part of the LumisXP distribution to the WEB_ROOT_PATH folder, which should be configured as the root of the web server. The following should be removed from this folder: the WEB-INF and META-INF directories; and *.jsp files.

It is advised that static files be removed from the APPLICATION_PATH folder. For example, the files should be removed: *.html, *.gif, *.css, *.js, *.swf, etc.

The LumisXP has functionalities for cache of static files (HTML cache) and public files. Since the web server will be serving static files, LumisXP needs to generate these files in the WEB_ROOT_PATH folder and not from the APPLICATION_PATH folder. For this, it is possible to configure in the Website Manager, more specifically in the Static Directory field of a website, the path to be used by LumisXP to write the static files. In the case of having multiple websites for the portal, the web server should be configured so that the URLs corresponding to each website respond to the corresponding static directory, as well as also obeying the forwarding rules to the portal described in more detail in the specific items within this topic.

It is possible to replicate the files generated in the WEB_ROOT_PATH to other folders through the functionality of Public File Replication.

The configuration of the web server will vary according to the type used and the application server used.