Spring Boot is a popular framework for building Java applications. It provides a streamlined way to create stand-alone, production-grade Spring-based applications with minimum configuration. One common question that arises when using Spring Boot is whether it has a built-in web server.
Web Server Support in Spring Boot
Yes, Spring Boot does come with a built-in web server. It uses an embedded servlet container to provide web server functionality out of the box. The embedded servlet container eliminates the need for deploying your application on an external server, making it easier to develop and deploy Spring Boot applications.
Supported Web Servers
Spring Boot supports multiple embedded servlet containers, giving you the flexibility to choose the one that best suits your needs. The two most commonly used embedded servlet containers in Spring Boot are:
- Tomcat: Tomcat is the default embedded servlet container in Spring Boot. It is widely used and well-known for its stability and performance.
- Jetty: Jetty is another popular choice for an embedded servlet container in Spring Boot. It offers excellent scalability and is known for its low memory footprint.
In addition to Tomcat and Jetty, you can also use other embedded servlet containers like Undertow or Netty by including the respective dependencies in your project.
Configuring the Web Server
To configure the embedded web server in Spring Boot, you can use properties defined in the application.properties or application.yml file. For example, if you want to change the default port from 8080 to 9090, you can add the following line to your application.properties file:
server.port=9090You can also configure other properties such as context path, session timeout, SSL certificates, and more.
Deployment Options
When it comes to deploying a Spring Boot application with the embedded web server, you have multiple options. You can package your application as a standalone JAR file and run it using the java -jar command. This approach is simple and convenient, as it includes all the required dependencies within the JAR file.
Alternatively, you can also deploy your Spring Boot application to a traditional servlet container like Tomcat or Jetty. In this case, you need to package your application as a WAR file and deploy it to the servlet container.
Conclusion
In summary, Spring Boot does come with a built-in web server that eliminates the need for an external server during development and deployment. It supports multiple embedded servlet containers like Tomcat and Jetty, giving you the flexibility to choose according to your requirements.
Configuring the embedded web server is easy using properties in the application. Whether you choose to run your application as a standalone JAR or deploy it to a servlet container, Spring Boot provides various deployment options.