Web application environment

Web-based applications run on a web application server and access data on an enterprise information system, such as a DB2® database server. The components of web-based applications are spread across multiple tiers, or layers.

This information describe the various components and architectural characteristics of web applications and the role that DB2 plays in the web application environment.

In general, the user interface is on the first tier, the application programs are on the middle tier, and the data sources that are available to the application programs are on the enterprise information system tier. Developing web-based applications across a multitiered architecture is referred to as server-side programming.

Writing server-side programs is complicated and requires a detailed understanding of web server interfaces. Fortunately, application servers, such as WebSphere® Application Server, are available to simplify this task. Each of these application servers defines a development environment for web applications and provides a run time environment in which the web applications can execute. The application server code, which provides the run time environment, supports the appropriate interface for interacting with the web server. With application servers, you can write programs for the application server's run time environment. Developers of these programs can focus on the business logic of the web application, rather than on making the application work with a web server.