Distributing Web Application

Are you one of those developer who develops web based applications using servlets or JSP? Web based applications has a full list of advantages, allowing users to access from anywhere, no need to install a client, any browsers which the users prefers can be a client, etc, well the lists goes on and on... So you have written web applications before, how did you distribute your web applications? Is a WAR or EAR package? Well that is one way, distributing WAR or EAR does makes it easier for other people to deploy your web applications, however is that a easier way for others to use your web application without the need for them to install a web application server such as JRun, Websphere or Weblogic?

I am going to share one way which you may use to distribute your web applications with out the end user installing a web container. For those supporter of open source solutions, you will find Apache Tomcat very familiar. One of the distribution you can download is "Embedded". The embedded distribution will enable you to write a main class launching Tomcat and loading your web application, your application can still be in a form of WAR package loaded in the same manner as in a normal Tomcat installation. In this manner, the end user will not need to install another web container. Package everything together with your application distribution, and you have a easy way of distributing your web application.