App servers rated - developers weigh in

A recently released Evans Data developer survey ranks application servers based on 21 factors, including performance, security, database connectivity, scalability, and cost benefit. Esther Schindler in CIO.com reports that Apache Geronimo, JBoss AS, and WebLogic get high marks from developers surveyed. Glassfish also did well in the Java EE server niche category.

According to Schindler's report, developers are less fervent in support for WebLogic today than in 2006, a decline Evans Data associates with uncertainty about the product's future (in wake of the Oracle acquisition of BEA).

Open source app servers Geronimo and JBoss AS also did well, with results indicating that some companies are beginning to overcome the lack of tech support associated with OS products. From the Evans Data report:

"Geronimo might have been burdened by the perception amongst users of a lack of support [...] However, this was not the case with Geronimo [...] IBM has provided resources and support in a variety of ways to Geronimo and the Apache Software Foundation, including technical support."

JBoss also did well among enterprise developers, being ranked as delivering the best value to cost ratio, the best compatibility with other software, and the best security, according to Schindler's report.

Let's discuss: What app servers do you use in your day-to-day work and how would you rank them in overall user satisfaction?

--Athen

More about app servers

• Read the complete report on JavaWorld: "Developers rank application servers."
• Also check out the JW comparison: "JBoss, Geronimo, or Tomcat?"
• And see: "Is Tomcat an app server?"