What Is an Application Server and How Do You Use It? | Parallels RAS
Last updated on October 6, 2022
What Is an Application Server?
Application virtualization (aka app virtualization) is the process of virtualizing and encapsulating applications and separating it from its underlying operating system using an application server. An application server is hence the server that provides both the hardware and software that is used to virtualize applications and deliver it to end users.
IT administrators implement application virtualization by using virtualization software over an application server. The server allows users to access and use the virtualized applications as if they were installed locally on their machine. The actions carried out by the users are then sent back to the server for execution. Organizations can deploy application servers to distribute Windows applications and desktops from their datacenter server to their employees or customers. It is a virtualization solution, and its usage keeps growing rapidly and looks like it is the future of computing.
Using an Application Server is the Key to Reducing IT Costs
Consolidating the rapid expansion of cloud computing and virtualization technology, application-server solutions are leading the digital transformation over the past few years. With such solutions, organizations can make their applications available to any remote device 24×7—all while leveraging legacy infrastructure and optimizing resources, as well as reducing IT costs. To successfully implement cloud-based networks, most organizations require an application server solution.
Application Servers Centralize Management
Organizations are seeking non-complicated and cost-effective ways to deliver applications and data to end-users. One of their main concerns is security. When delivering data to any device from any location, you need to take into account significant security insufficiencies, such as user error (forgotten/stolen password), network dangers (public Wi-Fi susceptible to spoofing), and device loss (tablet or laptop stolen or forgotten). Read about a few benefits below:
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Central management |
Security |
Monitoring |
| It assists in building and managing a stable infrastructure by providing abilities such as environment management with persistent profiles (user-specific details), increased application security (controlled access), and application performance control (system stability). Ideally, it allows for central management under a single console making it easy to keep track of any changes or possible bottleneck in the infrastructure. | Beside Active Directory or workgroup authentication, it supports various robust authentication mechanisms, such as multifactor authentication (MFA) and encryption protocols. Additionally, users can authenticate via smart card devices. By leveraging granular filtering, the resources are available to the right user or security group dependent on settings such as client name, MAC address, IP address range, and location. Most of the application servers also include client policies to filter down specific permissions to different users or devices. | It also provides data and application-performance monitoring, which is critical for providing users a seamless and productive experience. Application servers usually integrate with various reporting engines that transform data into visual, intuitive reports. These reports provide IT staff with an overview of the infrastructure at any time and can be an included or separate feature, depending on the product. Future planning or troubleshooting can take place using these reports. |
Application Server vs Web Server
Despite the perceived contradiction between “application server vs. web server,” the two server types are typically deployed together on the Internet for the same task: satisfying user requests for data from a webpage.
Web Server
The primary responsibility of a web server is to accept and process client requests for static pages from a webpage (HTML pages, files, images, video, etc.). The client is often a browser or mobile application, and both the request and the web server’s answer are made via the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) protocol.
App Server
The primary responsibility of an application server is to give clients access to what is known as business logic, which creates dynamic content. In other words, business logic is code that translates data into the specific functionality that a company, service, or application offers. Clients of an app server might include web servers and other application servers, and are frequently programs themselves.
Parallels RAS – Remote Application Server
Parallels® Remote Application Server (RAS), VMware, and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops are some of the application server solutions. Parallels RAS is a great solution due to its ease of use, low licensing costs, and short training.
Parallels RAS provides all the features of an application server at a superb cost-effective price. It also comes with a highly user-friendly UI. Monitoring, load balancing, HTML accessibility, MFA authentication, client policies, and many other features make Parallels RAS the ideal solution for any infrastructure.
Download your free 30-day evaluation of Parallels RAS today and experience application and desktop delivery in as little as 30 minutes!
