Apache the most popular open source web server and Tomcat the most popular open source application server for the Java application (JSP & Servlets). Benefits to have a Apache Layer over the tomcat : Static Content – Apache serves static content better than Tomcat and supports better caching mechanisms. Availability – Apache allows load balancing and clustering of multiple Tomcat servers behind it, thus providing high availability. Security – Apache protects Tomcat through its built-in security features and through advanced third-party modules such as ModSecurity. Extensibility – Apache provides an abundance of modules for just about anything from URL rewriting (ModRewrite) to GeoIP services. With Apache you can use these modules to extend Tomcat's functionality. Java installation : 1 . download the latest JDK from Oracle's site 2. CentOS look for the package jdk-7u17-linux-x64.rpm (64-bit architecture) or jdk-7u17-linux-i586.rpm (32-bit a