35+ Top Apache Tomcat Interview Questions and Answers

We will learn the complete functionality of Apache Tomcat in this article. You will get to know more about what exactly Apache Tomcat is, what the use of Apache Tomcat is, the default ports of Tomcat, Web container of it, and what the types of batch and script files are to start and stop Tomcat.

Also, this set cover questions on how to install tomcat in eclipse, its configurations files, versions and types of connectors, Catalina, WAR file and deployment process, Tomcat Valve, different log files, how to secure the webserver, function of virtual hosting, important files locations, etc in simple terms.

Ultimate Quiz on Apache Tomcat Interview Questions

This quiz on Apache Tomcat interview questions is an exclusive compilation of the most frequently asked questions. Showcase your expertise in Apache Tomcat and get hired in your dream job.

Apache Tomcat Interview Questions

It is advisable to have good knowledge of the important concepts as the interviewer will try to loop you around those questions which cover the major functionalities related to Apache Tomcat and they are the ones that are used widely and rigorously.

You should try to understand what Apache Tomcat is and why it came into the picture.

It is an added advantage if you have the hands-on knowledge, as then you can explain it with real-time examples, which in turn is the key point for clearing an interview.

Given below is the list of the most frequently asked Apache Tomcat interview questions, which would help you clear the interview successfully.

Let’s start!!

Q #1) What is Apache Tomcat?

Answer: Apache Tomcat is basically a Web Server and Servlet system which is open-source (i.e., freely available on the internet) and is created by the Apache Software Foundation. It is the server mostly used by Java Developers.

The server is nothing but a computer program that provides service to other computers.

There are basically two types of servers:

1. Application Server
2. Web Server

Apache Tomcat offers the HTTP protocol, which means the user can connect with the server from anywhere by the URL provided and can access the Java application.

This is very easy and simple to install and is compatible with any Operating System.

Q #2) Why do we require Apache Tomcat?

Answer: It is required to run Java Web Applications on the host and server-based systems. It also helps in running JSPs and Servlets.

Q #3) What is the default port for Apache Tomcat?

Answer: The default port of Apache Tomcat is port 8080.

After installing Tomcat on your system, click on http://localhost:8080 to validate if Tomcat is running.

Q #4) What is the name of inbuilt Web Container in Tomcat?

Answer: The name of the inbuilt Web Container in Tomcat is Catalina, which is present in the bin directory.

Catalina is used for loading all the requests related to HTTP and can instantiate the objects of GET () and POST () methods.

Q #5) What are the types of batch files with the help of which we can start and stop the Apache Tomcat Server?

Answer: There are basically two types of batch files with which we can start and stop the Server.

They are as follows:

1. Startup.bat
2. Shutdown.bat

Q #6) How can we configure Apache Tomcat in the Java Eclipse IDE, or explain the setup of the Apache Tomcat Server?

Answer: It is really very easy and simple to install Apache Tomcat in Eclipse.

The steps are mentioned below:

1. Select the Server tab at the bottom of the IDE.
2. Right-click on a blank space or white space.
3. Click on New
4. Click on Servers
5. Choose Tomcat and its next version.
6. Click on next
7. Select the browse button
8. Select the Tomcat root folder
9. Click next
10. Click Add all
11. Click Finish
12. Validate the blank area Tomcat must be displaying.

Q #7) How do you start and stop Apache Tomcat using services?

Answer:

The services are as follows:

• Services httpd start
• Httpd stop

Q #8) Which is the vital configuration file that is used in Apache Tomcat?

Answer: The vital configuration file that is used in Apache Tomcat is httpd.conf

Q #9) How do you find which version of the Apache Tomcat web server is running?

Answer: The best way to find the currently running version is stated below:

1. Sign in to the web server
2. Go to Apache instance and the bin folder
3. Run “httpd -v” command to get version details.

Output:

[root@lab sbin] # httpd -v
Server Version: Apache 2.4.18 (Windows)
Server Built: August 2nd, 2018 12.59:00
[root@lab sbin] #

Q #10) Explain the types of connectors used by Apache Tomcat.

Answer: Apache Tomcat basically uses two types of connectors, which are as follows:

1. HTTP Connectors: HTTP connectors possess attributes that can be modified to determine how it work and access functions such as redirects and proxy forwarding.
2. AJP Connectors: AJP connectors follow the AJP protocol in place of HTTP, but work just the same as HTTP connectors. They are implemented in Apache Tomcat through the plug-in technology mod_jk.

Q #11) Mention the configuration files of Catalina.

Answer: The configuration files of Catalina include:

1. XML
2. Properties
3. Policy
4. Tomcat-users.xml

Q #12) What are the vital benefits of running Tomcat as a service?

Answer: The benefits of Running Tomcat as a service are:

• Automatic Startup: If the Tomcat window service starts up automatically, then it would be helpful if we wanted to start the system remotely.
• Security: It allows you to execute under a special account that is protected from the other accounts.
• Starting off the server without an active user login: So even if there is no active user, the available server can be started.

Q #13) What is the deployment process of a web application using the WAR file?

Answer: There is a Web apps directory in Tomcat under which all the web components, JSP, Servlets, HTML are placed. Hereby putting all the files into a single folder, we can compress the files into a single unit which has.WAR extension.

Now, we can easily deploy the web application by putting the WAR file in the Web apps directory. And, when the server starts, it extracts all the web components.

Q #14) What is the functionality of the Tomcat Valve?

Answer: Tomcat Valve is a new feature that was introduced with Tomcat 4. It is used to link an object of a Java class with a specific container of Catalina.

The image below shows the working of the Tomcat Valve:

Q #15) What are the configured Tomcat Valves?

Answer: There are basically four configured Tomcat Valves, which are mentioned below:

1. Access Log
2. Remote Host Filter
3. Remote Address filter
4. Request Dumper

Q #16) What do you mean by MAC?

Answer: MAC is defined as Medium Access Control.

Q #17) What do you mean by Tomcat Coyote, and what is its use?

Answer: Tomcat Coyote is basically an HTTP connector based on HTTP/ 1.1 configuration, which accepts and sends the web request to the Tomcat engine, and again reverts to the client that makes the request.

Q #18) What is the result of Select * from the tab?

Answer: This query would display all the tables that are stored in the database.

Q #19) What is the function of Listen in Apache Tomcat?

Answer: Listening plays a vital role for Apache Tomcat and the developers.

Suppose a developer is having multiple IPs on the server, so if we wish Apache should consider only a specified IP, then we need to explicitly mention the IP and PORT in the Listen Drive.

Example: 10.10.10.20

The image below shows the use of Listen

Q #20) What are the different ways in which we can secure the websites hosted on the Tomcat Server?

Answer: There are multiple ways to do it, and some of them are mentioned below:

1. Implementing SSL
2. Make use of a cloud-based security provider.
3. Integrating with Web Application Firewall.

Q #21) Does Apache Tomcat generate Log files? If yes, name them?

Answer: Yes, Apache Tomcat generates Log files.

Basically, two important Log Files are generated by Apache Tomcat.

They are as follows:

1. Access.log
2. Error.log

Q #22) How do you justify the significance of Virtual Hosting?

Answer: The concept of virtual hosting plays an important role by allowing to hosting of several websites on a single object.

Virtual hosting can be of IP-based and Name based.

1. Name-Based Virtual Host: It refers to multiple hosts running on each IP address.
2. IP Based Virtual Host: It refers to a different IP address for each website served.

Name-Based Virtual Host is widely used everywhere.

Q #23) What are the checks or log extent provided by Apache Tomcat?

Answer: There are plenty of check levels provided, and “warn” is the default level.

1. Info
2. Debug
3. Warn
4. Notice
5. Crit
6. Alarm
7. Emerg
8. Error

Q #24) How is Apache Tomcat different from Apache Web Server?

Answer: Apache Tomcat is used to host the web content whereas Apache Web server is an HTTP server that is built to serve static content.

There is always a possibility of integrating Apache Tomcat and Apache Web Server.

Q #25) Apart from Apache Tomcat, what are the different kinds of Web Servers?

Answer: There are many web servers, as mentioned below:

1. LiteSpeed Web Server
2. GWS Web Server
3. Microsoft IIS Web Server
4. Nginx Web Server
5. Jigsaw Web Server
6. Sun Java System Web Server
7. Lighttpd Web Server

Q #26) Where are the logs of Apache Tomcat stored?

Answer:

The path is as mentioned below:

Cd/ var/ log/ httpd

Q #27) Which version of Apache have you worked on?

Answer: For this, we can say that we have worked on httpd – 2.2.3

Q #28) What will happen if we add “logLevel Debug” in httpd. conf file?

Answer: Adding the logLevel Debug provides you with more information in the error log in order to debug an issue.

Q #29) Is it possible to capture the MAC address of the clients who are using your server?

Answer: No, it will not be possible to capture the MAC addresses of the clients who are using your server.

Q #30) Can we serve Content out of a directory other than the Document Root directory?

Answer: Yes, it is possible to serve the Content out of a directory other than the Document Root directory with the help of the “Alias” command.

Q #31) What should we do if we want to know which users are reaching our site?

Answer: We can add the following Log to our activity log format.

%{Referer}

Q #32) Is there any chance to cache files that are viewed frequently?

Answer: Yes, there is a chance to cache files that are viewed frequently by using

Mod_file_cache module.

Q #33) How can we put a restriction on uploading files to our web server?

Answer: Yes, we can restrict the user from uploading files on our web server by using the “LimitRequestBody” directive.

Example: LimitRequestBody 20000

Now I have put a limit of 20000 files, so when this mark is reached, the user will not be able to upload any more files to the server.

Q #34) How can an Apache Service be stopped by its control script?

Answer: The Apache Service is controlled using a script called apachectl.

So, to stop the service, we need to run the commands.

• #apachectl stop [for Ubuntu based system]
• # /etc/inid.t/httpd.stop [for red hat based system]

Q #35) What is the significance of status codes 403 and 404 in Apache Server?

Answer: The significance of Status codes 403 and 404 is mentioned below:

• Status code 403: It refers to a forbidden error like, if a file misses some security context.
• Status code 404: It refers to an error message that it is an HTTP response and the client was not able to communicate with the given server.

Status Code 404 Image description

Status Code 403 Image description

Q #36) Apache runs as which user, and what is the location of the main configuration file?

Answer: Apache runs with a user “nobody” and the httpd daemon.

The location of the main configuration file is:

• # /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf
• # /etcapache2.conf

We wish you all success!!