Guide to Managing Apache Tomcat Server via Command Line on Windows/Mac

Introduction

Apache Tomcat is a powerful web server and servlet container that can be managed efficiently from the command line on Windows. This guide will walk you through the essential steps for starting and stopping Apache Tomcat Server, as well as setting it up as a Windows service. We’ll cover everything from the prerequisites to the execution, ensuring you have a seamless experience.

Prerequisites

Before diving into the process, there are a few prerequisites you need to meet:

1. Java Installation: Ensure you have Java Development Kit (JDK) installed on your Windows system. You can download it from the official Oracle website.
2. Tomcat Installation: Download the latest version of Apache Tomcat from the official Apache Tomcat website and install it on your machine.
3. System Variables: Set the JAVA_HOME and CATALINA_HOME environment variables. This can be done by navigating to the System Properties > Advanced > Environment Variables.

Starting Apache Tomcat Server

Starting Apache Tomcat Server from the command line is a straightforward process. Follow these steps:

1. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Navigate to the “bin” directory within the Tomcat installation directory. You can use the cd command to move to the correct directory.
3. To start the server, enter the following command:

catalina start

1) Windows (if Tomcat is setup as Windows Service)

• To Start server: <Tomcat Root>/bin>Tomcat8.exe start
• To Stop server: <Tomcat Root>/bin>Tomcat8.exe stop

2) Windows (if you have downloaded binaries as .zip)

• To Start server: <Tomcat Root>/bin>catalina.bat start
• To Stop server: <Tomcat Root>/bin>catalina.bat stop

3) Mac/Linux/Unix (if you have downloaded binaries as .zip)

• To Start server: <Tomcat Root>/bin>./catalina.sh start
• To Stop server: <Tomcat Root>/bin>./catalina.sh stop

Usage: catalina.sh ( commands ... )
commands:
  debug                    Start Catalina in a debugger
  debug -security   Debug Catalina with a security manager
  jpda start              Start Catalina under JPDA debugger
  run                         Start Catalina in the current window
  run -security        Start in the current window with security manager
  start                       Start Catalina in a separate window
  start -security      Start in a separate window with security manager
  stop                        Stop Catalina, waiting up to 5 seconds for the process to end
  stop n                     Stop Catalina, waiting up to n seconds for the process to end
  stop -force             Stop Catalina, wait up to 5 seconds and then use kill -KILL if still running
  stop n -force         Stop Catalina, wait up to n seconds and then use kill -KILL if still running
  configtest              Run a basic syntax check on server.xml - check exit code for result
  version                   What version of tomcat are you running?

Stopping Apache Tomcat Server

Stopping the server is as easy as starting it. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Navigate to the “bin” directory within the Tomcat installation directory.
3. To stop the server, enter the following command:

catalina stop

Find out the process using command ps -ef | grep tomcat

bash-3.2$ ps -ef | grep tomcat

  502 56188     1   0  7:31PM ttys001    0:04.23 /Library/Java/JavaVirtual...
  502 56618 55587   0  7:34PM ttys001    0:00.00 grep tomcat

Here 2nd column value is a process ID. In our case it’s 56188.

You could visit link http://localhost:8080 and you should see welcome page.

Setting Up Apache Tomcat Server as a Windows Service

Running Apache Tomcat as a Windows service ensures that the server starts automatically when your system boots. Follow these steps to set it up:

1. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Navigate to the “bin” directory within the Tomcat installation directory.
3. To install Apache Tomcat as a service, run the following command:
4. service install
5. To start the Apache Tomcat service, enter:
6. service start

Troubleshooting

In the event of any issues or errors, here are some common troubleshooting steps to consider:

• Check Environment Variables: Ensure that the JAVA_HOME and CATALINA_HOME variables are correctly set.
• Log Files: Apache Tomcat logs can provide valuable information. Check the log files in the “logs” directory.
• Firewall Settings: Make sure that your firewall is not blocking the Apache Tomcat ports.

Conclusion

In this comprehensive guide, we’ve walked you through the process of managing Apache Tomcat Server on Windows via the command line and setting it up as a Windows service. With this knowledge at your disposal, you’ll have the power to control your server efficiently and effectively.