Architecture
The OSMW is implemented as a Java-based Web application (servlet). A Web server capable of running servlets is the host of the application, and thus is the part responsible for the connection management and other deployment details, such as server distribution for scalability and servlet aliasing.
The OSMW is a different packaging of the OSM that uses HTTP instead of plain sockets to communicate. Basically, it is a layer on top of the OSM that replaces the socket-based architecture.
Servlet 2.2 API Compatible
The OSMW component can be deployed to any Web server that is capable of running servlets compatible with the Servlet API version 2.2.
Standard HTTP Authentication
The OSMW does not implement any special authentication mechanism, relying on HTTP for that matter. Thus, it is the responsibility of the Web server to provide the security mechanisms to the application.