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This page discusses using Tomcat in an
FDA
validated environment,
i.e. one where
21 CFR Part 11 regulations apply.
Please note that although this page mentions specific companies, we do not explicitly
endorse or sell anyone's services. Tomcat and Apache are not-for-profit organizations.
This page is also far from a complete listing of vendors and support options. It is
meant as a demonstration showing that these options do exist and
that running Tomcat in a validated environment is both feasible and reasonable.
Yes. There's nothing in Tomcat's design or implementation that prevent it from being used in a validated environment. The same validation procedures and guidelines that apply to most software packages apply to Tomcat as well. Being an open-source application does not preclude Tomcat validation. In fact, it helps in at least one key aspect: the source code itself can be audited, as can the commit and change logs for the software.
Yes. As shown in this user mailing list archive, Merck and other large companies are using Tomcat in a validated environment. In addition, there is at least one application provider (Interchange Digital) whose application runs on Tomcat that has deployed said package in numerous pharma data centers.
Yes. Tomcat itself is validated to the extent it can be. Tomcat implements two Java Specifications: the Servlet Specification and the Java Server Pages (JSP) Specification. Each of these specifications has a Technology Compatbility Kit (TCK), which is a collection of tests to certify a given product meets the Specification fully and accurately.
The Apache Software Foundation is licensed to run these TCKs. They are run against every single Tomcat release. No Tomcat release is pronounced stable unless it has passed both of these TCKs with 100% compliance. Therefore, every stable Tomcat release is validated to the extent of Tomcat's core functionality.
Furthermore, any company of individual may apply to obtains and use these TCKs themselves. That way, you can re-validated Tomcat including any custom patches you have implemented.
However, we cannot validate your application's use of Tomcat. You're on your own there.
Several kinds. They include:
All Tomcat releases are signed using the Release Manager's PGP key. The key is also available in the KEYS file that ships with every Tomcat release. The same KEYS file is also available in the Tomcat CVS repository (here). The PGP signatures are available on all the Tomcat download pages, and can (and should!) be used to verify the release really is the signed distribution.
As for tampering: every Tomcat release is also digested using the MD5 algorithm as specified in RFC1321. The MD5 digest is included in all the download pages. Users run MD5 on their local machine to verify that the digest of what they downlaoded is the same as that published in the Apache download pages. That way, users are assured the distribution has not been modified since the Release Manager signed it.
There's no need to be. See the security page of this FAQ for more information.