App Server for Custom apps

Question

We are building a SharePoint 2013 farm that consists of:

2 WFE;s 3 App Servers 1 spowa server

Because we do not use purchased apps or build apps, do we need to configure the server for apps or do we even need that server at all?

We are using App1 for CA and a few other things App 2 for search App 3 for USPA and other things.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

You do not need a special server for "Apps" (purchased or self developed Apps).

In your list you got 2 Web Frontend Servers and 3 App Servers. The 3 App Servers are not called "App Servers" because they were running for the purchased or self developed apps! "App Server" means the server is running all the services that SharePoint needs to provide the functionality you want. Services that could be running on one or all of your App Servers:

• Search Service Application (provides search)
• User Profile Service Application (manages your user profiles)
• Business Data Connectivity Services (holds data connections)
• Managed Metadata Services (metadata sets)
• Secure Store Service Application (holding your credentials - e.g. for BDCS)
• Workflows
• and many others

So you will need an "App Server". There will be the service applications running. But you will not need a special server for managing your purchased or self developed Apps.

Hope this helps. If this is the answer, please mark as answer. Thank you.