Host draw.io on Windows with Apache Tomcat

draw.io is a web-based diagramming and whiteboard application. This rewrite keeps the source choices while adding official download links and separating Tomcat, draw.io, and the optional root-path steps.

Download and prepare Java

1. Download OpenJDK , Apache Tomcat 10 , and the latest draw.war from draw.io releases .
2. Extract the OpenJDK ZIP archive.
3. Copy the extracted folder to C:\Program Files\OpenJDK.
4. Open Start and go to Control Panel > System > Advanced System Settings.
5. Click Environment Variables. Under System Variables, click New.
6. Set Variable Name to JAVA_HOME and Variable Value to C:\Program Files\OpenJDK, then click OK to close the dialogs.

Install Apache Tomcat

1. Run the Apache Tomcat installer.
2. Click Next, then I Agree.
3. On Choose Components, clear everything except Core, Service Startup, and Native, then click Next.
4. Set port 8000 and the Service Name, then click Next.
5. At the Java Virtual Machine screen, select C:\Program Files\OpenJDK.
6. Confirm the install location, click Install, then Finish.
7. Open http://DNSorIP:8000. The Tomcat splash page should show the running version.

Install draw.io

1. Copy draw.war into Apache Tomcat's webapps directory.
2. Wait for Tomcat to extract it into a draw directory. If it does not, open services.msc and restart the Apache Tomcat service.
3. Open http://DNSorIP:8000/draw to test draw.io.

Remove /draw from the URL (optional)

1. Open the webapps folder in File Explorer.
2. Delete ROOT if it exists.
3. Rename draw to ROOT.
4. Open http://DNS-or-IP:8000/ to reach draw.io at the root path.

Check the Tomcat service write permissions and back up webapps before renaming directories.

Sources and video

• Original tutorial: i12bretro 0950
• Original video: Host draw.io on Windows with Apache Tomcat