title: Using special auto start servlet to initialize on startup and share application data
body: <p>I need to get some configuration and connect to external resources/objects/systems somewhere and store it in application scope.</p>
  
  <p>I can see two ways to setup my application:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Overriding the <code>init()</code> in the existing servlets and required code there and keeping all constructed objects inside that same servlet.</li>
  <li>Having some kind of an initialisation servlet and using its <code>init()</code> to do the work. Then storing created objects in <code>ServletContext</code> to share it with my other servlets.</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Which out of above is better approach? Is there any better way to share objects between servlets? Calling them directly from one another or so...?</p>