TinyOWS is a lightweight and fast implementation of the OGC WFS-T specification. Web Feature Service (WFS) allows to query and to retrieve features. The transactional profile (WFS-T) allows then to insert, update or delete such features.

From a technical point of view WFS-T is a Web Service API in front of a spatial database. TinyOWS is so deeply tighed to PostgreSQL/PostGIS.

TinyOWS implement strictly OGC standards and pass successfully all WFS OGC CITE tests (and even beta ones).

TinyOWS is part of MapServer Suite, but provided as a distinct module (i.e you could use it in conjonction with MapServer and MapCache, or as a standalone app) But both MapServer and TinyOWS could use the same configuration file, if you want to (or native TinyOWS XML config file).