| | h1. WebSphere Application Server |
| | |
| | [WebSphere Application Server|http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/was/] (informally nicknamed [WAS|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebSphere_Application_Server]), part of the [Distributed Application & Web Servers|http://www.ibm.com/software/websphere/sw-bycategory/subcategory/SW620.html] subcategory of products, is the flagship product in [WebSphere], one of the brands in the [IBM Software Group]. WAS is a [J2EE|Java Enterprise Edition] application server. |
| | |
| | There are several versions of WAS (the [support lifecycle|http://www-111.ibm.com/software/support/lifecycle/PLCDetail.wss?synkey=C578916B44100K52-D404295E02966P57-B529169M78514S64&synkey=C578916B44100K52-D404295E02966P57-G129139V43970D07&synkey=C578916B44100K52-T136169P16066X41-I069483T99009M25&synkey=C578916B44100K52-O128408L58970Q00-O389482V09258O38] dates are current as of March 2007): |
| | | * Version 6.1 -- Java SE 5.0 and J2EE 1.4 (became available on 30-Jun-2006; still supported and marketed) |
| | | * Version 6.1 -- Java SE 5 and J2EE 1.4 (became available on 30-Jun-2006; still supported and marketed) |
| | * Version 6.0 -- J2SE 1.4 and J2EE 1.4 (became available on 18-Feb-2005; still supported and marketed) |
| | * Version 5.1 -- J2SE 1.4 and J2EE 1.3 (became available on 16-Jan-2004; no longer marketed, but still supported) |
| | * Version 5.0 -- J2SE 1.3 and J2EE 1.3 (became available on 03-Jan-2003; support ended on 30-Sep-2006) |
| | |
| | For each version, there are several editions of WAS ([comparison|http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/was/hmc.html]): |
| | * [WebSphere Application Server Community Edition|http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/community/] (WAS CE) -- An open-source version, lighter-weight edition of WAS based on [Apache Geronimo|http://geronimo.apache.org/] |
| | * [WebSphere Application Server - Express|http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/express/] (WAS Express) -- WAS Base with limited capacity plus rapid development tools (simplified [Rational Web Developer for WebSphere|http://www.ibm.com/software/awdtools/developer/web/]); designed to be easier to install and use, but less flexible |
| | * [WebSphere Application Server|http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/was/features/] (WAS Base) -- A single J2EE application server, but no clustering; supports [AIX|http://www.ibm.com/servers/aix/], HP Unix, Linux, Sun Unix, and Windows (including [Linux on system z9/zSeries|http://www.ibm.com/systems/z/os/linux/]) |
| | * [WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment|http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/was/network/] (WAS ND) -- Multiple J2EE application servers with clustering; each server is essentially WAS Base |
| | * [WebSphere Application Server for i5/OS|http://www.ibm.com/servers/eserver/iseries/software/websphere/wsappserver/] (WAS i5/OS) -- WAS Express/Base/ND, but for [System i|http://www.ibm.com/systems/i/] running [i5/OS|http://www.ibm.com/systems/i/os/i5os/] |
| | * [WebSphere Application Server for z/OS|http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/zos_os390/] (WAS z/OS) -- WAS ND, but for [System z|http://www.ibm.com/systems/z/] running [z/OS|http://www.ibm.com/servers/eserver/zseries/zos/] |
| | |
| | A related product is [WebSphere Extended Deployment] (WXD), which dynamically adjusts the number of servers running each application to maximize meeting SLAs based on application priority. |
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| | h2. Details |
| | |
| | I have a [WAS thread|http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/woolf?tag=was] on my blog. |
| | |
| | A significant new feature added in WAS V6.0 is the [Service Integration Bus]. |
| | |
| | Good to know: |
| | * Documentation is in the [WAS library|http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/was/library/], including the [WAS 6.1 InfoCenter|http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/wasinfo/v6r1/index.jsp]. |
| | * You can get formal help by contacting [IBM Software Support]. |
| | * You can get help from your fellow developers on the [developerWorks WebSphere Application Server forum|http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/forums/dw_forum.jsp?forum=266&cat=9]. |
| | * The best [IDE|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_development_environment] for developing J2EE apps for WAS is [Rational Application Developer]. |
| | * You can find a list of the best WAS articles at [J2EE and WebSphere Application Server Recommended reading list|http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/library/techarticles/0305_issw/recommendedreading.html]. |
| | * You can [download a trial install of WAS V6.1|http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/downloads/ws/was]. |
| | * [WebSphere Application Server System requirements|http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/was/requirements/] lists what software and hardware is required and supported to run WAS |
| | * [WebSphere Application Server Support Lifecycle|http://www-111.ibm.com/software/support/lifecycle/PLCDetail.wss?synkey=C578916B44100K52-D404295E02966P57-B529169M78514S64&synkey=C578916B44100K52-D404295E02966P57-G129139V43970D07&synkey=C578916B44100K52-T136169P16066X41-I069483T99009M25&synkey=C578916B44100K52-O128408L58970Q00-O389482V09258O38] and [IBM Software Support Lifecycle|http://www.ibm.com/software/support/lifecycle/] list when products become available and when support ends. The [IBM Software Support Lifecycle Policy|http://www.ibm.com/software/support/lifecycle/lc-policy.html] explains the rules for how long support lasts. |
| | * Keep your installs up-to-date by following the guidance in: |
| | ** [Recommended fixes for WebSphere Application Server|http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=180&uid=swg27004980] |
| | ** [Update Strategy for WebSphere Application Server V6.0 release|http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=180&uid=swg21191989] |
| | ** [Cumulative Fix Strategy for WebSphere Application Server V5.0 and V5.1 releases|http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=180&uid=swg21145289] |
| | * Also see [WebSphere Learning Resources]. |
| | |
| | Common issues: |
| | * [Validating XML in WAS] |
| | * [WAS Capacity Planning Story] |
