What is new in this release

WebSphere® Application Server is a proven, high-performance transaction engine that can help you build, run, integrate, and manage dynamic business applications. This release introduces key enhancements to help you succeed in the current dynamic and competitive marketplace by offering breakthrough advances in developer productivity, application server resiliency, and improved operational efficiency.

Documentation changes
- Running on the cloud
  The documentation describes tools that can help you modernize your applications and move them to the cloud. It also describes how to track WebSphere Application Server use in the cloud with the IBM Cloud Platform License Service.
- Starting in May 2020, WebSphere Application Server - Express documentation is consolidated in this WebSphere Application Server documentation. Also, Web 2.0 and Mobile Toolkit documentation is consolidated in the WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment, Version 8.5.5 documentation. The Web 2.0 and Mobile Toolkit documentation is the same documentation that was in WebSphere Application Server, Version 8.5.5 documentation and WebSphere Application Server for z/OS®, Version 8.5.5 documentation. For more information, see the Web 2.0 and Mobile Toolkit documentation.
- For 8.5.5.13 and later, this WebSphere Application Server documentation no longer has detailed information about Liberty. This documentation focuses on the WebSphere Application Server full profile. For information about Liberty, see the Liberty documentation in IBM documentation and the Open Liberty website. For information about Liberty changes, see What is new in this release of Liberty.
- The WebSphere Application Server Considerations for GDPR readiness topic provides information about General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) readiness of WebSphere Application Server products.
On 30 September 2022, the WebSphere Application Server family of products discontinued support for the Solaris and HP-UX operating systems. You can purchase extended support for these operating systems. For details about the end of support, extended support, and suggested migration options, see the Software support discontinuance announcement.
Java SE 8 in WebSphere Application Server V8.5
Starting in version 8.5.5.19 for Linux on POWER8 Little Endian (LE), the default version of Java is Java SE 8. You can continue to use Java SE 7.1 by installing IBM WebSphere Java SDK Version 7.1, but no service can be provided after the end of support in July 2022, which might expose your environment to security risks.
Java SE 8 in WebSphere Application Server V8.5
Starting in version 8.5.5.18 for Linux on POWER8 Little Endian (LE), the default versions of Java are Java SE 7.1 or Java SE 8. You can continue to use Java SE 7.1, but no service can be provided after the end of support in July 2022, which might expose your environment to security risks.
Java SE 8 in WebSphere Application Server V8.5
Starting in version 8.5.5.14, Java SE 8 is the default Java. When updating to 8.5.5.14, any existing profile that uses Java SDK 6 is replaced by Java SDK 8. You can continue to use Java SDK Java Technology Edition Version 7.0 and Version 7.1, but no service can be provided after the end of support for Java SE 7 and 7.1 in July 2022, which could expose your environment to security risks.

The com.ibm.websphere.IBMJAVA.v80 offering will be deprecated, and no fix packs or interim fixes will be provided for this offering after March 2020. If this offering is installed with WebSphere Application Server Version 8.5.5 after March 2020, uninstall it and switch to the default Java SE 8 SDK provided by the WebSphere Application Server package in the same package group. With the default Java SE 8 SDK, you continue receiving Java SE 8 SDK support, including security updates.
Support for Java SE 8 in WebSphere Application Server V8.5
In fix pack 8.5.5.9, WebSphere Application Server V8.5 adds support for Java Platform, Standard Edition 8 (Java SE 8). The IBM SDK, Java Technology Edition, Version 8 is the implementation of Java SE 8 that WebSphere Application Server V8.5 can use at WebSphere 8.5.5.9 and later and it is fully compatible with Oracle Java SE version 8 libraries.Java SE 8 includes new features such as Lambda expression support and virtual extension methods, a more understandable date and time API, and improved security. Java SE 8 offers support for WebSphere applications to use the latest available Java features and standards.
Support for IBM WebSphere SDK Java Technology Edition Version 7.1
This IBM Software Development Kit (SDK) provides a full-function SDK for Java that is compliant with the Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE) 7 application programming interfaces (APIs). With IBM WebSphere SDK Java Technology Edition Version 7.1, you can develop and deploy Java applications at the Java 7 API level and continue the write once, run anywhere Java paradigm at the Java API level. The SDK contains the Java application Runtime Environment and other tools that enable developers to create Java applications.

WebSphere Application Server supports IBM WebSphere SDK Java Technology Edition Version 7.1 as a pluggable JDK. Java 6 is installed with the product and used by default. You can optionally install Java 7.1 support and then enable it using the managesdk tool.
Attention:
- For Liberty, support for using Java SE 7.1 ended in September 2019.
- For WebSphere Application Server traditional v8.5, Java SE 7.1 will be removed from service in July 2022. It is recommended that you use the embedded Java SDK 8.

New features are marked with fix pack icons

The new features that are described in this topic are related to service releases and are marked with fix pack icons.