Patterns: Extended Enterprise SOA and Web Services

88 Patterns: Extended Enterprise SOA and Web Services

5.1 Runtime product descriptions

This section describes the IBM products that are discussed and used in runtime

scenarios throughout this book.

5.1.1 IBM WebSphere Application Server V6

WebSphere Application Servers are a suite of servers that implement the J2EE

specification. This simply means that any enterprise applications that are written

to the J2EE specification can be installed and deployed on any of the servers in

the WebSphere Application Server family.

The foundation of the WebSphere brand is the application server. The application

server provides the runtime environment and management tools for J2EE and

Web services-based applications. Clients access these applications through

standard interfaces and APIs. The applications, in turn, have access to a wide

variety of external sources such as existing systems, databases, and Web

services, that can be used to process the client requests (see Figure 5-1).

Figure 5-1 WebSphere Application Server product overview

Web

server

WebSphere

Application

Server

Application

Server

Application

Server

Clients

Web browser

Java

Msg

Queue

Msg

Queue

Legacy

systems

CICS

IMS

DB2

SAP

etc.

Application

Server

J2EE applications

Messaging

Web

services

provider

Enterprise

application

developer

Rational

Application

Developer

Rational Web

Developer

Web

application

developer

Secure

access

Tivoli

Access

Manager

Web services

Application

Server

Service

Integration Bus

Service

Integration Bus

Chapter 5. Product descriptions 89

WebSphere Application Servers are available in multiple packages to meet

specific business needs. They are also available on a wide range of platforms,

including UNIX®-based platforms, Microsoft operating systems, IBM z/OS®, and

iSeries™. Although branded for iSeries, the WebSphere Application Server

products for iSeries are functionally equivalent to those for the UNIX and

Microsoft platforms.

Highlights and benefits

WebSphere Application Server provides the environment to run your

Web-enabled e-business applications. You can think of an application server as

Web middleware, or a middle tier, in a three-tier e-business environment. The first

tier is the HTTP server that handles requests from the browser client. The third

tier is the business database (for example, DB2 UDB for iSeries) and the

business logic (for example, traditional business applications such as order

processing). The middle tier is IBM WebSphere Application Server, which

provides a framework for consistent, architected linkage between the HTTP

requests and the business data and logic.

IBM WebSphere Application Server is intended for organizations that want to

take advantage of the productivity, performance advantages, and portability that

Java provides for dynamic Web sites. IBM WebSphere Application Server

includes the following benefits:

򐂰 J2EE V1.4 support

򐂰 High performance connectors to many common back-end systems to reduce

the coding effort required to link dynamic Web pages to real line-of-business

data

򐂰 Application services for session and state management

򐂰 Web services that enable businesses to connect applications to other

business applications, to deliver business functions to a broader set of

customers and partners, to interact with marketplaces more efficiently, and to

create new business models dynamically

򐂰 The service integration bus infrastructure to complement and extend

WebSphere MQ and the application server

It is suitable for those that are currently using the WebSphere Application

Server V5 embedded messaging and for those that need to provide

messaging capability between WebSphere Application Server and an existing

WebSphere MQ backbone.

The service integration bus features include:

– Multiple messaging patterns (APIs) and protocols for message-oriented

and service-oriented applications.

– J2EE V1.4 compliant JMS default messaging provider