WebSphere Application Server V8.5 Administration and Configuration Guide for the Full Profile

4 WebSphere Application Server V8.5 Administration and Configuration Guide for the Full Profile

1.1 WebSphere Application Server profiles

WebSphere Application Server V8.5 provides two runtime profiles. Every WebSphere

Application Server package includes both profile types.

The run time traditionally available with the WebSphere Application Server packages is

referred to as the

full profile. The application serving run time (application server) provided

with this profile is composed of a wide spectrum of runtime components that are always

available when the server is started. The full profile provides support for Java Platform

Enterprise Edition 6 (Java EE 6) and Enterprise OSGi technologies. In addition to the

application servers, the full profile supports the creation of generic server definitions to

configure other servers or processes that are necessary to support the application server

environment. Additional capabilities, such as clustering application servers for load balancing

and high availability, vary depending on the WebSphere Application Server package.

In addition to the full profile, a new

Liberty profile is included with each package and (New in

V8.5.5) the Liberty profile is also available as a stand-alone offering, called

WebSphere

Application Server Liberty Core

. The Liberty profile provides a simplified stand-alone run

time for web applications, supporting a subset of the programming model available with the

full profile. It is a good option for developers who are building web applications that do not

require the full Java EE environment of traditional enterprise application server profiles. Any

application that runs on the Liberty profile will also run on the full profile. The

application-serving environment is configured with the correct level of capabilities that are

required for the individual applications. You can use the Liberty profile to specify only those

features that are required for the applications that are deployed, reducing the memory

footprint and increasing performance. The Liberty profile has a simplified installation and uses

an easy-to-configure XML configuration file format. The Liberty profile is optimized for use in

both development and production environments. Within the development environment, the

Liberty profile supports the same platforms as the base application server and Mac OS.

Enterprise qualities of service (QoS), such as security and transaction integrity, are enabled

as required.

Many new enhancements have been made to the Liberty profile with WebSphere Application

Server V8.5.5. These enhancements include additional programming model support, new

security and troubleshooting features, and new options for managing servers, including the

option to cluster servers for availability and scalability.

This book focuses on the full profile. For more information about the Liberty profile, see these

books:

 WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile Guide for Developers, SG24-8076

 WebSphere Application Server V8.5 Administration Guide for the Liberty Profile,

SG24-8170

1.2 System management overview

WebSphere Application Server V8.5 provides easy-to-use administration tools and powerful

features to make system management simple to understand and operate. The system

management functionality of WebSphere Application Server is based on the use of Java

Management Extensions (JMX).