Chapter 1. WebSphere Application Server 8.0: Product Overview

WebSphere Application Server, often referred to simply as WAS, is a JEE-compliant application server platform. JEE stands for Java Enterprise Edition and was previously referred to as J2EE. JEE application servers provide functionality to deploy fault-tolerant, distributed, and multi-tier Java software. They also provide the runtime environment and management interface to manage the many modular components that make up JEE applications. Before we begin to look into the specifics of WebSphere Application Server 8 administration, it is important to understand what the product is, why it is often the product of choice to provide a base for an enterprise JEE SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) along with support for the many Java-based standards, and how an organization can benefit from using WAS. We also need to cover some specific WAS terminology and concepts used throughout the book.

In this first chapter, we will cover the following:

• What is WebSphere Application Server

• Why choose WAS

• Previous versions

• Enhancements and capabilities

• WebSphere Application Server architecture

• WAS concepts and terminology

• WebSphere Application Server products