Summary

In this chapter, we have been introduced to WebSphere Application Server v8 capabilities and features to be compliant with JEE version 6. We had a look at the four main components of the JEE 6 platform to provide some context for understanding the WAS 8 internals.

We have explained key terms relating to WAS and explained WebSphere Application Server profiles. We learned that WebSphere Application Server base is the base product on which a suite of extended business products are offered by IBM, which include Application Server, and we briefly covered these products.

Understanding WAS is critical to understanding all the other products in the WebSphere brand. Becoming familiar with WAS is important to anyone who works in the Java enterprise community whether he/she is a programmer, administrator, or an architect. In the remaining chapters of this book, we will cover installing, configuring, administering, and maintaining WAS, and in the next chapter we will learn two different methods of installing WAS. One method will cover a GUI (Graphical User Interface) based install using the IBM Installation Manager. The other method is a demonstration of how to use command-line tools, which are designed for scripting automated installations.