WebSphere Family

WebSphere Application Server

Application Development Infrastructure:

WebSphere Application Server – is an infrastructure to develop SOA-oriented architecture and J2EE applications and the foundation of the IBM WebSphere software platform.  

Target Market:

WebSphere Application server is dedicated to development of Java web applications of different size, purpose and complexity. Initially designed to help developers in large corporations web-enable their legacy software, nowadays it has also a cost-effective option for  small and mid-size companies to go to the web easy and quickly.  

Technology:

WebSphere Application Server is build on Java and J2EE technology proposing multiplatform and open-standards, which is a key point for product positioning.

Components:

WebSphere Application Server can be purchased in several configurations to meet development needs of different customers.

Product, Sub-Product Category, Feature	Community	Express	V 6.1.	Developers	Network
J2EE 1.4 programming model	+	+
Servlets, JSPs, EJBs Web Services Support	+	+
Web application server		+
WebSphere Application Server			+	+
WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment					+
Apache Geronimo Application Server	+
JDK 5.0 support	+	+	+	+	+
Application Server Toolkit		+	+	+	+
Rational Application Developer		+	+	+	+
Rational Software Architect		+	+	+	+
Rational Web Developer		+
Components
JSF Components (for building Interfaces)		+	+	+	+
Service Data Objects (for connecting to backend data sources)		+
Enterprise Generation Language		+
Rational Agent Controller			+	+	+
Transaction Support	+	+	+	+	+
Web Services Interoperability	+	+	+	+
Edge Components					+
Clustering					+
Centralized System Management					+
Failover and Load Balancing			+	+	+
Tivoli® Access Manager					+
Tivoli Directory Server					+
DB2 UDB ESE V8.2					+
Supplements
Application Clients			+	+	+
Web Server Plug-ins		+	+	+	+
IBM HTTP Server		+	+	+	+
Apache Tomcat	+
IBM Installation Factory		+	+	+	+
IBM Support Assistant		+	+	+	+
Migration Tool		+	+	+	+
Eclipse Plug-in tool	+
WebSphere Rapid Deployment		+
Sample Applications	+	+	+	+	+
IBM Cloudscape DB support	+	+	+	+	+
Informix, Sybase support		+	+	+	+
DB2 support	+	+	+	+	+
License	Free of charge, open-source	limited to 2 CPUs per server	unlimited CPUs per server	development use only

Current Version:

WebSphere Application Server 6.1.  

Hot News:

IBM continues to evolve its application server towards SOA architecture and adds more features and technologies that make transition easier for companies and reduce costs of such move. First, this is a people-centric approach implemented through better integration with IBM Workplace and collaborative technologies allowing developers easily build tailored composite applications. A built-in workflow builder helps simplify integration of business process throughout the enterprise software infrastructure. New features in WebSphere Business Monitor version 6.0 enable customers to proactively identify potential issues before they impact productivity. New versions of WebSphere Application Server and WebSphere Commerce also provide more flexibility in reuse and easier SOA management reducing total cost of SOA.

Known Issues:

+ Complex and difficult to install and configure  

Competitors:

BEA WebLogic

JBoss

Oracle 9i [application server]

Microsoft's .NET Framework, coupled to Windows 2000 Server and IIS