What is new in this release

This topic provides a high level overview of what is new and changed in V6. The audience is anyone who is evaluating or planning to use v6.x, particularly users of previous versions or editions.

v6.x, which helps you:

  • Rapidly understand and obtain value from new J2EE 1.4 technology

  • Make the most of your existing resources and lower your total cost of ownership

  • Work more productively, with easier to use installation and administration interfaces

  • Support your growing business with the firm foundation of the WebSphere platform

There is now greater consistency across the WebSphere Application Server family from top to bottom, including the Express version. Furthermore, consistent features across the family include:

  • Support for J2EE 1.4, which makes it easier to develop and deploy applications using industry standard tools

  • Support for the latest Web Services standards, which makes it easier to integrate applications inside the enterprise as well as externally with customers, partners and suppliers

IBM WAS v6.x provides customers with better scaling so more concurrent users can access an application. This can help reduce administrative and licensing costs for companies and provides better flexibility to quickly bring additional user resources on board.

 

What is new for installers

The biggest improvement to the installation process is that now install one copy of the core files (binary system files and processes) on a machine, then use profiles to define multiple application server runtime environments -- each with its own administrative interfaces -- that share the core files. This improvement provides enhancements for preparing, installing, maintaining, and removing installations, including a decreased disk image footprint.

Another big change is the introduction of separate installation routines for the Application Server product, the Web server, the Web server plug-ins, and the clients so that install only what we need on a particular machine.

At a glance, these are the main new items in installation, migration, coexistence, and interoperability:

  • Selective support for specific 64-bit platforms

  • Selective support for Internet Protocol V6 (IPv6), the next evolution in Internet Protocol

  • Simplified operating system setup and prerequisites

  • Updated Launchpad application for planning and starting installation more easily

  • Improved documentation

  • More componentized installation procedures let you install only what we need

  • Smaller disk image footprint

  • Binary files are shared by installations on the same machine

  • Updated First Steps application for getting started quickly after installation

  • Simplified service

  • Easier removal and reinstallation

  • Better indicators of installation status

  • Silent installation requires license acceptance

  • New migration wizard

  • Cell can be upgraded incrementally, as described in New: Incremental cell upgrade.

For additional details about each item, including links to relevant documentation, see What is new for installers.

 

What is new for administrators

The biggest improvements and changes in system administration, monitoring,

and tuning can be summarized as follows:

  • Changes to the default configuration

  • Incremental cell upgrade for easier migration

  • Fine grained application update and other deployment improvements

  • Enhanced administrative infrastructure, with J2EE 1.4 related changes

  • Growing set of administrative commands

  • Improved installation and configuration, with profiles

  • Improved monitoring and performance tuning

  • Default messaging provider

  • Even more administrative improvements!

For details about each item, including links to relevant documentation, see What is new for administrators.

 

What is new for security specialists

The biggest improvement in security involves the set of supported specifications. See What is new for security specialists.

 

What is new for developers

The biggest improvement in development is support for the J2EE 1.4 specification, enabling you to take advantage of the latest Java technology, as described in J2EE specification. All editions, including WebSphere Application Server Express, are J2EE 1.4 compliant.

Another big change is the inclusion of several WebSphere programming model extensions in all WebSphere Application Server editions, that were formerly available only in certain editions. As a starting point for learning about the available extensions, see WebSphere programming extensions.

In addition, deploying applications has never been easier -- particularly redeploying updated applications or modules. For what is new with deployment, see New: Application deployment improvements.

For information about several smaller but significant changes in the development and assembly infrastructure, and for various types of WebSphere applications, see What is new for developers.

 

What is new for troubleshooters

The biggest change in troubleshooting support and serviceability is increased ability to automatically detect and recover from problems. Many serviceability improvements are described in the IBM Education Assistant presentation:Serviceability enhancements.

The troubleshooting section has been revamped and expanded to include extensive support information, including the ability to search live, Web-based support resources by using the customized query fields in the "Web search" page.

For details about these and other changes, see What is new for troubleshooters.

 

Improvements to this documentation

  • New How do I?... feature gathers documentation, multimedia demonstrations, tutorials, cheat sheets, and presentations for commonly performed tasks

  • Improved installation documentation

  • Improved scripting documentation

  • Conceptual overviews and what is new topics have better content and are easier to find

  • Quick start shortcuts direct you quickly to key materials

  • New WebSphere applications section for studying the programming model

  • Improved, task based table of contents

  • Improvements to troubleshooting content and placement

For additional details, see New features of this documentation.

 

See also


What is new for installers
What is new for administrators
What is new for security specialists
What is new for developers
What is new for troubleshooters

 

See Also


J2EE specification
Release Notes
New features of this documentation
Packaging
Cheat sheets for the administrative console

 

See Also


Deprecated and removed features