Introduction to the WebSphere Application Server environment

Introduction: WebSphere Application Server Environment

Web servers Application servers work with a web server to handle requests for web applications. The application server and web server communicate using a WebSphere HTTP plug-in for the web server.
Cell-wide settings Cell-wide settings are sets of configuration data stored in files in the cell directory. These configuration files are replicated to every node in the cell. Several different configuration settings apply to the entire cell. These settings include the definition of virtual hosts, shared libraries, and any variables that must be consistent throughout the entire cell.
Variables Variables come in many varieties. They are used to control settings and properties relating to the server environment. The three main types of variables that are important for you to understand are environment variables, WebSphere variables, and custom properties.

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Introduction: Cell-wide settings
Introduction: Variables
Heterogeneous cells in mixed platforms within a cell

Web servers	Application servers work with a web server to handle requests for web applications. The application server and web server communicate using a WebSphere HTTP plug-in for the web server.
Cell-wide settings	Cell-wide settings are sets of configuration data stored in files in the cell directory. These configuration files are replicated to every node in the cell. Several different configuration settings apply to the entire cell. These settings include the definition of virtual hosts, shared libraries, and any variables that must be consistent throughout the entire cell.
Variables	Variables come in many varieties. They are used to control settings and properties relating to the server environment. The three main types of variables that are important for you to understand are environment variables, WebSphere variables, and custom properties.