Cells are logical groupings of one or more nodes in a WebSphere Application Server distributed network.
A cell is a configuration concept, a way for administrators to logically associate nodes with one another. Administrators define the nodes that make up a cell, according to the specific criteria that make sense in their organizational environments.
Administrative configuration data is stored in XML files. A cell retains master configuration files for each server in every node in the cell. Each node and server also have their own local configuration files. Changes to a local node or to a server configuration file are temporary, if the server belongs to the cell. While in effect, local changes override cell configurations.
Changes to the master server and master node configuration files made at the cell level replace any temporary changes made at the node when the cell configuration documents are synchronized to the nodes. Synchronization occurs at designated events, such as when a server starts.
Related concepts
Node
Clusters and workload management
Core groups