A pattern provides a topology definition for repeatable deployment that can be shared. The IBM® SOA Policy Gateway Pattern parts are the functional components of the pattern. Each part represents a single virtual machine.
Patterns describe the function that is provided by each virtual machine in a virtual system. Each function is identified as a part in the pattern. Patterns take on the characteristics of their associated parts. For example, when a WSRR part is put into a pattern, which is then deployed, the result is a virtual machine that has a running WSRR instance.