A profile defines a unique runtime environment, with separate command files, configuration files, and log files. Profiles define three different types of environments: stand-alone server, deployment manager, and managed node.
Using profiles you can have more than one runtime environment on a system, without having to install multiple copies of the WebSphere® ESB binary files.
The first profile can be automatically created when you install WebSphere ESB. You can later use the Profile Management Tool or the manageprofiles command to create further profiles on the same system, without installing a second copy of the binary files.
Every profile in the system has its own directory containing all its files. You specify the location of the profile directory when you create the profile: by default it is in the profiles directory in the directory where WebSphere ESB was installed, for example, the Dmgr01 profile is in C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\ESB\ profiles\Dmgr01.
Every profile in the system
has a First steps console, which is a user interface for familiarizing
yourself with the stand-alone server, deployment manager, or managed
node.