Why and when to perform this task
Version 5 of the WebSphere Application Server family provides flexible configurations and deployment options for hosting Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) applications. The WebSphere Application Server package provides all required components:
The WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment package includes the core package and provides a smooth transition to deploying and managing applications in a distributed network environment. It includes productivity and scalability enabling components (Edge components). The deployment manager server lets you easily federate single nodes to its group, which it manages as a single image or cell, by using the nodeagent server process on each node.
The
Enterprise package further extends the topology, by adding WebSphere MQ messaging
support for communicating with other systems at your enterprise, and by providing
programming model extensions, such as business rule beans and process choreography.
Tasks in the installation planning process appear below.
Steps for this task
Review single machine topologies and to learn about WebSphere Application Server, Version 5 product family scalability. With one command you can move an Application Server node from a stand-alone environment into a managed group of server processes, all part of a single-image cell, under the centralized control of the Version 5 deployment manager. Or, you can move an Application Server back to a stand-alone environment. You can start small and scale up to larger integrated topologies.
Determine which scalable and reliable e-business environment is a best fit for your requirements as you learn where to install the typical components of a WebSphere Application Server environment. For example, decide whether to install WebSphere Application Server on the same server as the Web server, or whether to create a cluster of application servers on one or several machines.
Decide which WebSphere Application Server package you need. Understanding scalability factors and picking the right design can help you start with the correct package, and can help you achieve your business model objectives for e-business in a timely and cost-efficient manner.
After
planning how to install the WebSphere Application Server product, you can
plan the installation of Edge components, which are included in the Network
Deployment package and therefore, in the Enterprise package. Edge components
include the Caching Proxy and the Load Balancer component set.
You can find a link to the Edge components information center Web site in the Installation: Resources for learning topic.
You can find a link to the developerWorks Web site in the Installation: Resources for learning topic.
Plan to have WebSphere Application Server interoperate with your other e-business systems, including other versions of WebSphere Application Server. Interoperability provides a communication mechanism for WebSphere Application Server nodes that are at different versions. Coexistence describes multiple versions or instances running on the same machine, at the same time.
Interoperability support enhances migration scenarios with more configuration options. It often is convenient or practical to interoperate during the migration of a configuration from an earlier Application Server version to a later one when some machines are at the earlier version and some machines are at the later version. The mixed environment of machines and application components at different software version levels requires interoperability and coexistence.
It is often impractical, or even physically impossible, to migrate all the machines and applications within an enterprise at the same time. Understanding multiversion interoperability and coexistence is therefore an essential part of a migration between version levels.
Support of multiple versions is provided on all operating system platforms supported by WebSphere Application Server, Version 5.
WebSphere Application Server, Version 5 is generally interoperable with WebSphere Application Server Versions 3.5.x and 4.0.x, although each version has specific requirements. However, the ability to run different versions of an Application Server in a configuration does not let you include Version 5 Application Servers in an existing administrative domain, or let you include Version 3.5.x or Version 4.0.x Application Servers in a Version 5 cell.
Results
Reading the information referred to in this topic provides you with a good approach for implementing your WebSphere Application Server environment.What to do next
You are now ready for pre-installation planning and installation. Go to Installing WebSphere Application Server to continue.