WebSphere Application Server for z/OS terminology
Become familiar with the z/OS terminology that is required when using WebSphere® Application Server for z/OS®.
In WebSphere Application Server for z/OS, the functional component on which applications run is a server. The following diagram shows a z/OS server running two J2EE applications:

The following types of server can be present on a z/OS system:
- This application server is set up during standalone configuration to host your J2EE applications.
- This application server is set up during Network Deployment configuration to host your J2EE applications.
- This server is the initial point of contact for client requests in either standalone or Network Deployment configuration. The location service daemon is a specialized server that have no servants.
- This server hosts the JMS function in WebSphere Application Server for z/OS, which controls the MQ broker and queue manager in either standalone or Network Deployment configuration. The JMS server no longer exists as in previous versions of WebSphere Application Server for z/OS. Its function has been replaced with service integration busses.
- This is a specialized application server that hosts the administrative
console application (it hosts only administrative applications) and
provides cell-level administrative function in a Network Deployment
configuration. The administrative console application administers
servers (grouped into nodes) on many different systems. The deployment
manager is the sole occupant of its own node. It does not need a node
agent because there are no application servers in the node, and a
cell can have only one deployment manager.Note: The version of the administrative console application that runs in the deployment manager is designed to manage multi-node environments, whereas the version of the administrative console application that runs in the standalone application server is for single node environments only.
- A node agent provides node-level administrative function in a Network Deployment configuration. A node agent is a specialized server that has no servants.
- A cluster is a logical grouping of like-configured servers.
Clusters exist to promote scalability and availability. Workload balancing occurs across the servers in a cluster. Clusters allow you to partition workloads into separate servers while still referring to them as a single unit. Clustering is typically applied to a multinode cell, where each node is configured on a separate system and the cluster has a member (server) on each node. Client requests are distributed among the cluster members based on workload manager decisions.
Note: If you intend your cluster to span multiple systems in a sysplex, you might need to set up a shared HFS. - A node is a logical collection of servers on one particular z/OS system.
- A cell is a logical collection of WebSphere Application
Server for z/OS nodes that are administered together. The
cell is the largest unit of organization.
- An administrative agent provides a single interface to administer multiple unfederated WebSphere Application Server for z/OS nodes in environments such as development, unit test, or that portion of a server farm that resides on a single machine.
- This is the long name used in the HFS path, and the principal name by which the server is known to WebSphere Application Server for z/OS. It is used to identify the server through the administrative console and scripting. It is a mixed case name and longer than 8 characters.
- This is the platform-specific native alias, and the principal name by which the server is known to z/OS. It is used to identify the server to underlying z/OS facilities, such as the Security Server, Job Entry Subsystem (JES), WLM and Application Response Management (ARM). For example, the server short name is used as the MVS JOBNAME.
- This is used as the WLM application environment name.
The following diagram illustrates the interaction between servers, clusters, nodes and cells. It shows various configurations that you can set up in a Network Deployment sysplex:

Node assignments can vary according to your requirements. The deployment manager node can exist on one system while other nodes that have been federated into the deployment manager can exist on different systems. Such a configured cell comprising differing machines or operating systems is called a heterogeneous cell and expands the possible topologies you can consider for your network deployment.