The latest version of IBM Websphere Application Server supports JDK 6.0, EJB 3.0, web services enhancements and Web 2.0 Feature Pack. IBM announced last week the release of Websphere Server 7.0 version. The new version also includes enhancements in Web services including support for JAX-WS, SOAP 1.2, MTOM, WS-ReliableMessaging, WS-Policy, and Kerberos Token Profile.
With the new version, WebSphere has completed Java EE 5 certification which includes EJB 3.0 support and Java Persistence API (JPA). Web 2.0 Feature Pack leverages existing SOA and Java EE assets to deliver web applications through an open Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) development framework.
Other features of the new version of WebSphere application server include the following:
- New web services support including WS-* standards like WS-Business Activity, WS-Notification and WS-I Basic Security Profile specifications.
- The JPA support in WebSphere Application Server are based on OpenJPA project which is the JPA implementation framework from Apache.
- The integration support of WebSphere 7.0 with other technologies includes Spring framework, Service Component Architecture (SCA), WebSphere MQ and WebSphere ESB products.
Web 2.0 Feature Pack, an optional product extension for WebSphere Application Server V7.0, includes the following features:
- Web 2.0-to-SOA connectivity for enabling connectivity from AJAX clients and mashups to external Web services, internal SOA services, and Java EE assets. This connectivity also extends enterprise data to customers and partners through Atom Syndication Format (ATOM) and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) Web feeds.
- AJAX Messaging for connecting AJAX clients to real-time updated data such as stock quotes or instant messaging.
- AJAX Development Toolkit for WebSphere Application Server based on Dojo javascript AJAX toolkit with IBM extensions.
The new server version also provides support for new programming models like:
- Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) high availability option to improve performance the availability of SIP implementations.
- JAX-WS 2.1 support to simplify the development of new Web services.
- JAXB 2.1 support helps to simplify access to XML documents by Java programs.
- Portlet 2.0 (JSR 286) support. This specification of Java portlets can send and receive events to perform changes to the portlet state share session attributes with servlets and JavaServer Pages (JSP) located within the same Web applications.
WebSphere version 7.0 also includes WebSphere Application Server Community Edition version 2.1 which is a lightweight Java EE 5 application server built on open source Apache Geronimo technology. In addition to the community edition, the latest version also offers different server configurations which include the following:
- WebSphere Application Server Express (v7)
- WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment (v7)
- WebSphere Application Server for z/OS (v7)
Billy Newport recently blogged about the new release of WebSphere ND 7.0 and its features such as the new 64 bit IBM Java 6 virtual machine and the pointer compression feature offered by this JVM version.
The new release also offers enhancements in other areas like security, application development and systems management. Runtime provisioning and OSGi technology dynamically selects only the needed functions for memory and space reducing the application server footprint. New WebSphere Business Level Applications (WBLA) helps in the management of multi-component applications, simplifying administrative tasks. Also, IBM Rational Application Developer for WebSphere V7.5 supports the new WebSphere Application Server features to help the Java developers develop, assemble, and deploy Java/JEE web applications.
A free trial version of WebSphere Application Server version 7.0 is available for download. The free community edition version can also be downloaded from their website. Both downloads require user registration on the IBM website.
