What is new in this release

This version offers many new and exciting improvements, whether you are new to the product, or making the transition from a prior release.

New feature New feature: The new features that are described in this topic are current as of the original release of the product version. Changes in this documentation that are related to service releases are marked with fix pack icons.newfeat
WebSphere® Application Server is a proven, high-performance transaction engine that can help you build, run, integrate, and manage dynamic business applications. It excels as the foundation for a service-oriented architecture (SOA) with these main benefits:
Simple, rapid development and deployment

Improve time to value and make the most of existing technology skills with easy to use features designed to get you to production fast.

Secure and scalable SOA runtime

Rest assured that applications and data are safe and that you can eliminate lost business opportunities with near-continuous uptime for mission-critical applications.

Extensible communication services

Increase your return on investment and improve the flexibility of your business by making application services more reusable and accessible to new users in new ways.

Effective application management

Focus resources on innovation instead of maintenance, and reduce the costs of managing your environment with effective and easy-to-use management tools.

The following articles catalog the most notable new and changed features, routing you to appropriate information for learning more about each one. Skip ahead to the details that interest you, or continue reading this topic to obtain a higher level view first.

Simple, rapid development and deployment

Improve time to value and make the most of existing technology skills with easy-to-use features designed to get you to production fast. Key features include:
  • WebSphere Application Server Toolkit to help you create, test, and deploy applications; including a rapid-deployment feature for testing applications in the Version 6.1 runtime environment
  • Tight integration with Rational tools for additional application-building functionality
  • Java Server Faces—a framework that eases the development of Java-based Web applications
  • Service Data Objects—a data-centric, disconnected, XML-integrated, data-access mechanism that provides a source-independent result set
WebSphere Application Server, Version 6.1 highlights include:
  • J2SE 5.0 for improved developer productivity
  • Java Server Faces Widget Library (JWL)—a JSF-based Web widget library that integrates widgets from a number of sources
  • Installation Factory, enabling you to create a customized installation package (CIP) from the installation image for a version or release of a WebSphere software product with applicable maintenance packages, a configuration archive, one or more enterprise archive files, customization scripts, and other files
  • Installation by non-root users
  • Deployment enhancements as described in What is new for administrators

Secure and scalable SOA runtime

Rest assured that applications and data are safe and that you can eliminate lost business opportunities with near-continuous uptime for mission-critical applications.
  • J2EE 1.4, which makes it easier to develop and deploy applications using industry standard tools
  • J2SE 5.0 for improved developer productivity
  • Web Services Security, with broad support for Web services security specifications and architectural support for plugging in and extending the capabilities of security tokens
WebSphere Application Server, Version 6.1 highlights include:
  • Portlet programming model for developing reusable Web modules that run on a portal server and provide access to Web-based content, applications, and other resources
  • Common Criteria Assurance Level 4 security certification
  • Default security configurations set out-of-the-box
  • Identity-management capabilities through integration of virtual member manager

Extensible communication services

Increase your return on investment and improve the flexibility of your business by making application services more reusable and accessible to new users in new ways.
  • Powerful messaging engine. JMS support enables applications to exchange messages asynchronously with other JMS clients by using JMS destinations (queues or topics)
  • Extensive Web services support, which makes it easier to integrate applications inside the enterprise as well as externally with customers, partners and suppliers
  • Tight integration with WebSphere MQ for diverse environments
  • Ability to plug in the WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus for service mediation
WebSphere Application Server, Version 6.1 highlights include:
  • Web Services Notification, which enables Web service applications to utilize the "publish and subscribe" messaging pattern
  • WS Interoperability Basic Security Profile to provide transport-neutral mechanisms to address Web services and to facilitate end-to-end addressing
  • Web Services security updates
  • WS Business Agreement
  • Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Servlet support for applications that support real-time collaboration

Effective application management

Focus resources on innovation instead of maintenance, and reduce the costs of managing your environment with effective and easy-to-use management tools.
  • Web-based administrative console
  • Integrated Solutions Console
  • Java Management eXtensions (JMX)
  • Tivoli Performance Viewer
  • Tight integration with Tivoli software
WebSphere Application Server, Version 6.1 highlights include:
  • Console command assistant
  • Integrated development environment for scripted administration in WebSphere Application Server Toolkit
  • ISC profiling
  • Debugging enhancements in IBM Java 5 SDK
  • IBM Support Assistant (ISA) bundled for self-help
  • Simplified administration with simpler panels and more wizards
  • Standalone thin administrative client



Subtopics
What is new for installers
What is new for administrators
What is new for security specialists
What is new for developers
What is new for troubleshooters
Overview and new features for installing an application serving environment
Overview and new features for migrating, coexisting, and interoperating
Overview and new features for administering applications and their environments
Overview and new features for securing applications and their environment
Overview and new features for developing and deploying applications
Overview and new features for monitoring
Overview and new features for tuning performance
Overview and new features for troubleshooting
Related concepts
Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) specification
Release notes - IBM WebSphere Application Server
Guided activities for the administrative console
Related reference
Deprecated and removed features
Related information
Fixes by version for WebSphere Application Server
Concept topic Concept topic    

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Last updatedLast updated: Aug 30, 2013 6:03:36 PM CDT
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