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IBM
WebSphere Application Server

by Faulkner Staff

Copyright 2021, Faulkner Information Services. All
Rights Reserved.

Docid: 00016937

Publication Date: 2108

Report Type: PRODUCT

Preview

IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) provides a range of flexible, secure,
Jakarta EE (formerly Java Enterprise Edition) runtime environments. Serving clients of all sizes, these
runtime environments are suitable for lightweight production projects as
well as large enterprise deployments. WebSphere Application Server can be
utilized on premise or across public, private, or hybrid clouds. Currently
in version 9.0.5, the product features enhanced visibility and an improved
ability to analyze enterprise applications through a new WebSphere
Application Navigator. In addition, Kubernetes-based logging and monitoring
services are now available for use to centralize logging and monitoring for
existing WAS environments.

Report Contents:

• Description
  
• Related Faulkner Reports
• Vendor
• Applications
• Environment
• Support
• Pricing
• Competitors
• Web Links

Description

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IBM WebSphere Application Server V9 provides a range of flexible, secure,
Jakarta EE runtime environments. Serving clients of all sizes, these runtime environments are suitable for
lightweight production projects to large enterprise deployments. WebSphere Application Server can be utilized on premise, or across
public, private, or hybrid clouds.

 

 

WebSphere Solution Sets

As one of WebSphere’s more attractive features, clients can be up and
running in a hosted cloud environment within minutes with IBM WebSphere
Application Server on Cloud.

WebSphere software also delivers license flexibility, enabling clients to
deploy the application server that satisfies their present needs – and
change the deployment as requirements change – with IBM WebSphere
Application Server Family Edition.

WebSphere Features

According to the vendor, WebSphere clients can: (1) pursue a hybrid cloud
approach, combining public and private cloud resources; (2) actively
engage in the API (application programming interface) economy; and (3)
accelerate the development and delivery of cloud-native applications.

Application Navigator

• Provides holistic, real-time visibility into applications, enabling
  root-cause analysis with an app-centric management view.
• Has a containerized microservice architecture and runs in a Kubernetes
  environment.
• Complements existing user interfaces, including the WebSphere Admin
  Console and Liberty Admin Center.
• Links into specific tools when actions are taken.

Hybrid Cloud

• Gain application portability and simplify workload migrations with
  cloud or container services – like Docker and VMware.
• Shift workloads to the cloud without redesigning applications with the
  WebSphere Application Server for Bluemix single-tenant and multi-tenant
  options.

API economy

• Produce and consume APIs and connect them to and from the hybrid cloud
  to extend the value of application investments.
• Quickly create, discover, publish, and manage APIs with IBM API
  Connect.
• Connect on or off-premises apps to cloud services such as IBM Watson,
  IBM Cloudant and IBM dashDB to speed development.

Rapid Delivery

• Expedite development using container technology that includes IBM
  Container Services and Docker containers.
• Integrate on-premises applications with IBM Watson cognitive cloud
  services to incorporate cognitive analytics into existing apps.

IBM has launched Cloud Pak for Applications, which is designed to offer a
comprehensive and efficient method for developing applications built for
Kubernetes using agile DevOps processes. It operates on Red Hat OpenShift
and is a self-service environment that integrates open source tools with
existing middleware.

Applications

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IBM WebSphere Application Server empowers application developers by
enabling boundary-less application development and deployment.

As analyst Pete McCaffrey observes, “WebSphere V9 is designed for a
multi-cloud environment with easy application portability, so you decide
what’s best for your business regardless of your architectural environment
… [You] can seamlessly move apps with any cloud container service like
IBM Bluemix, Docker (including WebSphere support for Docker Datacenter) or
any cloud container service. You can move VM workloads to IBM Cloud by
using blueprints and WebSphere templates. Or, choose from a selection
of pre-configured environments and move your apps to IBM Cloud in minutes
to take advantage of … “pay-as-you-go” pricing models.”¹

Environment

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The IBM WebSphere Application Server Family Edition is a bundle of
WebSphere Application Server product editions:

WebSphere Application Server Liberty Core – IBM
WebSphere Application Server Liberty Core is a lightweight, production
runtime designed for rapid development and deployment of web and
cloud-based applications.

WebSphere Application Server – IBM WebSphere
Application Server offers a flexible and secure Java application server
runtime environment – supporting single server and midsize configurations
to large deployments requiring web tier clustering over multiple
application server instances.

WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment and z/OS
– IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment provides a runtime
environment for large-scale and mission-critical application deployments,
and offers near-continuous availability. WebSphere Application Server
Network Deployment also provides a runtime for IBM z Systems and z/OS,
permitting prioritized workload management, advanced transactional
integrity, horizontal and vertical scalability, and data and workload
co-location.

Support

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IBM offers two prominent license acquisition and software subscription
and support offerings: Passport Advantage and Passport Advantage Express.
Passport Advantage is designed for larger enterprises. Passport Advantage
Express is designed to meet the needs of medium-sized businesses.

Both Passport Advantage and Passport Advantage Express offer:

• Software subscription and support with each license.
• Selected support for certain open source and other non-warranted code.
• Comprehensive and flexible upgrade coverage.
• Protection for the customer’s technology investments.
• Secure access to Passport Advantage Online, a Web tool that helps
  customers manage their licensed IBM software.
• Simplified and improved software asset management.
• Reduced acquisition and administration costs.
• Streamlined budgeting for software upgrade and migration costs.
• Access to IBM software technical support for all of a customer’s
  designated IT staff.
• Self help via the Internet.

Pricing

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Competitors

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Oracle WebLogic Server 12c is a cloud-native,
enterprise Java platform, providing an environment for mission critical
applications requiring extreme performance, scalability, and reliability.

Web Links

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• IBM: http://www.ibm.com/
• Oracle: http://www.oracle.com/

References

¹ Pete McCaffrey. “Why Choose When You Can Have It All with
WebSphere V9?” IBM. June 7, 2016.

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