1.1.1 Functionality serving as an execution platform for applications

The functionality forms a base for executing online businesses and batch businesses implemented as applications. You choose the functionality you want to use according to the intended use of a system and requirements.

You need to determine whether to use the functionality serving as the execution platform for applications, even before you set up a system and develop applications.

The following points provide the classification-wise description of the functionality serving as the execution platform for applications:

Organization of this subsection
(1) Basic functionality to operate applications (basic development functionality)
(2) Functionality for developing Web Services
(3) Application server-specific functionality expanded for improving the reliability and performance (Expansion functionality)
(4) Functionality to ensure system security (Security management functionality)

(1) Basic functionality to operate applications (basic development functionality)

This functionality includes the basic functionality for operating the applications (J2EE applications). This functionality mainly includes the J2EE server functionality.

Application Server provides a Java EE 6-compliant J2EE server. The J2EE server provides the functionality unique to Application Server apart from the functionality compliant with the standard specifications.

The basic development functionality can be further classified into three types based on the form of the J2EE application using the functionality. The manuals of the Application Server functionality have been divided according to this classification.

The following subsections give an overview of the classification:

(2) Functionality for developing Web Services

This includes the functionality for the execution and development environment of Web Service.

Application Server provides the following engines:

(3) Application server-specific functionality expanded for improving the reliability and performance (Expansion functionality)

This includes the functionality expanded uniquely on Application Server. This also includes the functionality implemented by using non-J2EE server processes, such as a batch server, CTM, and database.

With Application Server, various functionality are expanded to improve the reliability of the system and to implement stable operations. Furthermore, the functionality is also expanded to operate applications other than the J2EE applications (batch applications) in the Java environment.

(4) Functionality to ensure system security (Security management functionality)

This includes the functionality used for ensuring the security of Application Server-based systems. This includes the authentication functionality for preventing unauthorized access and the encryption functionality for preventing information leakage through a communication path.