BEA WebLogic Server and WebLogic Express 8.1 Download Documentation

Compatibility Statement for BEA WebLogic Server 8.1

BEA attempts to support binary and source-level compatibility between the current version of WebLogic Server and all versions as far back as 6.1sp2 in the areas of persistent data, generated classes, and API compatibility. In some cases, it is impossible to avoid incompatibilities. Where incompatibilities arise, they are fully documented in the Upgrade Guide for BEA WebLogic Server 8.1.

J2EE 1.3 Compatibility

BEA WebLogic Server is one hundred percent J2EE 1.3 compatible across all operating system platforms for a given WebLogic Server release. This allows a J2EE 1.3 compliant application to be developed on one operating system platform (such as a Windows platform) and deployed for production on another (such as UNIX, Linux, Tru64, OpenVMS, or HP NonStop), without requiring J2EE application code changes. BEA ensures this compatibility of J2EE application portability within a WebLogic Server release level.

Persistent Data Compatibility

Upgrading to WebLogic Server 8.1 does not require you to make any changes to WebLogic Server 6.1 or 7.0 persistent data storage, including configuration files, deployment descriptors, transaction logs, and JMS messages.

Generated Classes Compatibility

Upgrading to WebLogic Server 8.1 does not require you to recompile applications in order to create new generated classes.

API Compatibility

WebLogic Server 6.1 and 7.0 applications deployed on WebLogic Server 8.1 will function without modification. Exceptions to this rule include cases where API behavior was changed in order to conform to a specification or to fix incorrect behavior. In certain circumstances, a correction may cause your application to behave differently.

Protocol Compatibility

Interoperability between WebLogic Server 8.1 and WebLogic Server 6.1 and 7.0 is supported in the following scenarios:

A WebLogic Server 6.1 or 7.0 client can invoke RMI-based applications hosted on a WebLogic Server 8.1 server using IIOP, T3, T3S, HTTP, and HTTPS. JMS applications can be invoked using T3, T3S, HTTP, and HTTPS.
A WebLogic Server 8.1 client can invoke RMI-based applications hosted on a WebLogic Server 6.1 or 7.0 server using IIOP, T3, T3S, HTTP, and HTTPS. JMS applications can be invoked using T3, T3S, HTTP, and HTTPS.
A WebLogic Server 8.1 web server plug-in can proxy to the latest service pack release of a 6.1 or 7.0 server

Notes:

Mixing WebLogic Server versions within the same Administrative domain is not supported.
Servers within an Administrative domain can be at different Service Pack levels as long as the Administration Server is at the same Service Pack Level or higher than its Managed Servers.
All servers within a cluster must be at the same Service Pack level.
The Deployer and Admin tool should be at the same Service Pack level as that of the Administrative Server in the domain.