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What's New

WebLogic Platform now merges all of the features of the existing BEA WebLogic products--application server, development, portal, and integration--into a highly integrated solution, combining the benefits of a common application infrastructure with an easy-to-use, robust framework.

Support for WebLogic Platform Service Pack 6 . . .

 

WebLogic Platform 7.0 Service Pack 6 (SP6) includes includes maintenance updates to WebLogic Platform 7.0, 7.0 SP1, 7.0 SP2, 7.0 SP4, and 7.0 SP5, as well as the following updates:

  • The WebLogic Server Administration Console has added the Servlet Extension Case Sensitive attribute to server and cluster configurations. In addition, the Web App Files Case Insensitive attribute has been added to security domain configuration. For more information, see What's New in WebLogic Server 7.0 SP6? in the WebLogic Server Release Notes.

  • WebLogic JRockit includes several changes to the set of system properties. WebLogic JRockit continues to support all system properties available from Sun. For more information, see Changes in Service Pack 6 in the WebLogic JRockit 7.0 SDK Release Notes.

Support for WebLogic Platform Service Pack 5 . . .

 

WebLogic Platform 7.0 Service Pack 5 (SP5) includes maintenance of WebLogic Platform 7.0, WebLogic Platform 7.0 SP1, 7.0 SP2, and 7.0 SP4, as well as support for:

  • New Database Driver Support: Oracle Thin Driver 10g

  • Interoperability between SP1, SP2, SP4, and SP5 of WebLogic Platform 7.0

  • Package Upgrade Installer Enhancements

  • WebLogic Integration Adapter and Plug-ins Installed with WebLogic Platform 7.0 SP5

Support for WebLogic Platform Service Pack 4 . . .

 

WebLogic Platform 7.0 Service Pack 4 (SP4) includes maintenance of WebLogic Platform 7.0, WebLogic Platform 7.0 SP1, and WebLogic Platform 7.0 SP2, as well as support for:

  • New platform configurations

  • Interoperability between SP1, SP2, and SP4 of WebLogic Platform 7.0

  • WebLogic Security Service in domains configured to run WebLogic Portal applications

  • WebLogic JRockit 7.0 included as part of the WebLogic Platform installation for some platforms

Support for WebLogic Platform Service Pack 2 . . .

 

WebLogic Platform 7.0 Service Pack 2 (SP2) includes maintenance of WebLogic Platform 7.0 and WebLogic Platform 7.0 SP1, as well as support for:

  • New platform configurations

  • Easier installation of the WebLogic JRockit SDK

  • Interoperability between SP1 and SP2 of WebLogic Platform 7.0

  • WebLogic Server support for Sun's Java Cryptography Extension (JCE)

  • WebLogic Server performance improvements

  • Business process management enhancements

Support for WebLogic Platform Service Pack 1 . . .

 

WebLogic Platform 7.0 Service Pack 1 (SP1) includes maintenance to WebLogic Platform 7.0 and supports the following new capabilities:

  • Additional platform support.

  • Certification with the J2EE Compatibility Test Suite (CTS) 1.3.1 certification suite for all WebLogic Platform products.

  • Multiple options for upgrading your installation: using the Smart Update feature to retrieve code and media archives from the BEA server, or by downloading the package upgrade installer. For more information, see Installing WebLogic Platform.

  • Enhanced internationalization support.

What's in WebLogic Platform . . .

 

WebLogic Platform includes the following new features:

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Simplified Platform Packaging

Now you can download WebLogic Platform using the new, "smart download" installer and select the WebLogic Platform components you want as part of your custom installation. WebLogic Platform boasts a seamless out-of-the-box experience, including the new Configuration Wizard, Platform Tour and QuickStart applications, and the integrated WebLogic Platform documentation to get up to speed quickly. The fully functional evaluation license enables all of the component features of WebLogic Platform.

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WebLogic Workshop

WebLogic Workshop is a visual development environment for building, testing, and deploying enterprise-class Web services quickly and easily, whether you're a beginning Java developer or a J2EE expert. You can design Web services by adding controls, setting properties, and writing code to handle events. WebLogic Workshop's controls provide straightforward access to enterprise resources like databases, Enterprise JavaBeans, JMS topics and queues, other Web services, and enterprise applications.

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Platform Tour

The WebLogic Platform tour and sample application demonstrates key features in the WebLogic Platform to help you get started.

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QuickStart

QuickStart assists first-time users in evaluating, learning, and using WebLogic Platform. It also provides quick access to the WebLogic Platform tour and other samples, useful tools for accomplishing specific development tasks, and the online documentation.

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Configuration Wizard

Domain and cluster management are greatly simplified by a Configuration Wizard that lets you generate preconfigured domains in any location. Based on user queries, the Configuration Wizard generates a domain, server, and enterprise application with the appropriate components preconfigured and assets included. You can run the Domain Configuration Wizard during a custom installation and anytime thereafter. The Configuration Wizard is especially designed to make setting up clusters easy.

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PointBase Database

A bundled and fully-functional, 100% pure Java relational database management system (RDBMS) from PointBase, which helps developers learn how best to incorporate persistent data storage into applications and test application-to-database interactions.

What's in WebLogic Platform Components. . .

 

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WebLogic Server

BEA WebLogic Server provides the solid, reliable, and industry-proven foundation that serves as the backbone for the WebLogic Platform. Features new to WebLogic Server include:

  • Web Services

  • Pluggable, Flexible Security Infrastructure

  • Developer Tool: WebLogic Builder

  • New Deployment Model

  • Highly Available JMS

  • WebLogic Messaging Bridge

  • Domain Configuration and Directory Structure

  • Administration Enhancements

  • Cache Filters

  • J2EE Connector Architecture 1.0 Implementation

  • COM-to-WLS Connectivity with jCOM

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WebLogic Workshop

WebLogic Workshop is BEA's new visual development environment for building Web services. WebLogic workshop offers:

  • An easy-to-use development environment, where you can visually design your Web service.

  • Controls for access to enterprise resources -- databases, Enterprise JavaBeans, JMS messaging, other Web services, and enterprise applications.

  • Support for building asynchronous Web services that model real business processes in the enterprise.

  • Automatic management of application state with conversations.

  • XML maps for building loosely coupled Web services.

  • ECMAScript extensions for manipulating XML programmatically.

  • An integrated testing tool and debugger for easy Web service development.

  • Straightforward deployment to a WebLogic Server in your organization.

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WebLogic Integration

WebLogic Integration delivers a complete solution for developing, deploying, and integrating applications and business processes from within and across the enterprise. Features new to WebLogic Integration include:

  • WebLogic Platform provides a redesigned WebLogic Security Service, on which WebLogic Integration security functionality is built. The WebLogic Security Service includes keystores for storing private keys and the public key certificates associated with them.

  • WebLogic Integration provides enhanced features to support clustering for scalability and high availability, and has provisions for failover in the event of hardware or network failures.

  • The lightweight, WebLogic Integration - Business Connect trading partner client software now includes an application programming interface, and support for a 30-day evaluation.

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WebLogic Portal

WebLogic Portal provides a unified framework for the development and maintenance of Web sites that are interactive, adaptable to the needs of the audience, and customizable based on visitor preferences. Features new to WebLogic Portal include:

  • New graphical Portal and Portlet Wizards, which enable you to quickly and easily create portals and portlets, based on existing templates. The Portlet Wizard provides the ability to generate portlets from Web Services, including those built using WebLogic Workshop.

  • A template for the Configuration Wizard, which automatically sets up (and registers with WebLogic Server) the server configuration you specify, provides predefined system administrator roles, lays down the necessary resources to use the default tax and payment Web services, and sets up a working Tools Web application for administration. When you select the WebLogic Portal domain template, the Configuration Wizard also prepares the Enterprise JavaBeans necessary for commerce and campaign functionality, as well as those that support BEA-provided events, rules, user management, pipelines, LDAP support, and personalization.

  • Improvements to how the E-Business Control Center (EBCC) manages data and provides corporate developers with assistance. The EBCC now uses a central project file for easier management of EBCC data, and includes context-sensitive help that guides users if and when they need it.

  • The addition of visitor-editable portal tab names, which allows developers to set up portals so that end-users can modify the text on the tabs by which they navigate.

  • New portlet organization capabilities, which enable you to group portlets into categories using the E-Business Control Center. This makes portlets easier to manage and classify for different users, such as administrators, developers, and visitors.

  • In addition to the Platform End-to-End Sample Application, WebLogic Portal provides a second portal sample application, Avitek Financial. This application provides many sample portlets and an enterprise financial services portal that highlights portal foundation services, intelligent administration, integration services, personalization and interaction management.