WebLogic vs WebSphere | WebLogic Server 11gR1 vs WebSphere 8.0
Application servers play a major role in modern enterprise computing by acting as the platform for the development, deployment, and integration of enterprise applications. Application servers facilitate common functions such as connection, security and integration. This allows developer to focus only on the business logic. Two of the leading Java EE-based application servers are WebLogic and WebSphere application servers.
What is WebLogic?
WebLogic (Oracle WebLogic Server) is a cross-platform Java EE application server developed by Oracle Corporation. WebLogic server offers a family of products based on Java EE platform. Apart from the application server, it is composed of WebLogic Portal (an enterprise portal), EAI (Enterprise Application Integration) platform, WebLogic Tuxedo (a transaction server), WebLogic Communication Platform and a web server. Current version of the application server is WebLogic Server 11gR1, which was released in May, 2011. WebLogic application server is a part of the Oracle Fusion Middleware portfolio. Major databases such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL server, DB2, etc. are supported by the WebLogic server. An Eclipse Java IDE called WebLogic Workshop comes with the WebLogic platform. WebLogic application server is interoperable with .NET and can be easily integrated with CORBA, COM+, WebSphere MQ and JMS. BPM and data mapping is supported by the Process Edition of the server. Furthermore, WebLogic server provides support for various open standards like SOAP, UDDI, WSDL, WSRP, XSLT, XQuery and JASS.
What is WebSphere?
WebSphere (WebSphere Application Server, or WAS) is an application server developed by IBM. It is the main product in IBM’s family of WebSphere products. Its current release is 8.0., which was released in June, 2011. The current version is a JAVA EE 6 compliant server. Open standards such as Java EE, XML and Web Services are used to build the WebSphere application server. It is a multi-platform application server, which supports Windows, Linux, Solaris, AIX, i/OS and z/OS operating systems and x86, x86-64, PowerPC, SPARC, IA-64 and zSeries architectures. WebSphere server is compatible with Apache HTTP server, Microsoft IIS, Netscape Enterprise Server and IBM HTTP server. Its default port for connection is 9060. Java EE security model (along with the security provided by the underlying operating system) provides the basis for the security model of the WebSphere application server.
What is the difference between WebLogic and WebSphere?
Although WebLogic server and WebSphere server are two of the leading Java EE-based application servers, they have their own differences. WebLogic application server is developed by Oracle, while WebSphere application server is a product of IBM. Latest version of WebSphere server supports Java EE 6, but the latest release of WebLogic server only supports Java EE 5. Both WebLogic and WebSphere servers are being used heavily in the industry, and the Java Community believe they are more or less the same when it comes to features and functionality they provide. But according to a study conducted by Crimson consulting group in May, 2011 on cost difference between these two application servers, WebSphere server was found to be more costlier than WebLogic server. The three main reasons for this are WebLogic’s performance advantage (which means less hardware/software and support costs), WebLogic’s lesser operational costs, and WebSphere’s higher “people costs” due to the need to use trained professionals.