The webMethods Resourcing Newsletter helps IT Recruiters understand the webMethods Platform.

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What's in a name? webMethods is not like WebLogic and WebSphere

Branding is supposed to make products stand apart but in the case of webMethods, it sometimes causes an association that should not be made.

Consider webMethods, WebLogic and WebSphere. Three very different products with three very similar names. The three are no more related than cherry bombs, cherry pits and cherry-picking are related.

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WebLogic Server

WebLogic is a product of BEA (bee-ee-AY) and is actually served in four flavors. The most popular -- WebLogic Server -- is an application server, a server capable of serving Web pages in addition to providing other extended features expected from today's corporate Web sites.

WebLogic Server is most often used to execute Java programs and requires knowledge of JSP, Java and HTML.

WebSphere

IBM's WebSphere is also an application server in that it "serves" Java programs that comprise complex Web sites. The WebSphere Application Server is pre-built with additional components that create and manage XML documents and that administer the server.

Without modifications, IBM's WebSphere is very similar is function to the BEA WebLogic Server.

webMethods

webMethods Fabricis a suite of products from webMethods, Inc. webMethods Fabric is not an Application Server -- it is part of a new class of products deemed Business Integration Platforms. EAI and B2B are similar concepts to Business Integration.

webMethods optionally ships with an open-source Application Server called JBOSS, but because serving Java programs is only a small part of what actions the webMethods Platform performs, it is not considered to be in the same class as WebLogic and WebSphere.

The webMethods Platform blends Business Management software into a consolidated software package. The software performs the following tasks:

• Execute Java programs
• Create and manage XML documents
• Administer the server and all nodes on the network
• View and manage the path of document requests on the network
• Automatic deployment of newly developed programs

There are many others, but these points illustrate that the webMethods Platform deserves its distinction from a traditional Application Server.

In short, the webMethods Platform is the all-in-one software; WebLogic and WebSphere are just pieces to the puzzle.

 

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