difference for WebSphere Application Server for Developers VS IBM WebSphere SDK Java 7 for Liberty and Full profile

Question

I am downloading IBM WebSphere server for the developer edition. I find out two flavours (See attached picture)

1. WebSphere Application Server for Developers, Installation Manager Repository
2. IBM WebSphere SDK Java 7 for Liberty and Full profile, Installation Manager Repository

i am confused if these two are same. (or there is only the difference for the Java Version)

Answer 1

Let me try to explain the differences. In that page you can download:

• IBM WebSphere Application Server for Developers, Full Profile (1-3) - this is developers version of the full Java EE 6 complaint WebSphere Application Server. It contains already Java SDK v6 and is ready to run.

• IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty for Developers - this is new lightweight, fast module based server. Directed for developers. Allows you to build your own server with specific features, compliant with Java EE 6 Web Profile. See more details here: Introducing Liberty profile . In addition to Installation Manager download, you can just download zip archive, and just unpack it. It doesn't contain JDK, but can be used with IBM or Oracle Java 6 or 7.

• IBM WebSphere SDK Java 7 for Liberty and Full profile - this is just the Java SDK. It can be used for both Full and Liberty profile. WAS 8.5.5 allows you to switch from Java 6 to Java 7. So you need this download, if you want to use Java 7 with Full profile.

If you are starting development, I'd suggest to download zip with Liberty and WebSphere Developer Tools from wasdev

Answer 2

As per this article in 2017 , there are some pros and cons choosing one over another

General advice

Reasons to choose traditional WAS

• It costs nothing to move (if you're already there and it does what you need)
• Still has more function than Liberty
  • Full API, full admin console, security options
  • Some applications can't move or would take too much effort
• Uses existing admin skills and assets
  • plus larger existing body of knowledge/information
  • more training courses available
• Integrated with more products for management/production
• Common stack for key Portfolio products
• Portal server, BPM

Reasons to choose Liberty

• Smaller, simpler, faster to set up
  • easier to have common development and production runtimes
• More flexible to install, update and manage
  • packaged server 'master image' deployments are popular
• Composable, right-sized runtimes
• More choice of deployment environments
  • Bluemix, other PaaS, containers
• Liberty on z/OS has higher throughput, lower resource use
• Servers of any edition can be centrally managed (although not clustered)
• Greater management scale with collectives than cells
• Earlier support of new technology through continuous delivery
• Easier version to version migration once using Liberty