Definition: Java EE

(Java Platform, Enterprise Edition) An application software platform from Oracle based on the Java programming language. Originally developed by Sun, which Oracle acquired in 2010, Java EE services are performed in the middle tier between the user's machine and the enterprise's databases and legacy information systems. Java EE comprises a specification, reference implementation and set of testing suites. Its core component is Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs), followed by JavaServer Pages (JSPs) and Java servlets and a variety of interfaces for linking to the information resources in the enterprise.

The Java EE interfaces include JDBC for databases, JNDI for directories, JTA for transactions, JMS for messaging, JavaMail for email systems and JavaIDL for CORBA connectivity. Java Connectors are interfaces to a variety of legacy applications.

In December 1999, J2EE Version 1.2 was introduced as the first formal release of the Enterprise specification. In 2005, Sun renamed the Java Platform by dropping the 2 (J2EE 5.0 became Java EE 5.0). See EJB, JSP, servlet, Java Connector, Java SE and Java ME.

Pure Java EE Environment

This is a fully compliant Java EE Web server and application server environment showing the interfaces to all information sources in the enterprise. This is an "ideal" Java-only deployment. In practice, other server-side scripts and applications may be used as in the illustration below.

Mixed Environment

In practice, Web servers and application servers use a variety of server-side processing techniques. This illustration depicts the various methods.