Preface

This book describes the high-availability features in GlassFish Server, including converged load balancing, HTTP load balancing, clusters, session persistence and failover.

This preface contains information about and conventions for the entire Oracle GlassFish Server (GlassFish Server) documentation set.

GlassFish Server 3.1.2 is developed through the GlassFish project open-source community at http://glassfish.java.net/. The GlassFish project provides a structured process for developing the GlassFish Server platform that makes the new features of the Java EE platform available faster, while maintaining the most important feature of Java EE: compatibility. It enables Java developers to access the GlassFish Server source code and to contribute to the development of the GlassFish Server. The GlassFish project is designed to encourage communication between Oracle engineers and the community.

Oracle GlassFish Server Documentation Set

The GlassFish Server documentation set describes deployment planning and system installation. For an introduction to GlassFish Server, refer to the books in the order in which they are listed in the following table.

Book Title	Description
Release Notes	Provides late-breaking information about the software and the documentation and includes a comprehensive, table-based summary of the supported hardware, operating system, Java Development Kit (JDK), and database drivers.
Quick Start Guide	Explains how to get started with the GlassFish Server product.
Installation Guide	Explains how to install the software and its components.
Upgrade Guide	Explains how to upgrade to the latest version of GlassFish Server. This guide also describes differences between adjacent product releases and configuration options that can result in incompatibility with the product specifications.
Deployment Planning Guide	Explains how to build a production deployment of GlassFish Server that meets the requirements of your system and enterprise.
Administration Guide	Explains how to configure, monitor, and manage GlassFish Server subsystems and components from the command line by using the `asadmin` utility. Instructions for performing these tasks from the Administration Console are provided in the Administration Console online help.
Security Guide	Provides instructions for configuring and administering GlassFish Server security.
Application Deployment Guide	Explains how to assemble and deploy applications to the GlassFish Server and provides information about deployment descriptors.
Application Development Guide	Explains how to create and implement Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE platform) applications that are intended to run on the GlassFish Server. These applications follow the open Java standards model for Java EE components and application programmer interfaces (APIs). This guide provides information about developer tools, security, and debugging.
Add-On Component Development Guide	Explains how to use published interfaces of GlassFish Server to develop add-on components for GlassFish Server. This document explains how to perform only those tasks that ensure that the add-on component is suitable for GlassFish Server.
Embedded Server Guide	Explains how to run applications in embedded GlassFish Server and to develop applications in which GlassFish Server is embedded.
High Availability Administration Guide	Explains how to configure GlassFish Server to provide higher availability and scalability through failover and load balancing.
Performance Tuning Guide	Explains how to optimize the performance of GlassFish Server.
Troubleshooting Guide	Describes common problems that you might encounter when using GlassFish Server and explains how to solve them.
Error Message Reference	Describes error messages that you might encounter when using GlassFish Server.
Reference Manual	Provides reference information in man page format for GlassFish Server administration commands, utility commands, and related concepts.
Message Queue Release Notes	Describes new features, compatibility issues, and existing bugs for GlassFish Server Message Queue.
Message Queue Technical Overview	Provides an introduction to the technology, concepts, architecture, capabilities, and features of the Message Queue messaging service.
Message Queue Administration Guide	Explains how to set up and manage a Message Queue messaging system.
Message Queue Developer's Guide for JMX Clients	Describes the application programming interface in Message Queue for programmatically configuring and monitoring Message Queue resources in conformance with the Java Management Extensions (JMX).
Message Queue Developer's Guide for Java Clients	Provides information about concepts and procedures for developing Java messaging applications (Java clients) that work with GlassFish Server.
Message Queue Developer's Guide for C Clients	Provides programming and reference information for developers working with Message Queue who want to use the C language binding to the Message Queue messaging service to send, receive, and process Message Queue messages.

Typographic Conventions

The following table describes the typographic changes that are used in this book.

Typeface	Meaning	Example
`AaBbCc123`	The names of commands, files, and directories, and onscreen computer output	Edit your `.login` file. Use `ls` `a` to list all files. `machine_name% you have mail.`
`AaBbCc123`	What you type, contrasted with onscreen computer output	`machine_name%` `su` `Password:`
AaBbCc123	A placeholder to be replaced with a real name or value	The command to remove a file is `rm` filename.
AaBbCc123	Book titles, new terms, and terms to be emphasized (note that some emphasized items appear bold online)	Read Chapter 6 in the User's Guide. A cache is a copy that is stored locally. Do not save the file.

Symbol Conventions

The following table explains symbols that might be used in this book.

Symbol	Description	Example	Meaning
`[ ]`	Contains optional arguments and command options.	`ls [-l]`	The `-l` option is not required.
`{ \| }`	Contains a set of choices for a required command option.	`-d {y\|n}`	The `-d` option requires that you use either the `y` argument or the `n` argument.
`${ }`	Indicates a variable reference.	`${com.sun.javaRoot}`	References the value of the `com.sun.javaRoot` variable.
-	Joins simultaneous multiple keystrokes.	Control-A	Press the Control key while you press the A key.
+	Joins consecutive multiple keystrokes.	Ctrl+A+N	Press the Control key, release it, and then press the subsequent keys.
>	Indicates menu item selection in a graphical user interface.	File > New > Templates	From the File menu, choose New. From the New submenu, choose Templates.

Default Paths and File Names

The following table describes the default paths and file names that are used in this book.

Placeholder	Description	Default Value
as-install	Represents the base installation directory for GlassFish Server. In configuration files, as-install is represented as follows: `${com.sun.aas.installRoot}`	Installations on the Oracle Solaris operating system, Linux operating system, and Mac OS operating system: user's-home-directory`/glassfish3/glassfish` Installations on the Windows operating system: SystemDrive`:\glassfish3\glassfish`
as-install-parent	Represents the parent of the base installation directory for GlassFish Server.	Installations on the Oracle Solaris operating system, Linux operating system, and Mac operating system: user's-home-directory`/glassfish3` Installations on the Windows operating system: SystemDrive`:\glassfish3`
domain-root-dir	Represents the directory in which a domain is created by default.	as-install`/domains/`
domain-dir	Represents the directory in which a domain's configuration is stored. In configuration files, domain-dir is represented as follows: `${com.sun.aas.instanceRoot}`	domain-root-dir`/`domain-name
instance-dir	Represents the directory for a server instance.	domain-dir`/`instance-name

Documentation, Support, and Training

The Oracle web site provides information about the following additional resources:

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