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GlassFish Server 4.1

# Features and Resources

GlassFish Server 4.1 provides a server for the development and deployment of Java™ Platform Enterprise Edition (Java EE) and dynamic, scalable HTML5 applications. Key features include Java EE 7 compatibility, modularity, and rapid iterative development.

This page contains the following topics:

- Key Features
- Resources

## Key Features

### Java EE Support

GlassFish Server supports Java EE 7, which provides the foundation for delivering dynamic, scalable HTML applications. For example, the Java API for WebSocket enables low-latency bi-directional communication. The Java API for JSON processing simplifies data parsing for portable applications. The Java API for RESTful Web Services 2.0, Concurrency Utilities for Java EE, and Servlet 3.1 add concurrency features to enable highly scalable applications to handle more HTML5 clients simultaneously.

Java EE 7 and GlassFish Server 4.1 include the following new and updated Java EE standards:

New or Significant Updates
  - Java API for JSON Processing (JSON-P)
  - Java API for WebSocket
  - Batch Application for the Java Platform
  - Concurrency Utilities for Java EE
  - Java Message Service (JMS) 2.0
  - Java API for RESTful Web Services (JAX-RS)
Updated
  - Enterprise Java Beans (EJB) 3.2
  - Contexts and Dependency Injection for Java EE (CDI) 1.2
  - Java Persistence API (JPA) 2.1
  - Java Server Faces (JSF) 2.2
  - Java Servlet 3.1
  - Bean Validation (BV) 1.1
  - Expression Language (EL) 3.0
  - Interceptors 1.0
  - Java Transaction (JTA) 1.2
  - Java Server Pages (JSP) 2.3
  - JavaMail 1.5

For a complete list of the Java EE technologies included, see the Release Notes.

### Modularity

The modular architecture of the GlassFish Server is based on OSGi Alliance standards and ensures that GlassFish Server starts only the modules that are required for the applications that you are deploying. As a result, start-up times and memory consumption are minimized.

### Rapid Iterative Development

Using popular IDEs such as NetBeans and Eclipse, the web application development cycle is simplified to edit-save-refresh browser. GlassFish Server enables such a simple development cycle by preserving HTTP session information when an existing application is redeployed.

### Open Source and GlassFish Community

In June 2005, Oracle launched the GlassFish community with the goal of developing an open source, production ready application server that implements the newest features of the Java EE platform and related enterprise technologies. GlassFish Server Open Source Edition is based on the source code that is developed within the GlassFish community.

Discussion within the GlassFish community is conducted through the following channels:

- Forums for the GlassFish community
- Mailing lists for GlassFish community

## Resources

### GlassFish Community

GlassFish Server is based on the source code that is developed through the GlassFish open source project and community. The GlassFish community is building an open source application server which implements the newest features in the Java EE platform.

### Oracle Technology Network

For further help and to keep on top of the latest developments, join the Oracle Technology Network.

### Release Notes, Product Documentation, and Other Information

The Release Notes, Installation Guide, and other product documentation are available on the GlassFish Product Documentation page.