Online Mentoring Topics

The following topics are available for mentoring in our virtual training center. The available topical components are designed to give the student an idea of the breadth of our mentoring options. If you don't see your topic listed here, please contact to discuss a customized mentoring option. There is no additional charge for building a customized mentoring session.

These topics are separated into mentoring categories:

  Java Introductory Topics
  WebSphere J2EE Topics
  Enterprise JavaBean Topics
  WebSphere AdministrationTopics
   

Java Introductory Topics:

Java Environment

  • Defining Java
  • Characteristics
  • Types of Java programs
  • Applets, Applications and Servlets
  • Java run-time environment
  • Java JDK
  • Library structure
  • Java API hierarchy
  • OO vs Procedural
  • Java and OO concepts
  • Inheritance
  • Polymorphism
  • Encapsulation
  • J2EE architecture

Inheritance

  • Java derivation
  • Class inheritance
  • Inherited methods
  • Derived class objects
  • Override base methods
  • Polymorphic behavior
  • Abstract classes
  • final methods
  • Universal superclass
  • Interfaces in Java
  • Implementing interfaces

WSAD IDE

  • Understanding Eclipse
  • Multiple document interface
  • WebSphere Studio family
  • Plug-in architecture
  • Java development features
  • Projects and Perspectives
  • WSAD folder structure
  • Import/Export projects
  • Utilizing Perspectives
  • Navigation panel

WSAD Debugger

  • Debugger role
  • Debug perspective
  • Debugger preference settings
  • Initiating debugger
  • Suspended threads
  • Execution controls
  • Inspecting expressions
  • Breakpoints
  • Exception handling
  • WSAD Scrapbook

Variables

  • Java primitives
  • Integer data types
  • Assignment statements
  • Binary/Unary operators
  • Increment/Decrement
  • Prefix/Postfix
  • Explicit casting
  • Floating point
  • Character and Boolean
  • String

Exception Handling

  • Defining Exceptions
  • Error vs Exception classes
  • Runtime exception errors
  • throws statement
  • try/catch blocks
  • finally block
  • Execution patterns
  • throw statement
  • Creating Exception classes

Decision Logic/Looping

  • Comparative operators
  • if statements
  • Statement blocks
  • else statement
  • Conditional nesting
  • Boolean operators
  • Conditional AND
  • Conditional OR
  • Ternary operator
  • continue statement
  • switch
  • break
  • for loops
  • while looping
  • dowhile loops
  • continue statement labels
  • Labeled breaks

Thread Management

  • Defining threads
  • Single vs Multi-threading
  • Thread lifecycle
  • Methods to control threads
  • Defining thread subclasses
  • Daemon vs User threads
  • Use of run method
  • Starting and Stopping threads
  • Multi-threading vs multi-tasking
  • Synchronization
  • Use of synchronized
  • Using synchronized methods
  • Defining deadlocks

Class Definitions

  • Class vs instance variables
  • Class vs instance methods
  • Java class definition structure
  • Parameter passing
  • Passing parameters
  • Static method calls
  • Initialization blocks
  • Constructors
  • Variable vs Object declaration
  • Method overloading
  • Java packages
  • package statement
  • Class access options: public, private, protected

Files & Streams

  • Defining Streams
  • Input/Output operations
  • Using File objects
  • File access methods
  • OutputStream
  • FileOutputStream
  • ByteArrayOutputStream
  • FilterOutputStream
  • DataOutputStream
  • Buffered output streams
  • Character output streams
  • PrintWriter
  • FileWriter

Java Arrays

  • Defining arrays
  • Array declaration
  • Accessing array elements
  • Substituting array length
  • Mutli-dimensional arrays

 

WebSphere J2EE Topics:

WebSphere Overview

  • Multitiered overview
  • N-tier architecture
  • Model-View-Controller
  • WebSphere products
  • Browser role
  • HTTP Server
  • Application Server
  • Standalone vs Network Deployment administration
  • WSAD Suite
  • J2EE platform
  • J2EE APIs
  • J2EE services: JNDI, JDBC, Security, RMI, JMS, etc
  • J2EE packaging
  • Application lifecycle
  • WebSphere architecture: Cells, Clusters, Nodes, Node Agents, Web Services Gateway
  • WSAD development environment

JavaServer Pages

  • JSP Components
  • JSP & Servlet integration
  • Servlet/JSP model
  • JSP request cycle
  • Operational model
  • JSP translations
  • Forwarding
  • JSP methods: jspInit, jspService and jspDestroy
  • JSP Tags and scripting elements
  • Implicit objects
  • Directives
  • Declarations
  • Expressions
  • Scriptlets
  • JSP Action tags
  • JavaBean integration
  • useBean Scope attribute
  • Development using WSAD

WSAD IDE

  • Understanding Eclipse
  • Multiple document interface
  • WebSphere Studio family
  • Plug-in architecture
  • Java development features
  • Web development
  • XML capabilities
  • Server configuration
  • Deployment Descriptors
  • Projects and Perspectives
  • WSAD folder structure
  • Import/Export projects
  • Utilizing Perspectives
  • Navigation panel

EJB Overview

  • EJB benefits
  • EJB portability foundation
  • EJB container services and responsibilities
  • Enterprise Bean types
  • Session vs Entity vs Message beans
  • Stateful vs Stateless Session
  • Managing state data
  • CMP vs BMP Entity beans
  • EJB Container role
  • Bean lifecycle management
  • Transactional processing
  • Security issues
  • Development within WSAD

WSAD Debugger

  • Debugger role
  • Debug perspective
  • Debugger preference settings
  • Initiating debugger
  • Suspended threads
  • Execution controls
  • Inspecting expressions
  • Breakpoints
  • Exception handling
  • WSAD Scrapbook

Web Services

  • Service-oriented architecture
  • Web service model
  • B2C vs B2B
  • Role of XML
  • SOAP and SOAP messages
  • WSDL
  • UDDI registries
  • Web Services Gateway
  • JCA integration

Servlet Development

  • Servlet Evolution
  • Characteristics
  • Statement blocks
  • Stateless vs Stateful
  • Servlet message structure: HTTP header & FORM data
  • Web Container: Instance Pool, JVM and JRE roles
  • Lifecycle
  • HTML FORM interaction: ACTION and METHOD parameters
  • POST vs GET processing
  • Reading POST data
  • Java Servlet API
  • init and destroy methods
  • Development in WSAD
  • Servlet Operational model
  • Deployment and testing

JMS and MQSeries

  • JMS and JMS Providers
  • Asynchronous Messaging
  • Publish/Subscribe
  • Point-to-Point
  • Connection Factories
  • JMS Destinations
  • JMS Listeners
  • Listener Managers
  • ejb-jar.xml updates
  • WebSphereMQ
  • Queue Managers and Brokers
  • WebSphereMQ Clustering
  • Network Deployment implementation

Session Data

  • Session support
  • WebSphere Session management
  • Retrieve HttpSession
  • Invalidation
  • Accessing existing sessions
  • RequestDispatcher
  • Servlet Contexts
  • Session configuration
  • Persistent Session types
  • WebSphere internal messaging: Peer-to-Peer vs Client/Server
  • Session affinity
  • Cookies

Assembly & Deployment

  • Application packaging
  • IBM specific packaging
  • Application Assembly Tool
  • earconvert tool
  • EJB migration
  • ejbdeploy command
  • Servlet WAR creation
  • Packaging WAR files
  • Class loading policies
  • Enterprise application installation
  • Network deployment

 

JSP Tag Libraries

  • Custom Tag libraries
  • Tag Handler classes
  • Tag Library Descriptor file
  • taglib page directive
  • Defining TLD entries
  • Deploying Tag libraries
  • Using web.xml aliases
  • JSP Standard Tag Libraries
  • JSTL Expression language


WebSphere Enterprise JavaBean Topics:

Enterprise Development

  • Enterprise application role
  • Component architecture
  • JavaBeans vs EJBs
  • N-tier architecture
  • Enterprise development motivation
  • EJB vs CORBA comparison
  • Distributed Proxy model
  • Remote Method Invocation
  • J2EE overview

Session Beans

  • Stateless vs Stateful
  • Bean pooling
  • Serialization
  • Session bean methods
  • Session bean lifecycle
  • JNDI lookup
  • Session Context
  • javax.ejb.SessionBean
  • Deployment Descriptors

EJB Overview

  • EJB benefits
  • EJB portability foundation
  • EJB container services and responsibilities
  • Enterprise Bean types
  • Session vs Entity vs Message beans
  • Stateful vs Stateless Session
  • CMP vs BMP Entity beans
  • EJB Container role
  • Development within WSAD

Stateless Session Beans

  • Characteristics
  • Bean pooling
  • Bean lifecycle
  • Stateless vs Stateful
  • Home, Remote and Bean classes
  • EJB generated code
  • EJB Container deployment
  • Universal Test Client testing
  • EJB deployment code
  • Test client dialog

Entity Beans

  • Role of Entity beans
  • Entity bean lifecycle
  • Object relational mapping
  • Activation/Passivation
  • EJB call-back methods
  • Container-managed persistence
  • Bean-managed persistence
  • Deployment Descriptors

Stateful Session Beans

  • Bean pooling
  • WebSphere pooling strategy
  • Passivation & Activation
  • Stateful bean lifecycle
  • ejb-jar.xml file
  • WebSphere application server deployment

Entity Bean Development

  • javax.ejb.EnterpriseBean
  • EntityBean interfaces
  • Finder methods
  • Container-managed methods
  • Depict the usage of setEntityContext, ejbLoad, ejbFind, ejbCreate, ejbStore, ejbRemove, etc
  • CMP Deployment Descriptors
  • Map.mapxmi metadata
  • Bean-managed persistence

Message Beans

  • JMS & JMS providers
  • Asynchronous messaging: Point-to-Point and Publish/Subscribe
  • JMS Destinations
  • Connection Factories
  • JMS Listeners
  • WebSphere JMS providers
  • MQSeries clustering
  • Message bean lifecycle
  • onMessage method
  • Deployment Descriptor file

EJB Architecture

  • Underlying EJB architecture
  • Marshalling & Unmarshalling
  • Role of RMI and CORBA
  • Parameter passing
  • Distributed garbage collection
  • Remote object activation
  • Stubs vs Skeletons
  • Object serialization
  • Transient vs non-Transient
  • Home object and interfaces
  • Remote object

EJB Security

  • WebSphere Security model
  • Authentication/Authorization
  • Delegation and Trusting
  • Network Deployment implementation
  • LDAP vs Local OS registries
  • Security Collaborators
  • Security role mapping
  • RunAsmode
  • RunAsIdentity
  • HTTP single sign-on

EJB Transactions

  • Transaction model
  • Flat vs Nested
  • Programmatic vs Declarative demarcation
  • EJB Transaction attributes
  • Java Transaction API
  • UserTransaction
  • Transactional methods
  • Isolation levels
  • Transaction problems: Dirty Read, Unrepeatable Read and Phantoms

EJB Best Practices

  • Participant roles
  • Best practice strategies
  • EJB placement
  • Development practices: coding, modeling and documentation
  • EJB modeling
  • EJB and Legacy integration
  • Enforcing reusability
  • Deployment strategies
 

Persistent Best Practices

  • When to utilize Entity beans
  • CMP vs BMP
  • Stored Procedures
  • Object Relational Mapping
  • Use with legacy database design
  • Strategies for resolving legacy problems

 

WebSphere Administration Topics:

WebSphere v5.0 Overview

  • v5.1 Differences
  • Implementation variations
  • Network Deployment vs standalone version
  • Cells, nodes & clusters
  • Web Services Gateway
  • JCA support
  • Migration processes

WebSphere Naming

  • Naming topology
  • v5.1 new features
  • Federated namespace
  • System, persistent and transient namespaces
  • CosNaming
  • Naming topology implementations
  • WebSphere v4 client

Topology

  • Implementation versions
  • Vertical Scaling
  • Http Server separation
  • Reverse Proxy
  • Horizontal Scaling
  • IP Sprayer
  • WebSphere Cells
  • WebSphere Clusters

Server Configuration

  • Managing Servers
  • Application Server creation
  • Application class loader policy
  • Class loading mode
  • Server properties (Web, EJB, Transaction, Threads, ORB, etc)
  • WebSphere Clusters
  • Managing clusters

Assembly & Deployment

  • Application packaging
  • Application Assembly Tool
  • earconvert tool
  • ejbdeploy command
  • Class loading policies
  • Enterprise application installation

Security

  • WebSphere Security model
  • Authorization and Authentication
  • JAAS
  • CSIv2
  • LDAP vs Local OS
  • SWAM

WebSphere Administration

  • WebSphere Admin model
  • Administative Console
  • Scope and Filters
  • Managing Nodes and synchronization
  • Resource provider installation
  • Virtual hosts
  • Web Server plugin
  • Variables
  • Logging and Tracing
  • Log Analyzer
  • Enterprise Application properties

Performance & Tuning

  • Performance Monitoring components
  • Tivoli Performance Viewer
  • PMI Service and infrastructure
  • Data collection services
  • Performance data classification
  • Enabling PMI
  • Instrumentation levels
  • Monitoring real-time applications
  • Viewing EJB/Web Container, JDBC pools, Threads, ORBs, etc

Server-side Components

  • Servlets and their lifecycle
  • Web Container role
  • JSPs and the JSP Engine
  • EJBs and role of EJB Container

Administrative Techniques

  • JMX architecture
  • MBeans role
  • SOAP connectors
  • Role of wsadmin environment
  • AdminControl, AdminConfig & AdminApp
  • Jacl scripts

Resource Configuration

  • JDBC role
  • Connection pooling
  • Resource adapters and JCA connectors
  • Session management
  • Session affinity
  • WebSphere internal messaging
  • JMS and JMS providers
  • MQSeries integration