Introduction: Environment
Your WebSphere® Application Server product environment includes web server plug-ins, WebSphere Application Server variables, and other data objects. Configure values for settings in these categories using the Environment section of the administrative console.
Web servers
In the WebSphere Application Server product, an application server works with a web server to handle requests for web applications. The application server and web server communicate using a WebSphere HTTP plug-in for the web server.Cell-wide settings
Cell-wide settings are sets of configuration data that are stored in files in the cell directory. These configuration files are replicated to every node in the cell. Several different configuration settings apply to the entire cell. These settings include the definition of virtual hosts, shared libraries, and any variables that must be consistent throughout the entire cell.For more information, refer to Introduction: Cell-wide settings.
Variables
Variables come in many varieties. They are used to control settings and properties relating to the server environment. The three main types of variables that are important for you to understand are environment variables, WebSphere variables, and custom properties.
For more information, refer to Introduction: Variables.