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User Guide
The information contained in this section applies to IBM WebSphere Commerce Version 7.0.0.9 and Feautre Pack 8. The documentation also applies to all subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in new editions.
Developing
The topics in the Developing section describe tasks performed by an application developer.
Presentation layer
WebSphere Commerce uses Java Server Pages (JSP) to implement the view layer of the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern. The view layer is in charge of retrieving data from the database through the use of data beans and formatting it to meet the display requirements. The view layers determines whether the request is sent to a browser or streamed out as XML. JSP files present a clean separation between data content and presentation.
Customizing IBM Sales Center
In the IBM Sales Center for WebSphere Commerce there is a set of user interface panels, views and dialogs that contain the most commonly used features. You can add to or configure the user interface to suit your needs, as well as changing the content and format of the data that is passed between the client and the server.
Deploying customizations to the IBM Sales Center
Depending on the number of clients and frequency of updates required, you have several choices for installing and updating the IBM Sales Center.
Image installation mechanisms
Technology is available from Microsoft and from external vendors to create an installable image of a preconfigured Windows XP system. The image can be installed on compatible hardware, creating a clone of the original system including any installed applications.

Image installation mechanisms

Technology is available from Microsoft and from external vendors to create an installable image of a preconfigured Windows XP system. The image can be installed on compatible hardware, creating a clone of the original system including any installed applications.

There are some limitations to this - the two PCs must use the same Windows Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL), and the applications must not configure themselves with hardware-dependent information like the CPU identifier or the network MAC address. Websphere Commerce Sales Center has no such dependency on hardware identity.

Loading of the initial image is typically done using the Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE), an Intel-initiated specification for booting a PC class device over a local area network. PXE is part of a standard called Wired for Management (WfM) that in turn is incorporated into the PC98 specification, and is enabled in the network BIOS for virtually all corporate PCs manufactured since 1998. PXE also requires a server implementing DHCP and TFTP protocols; this is provided by the Microsoft or external vendor image cloning solution.

Note: After installing Windows XP on the prototype client, but before capturing the image to clone, additional software must be installed that is sufficient to enable the post-deployment technology that you intend to use. Each of the post deployment provisioning mechanisms indicates in its Prerequisites section which additional software must be loaded onto a prototype client in the initial client image.