Hello Friends,
Can you please advise me on the best training material for learning WAS 8. 


Which one of these is the best resource to learn websphere application server v8
1)IBM Infocenter
2)Redbooks
3)IBM official training material like the student notebook and the student excercises.(eg WA-380/VA-380) 
4)Any other? 


Also how can I obtain the IBM official training material (mentioned above in point 3) for WAS 8?

Hi Kushal,

  From my experience all of them are requiered, but my question is the next one, do you have experience in previus versions?

  if yes you can take different ways  to learn about the new one (read What's new of the version, the new version redbooks/redpapers, download trials and work with it) if no the you have the official path
 
    New to WebSphere
    www.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/new...

  My opinion about:
 
   IBM Infocenter -> The bible, all the information about the product. The oficial answers and way to work with the products.
 
   Redbooks -> Redbooks practical approach to products, with examples, screens and guides "How-to"
 
   IBM official training -> Recommended when you have "questions" and you have "touched" the product yourself. You get more from the courses.
    www-304.ibm.com/jct03001c/services/learn...

  You have too:
 
   Education assist is free and very good starting point:
   publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/ieduas...
  
   WebSphere Trials:
   www.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/dow...

   For technical articles:
   www.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/

   Youtube -> type Websphere install, configure,...

   Steve's Robinson Courses:
   www.themiddlewareshop.com/
 
 

  I think that you can get the material only doing courses, consult:

  www-304.ibm.com/jct03001c/services/learn...

 

  and for questions, doubts....we are here ...Global WebSphere Communitty, linkedind, facebook, ....

hope this helps

Gabriel,

Thanks for the detailed information.That surely helps.

I do have experience on the previous versions of WAS.
So I guess the best way to learn WAS 8 is just to go through the new functions/features that have been added in WAS 8 and for the common points between WAS6,7 and 8 I can refer the old training material that I already have from IBM.
I have the official training material for WAS 6.1 from IBM as I have attended their trainings on it.

Thanks and Regards,
Kushal Chaudhary

Hi Kushal,

   If you know v6.1 basically you will find more profile types, new ways to administer, fewer feature packs (previous are included but there are new ones), and in v8 new way to install and apply maintenance. In v8.5 there are more important changes.
 
   These links will be useful:
   
    System administration for WebSphere Application Server V7: Part 1 -- An overview of administrative enhancements
    http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/techjournal/
0811_apte/0811_apte.html
    
    System administration for WebSphere Application Server V7: Part 3:
Administering a flexible management topology
    http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/techjournal/
0903_khalil/index.html
    
    System administration for WebSphere Application Server V7:
Part 2: New administrative topologies
    http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/techjournal/
0901_cundiff/0901_cundiff.html
    
    System administration for WebSphere Application Server V7: Part 4: Properties-based configuration
    http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/techjournal/
0904_chang/0904_chang.html
    
    System administration for WebSphere Application Server V7:
Part 5: Business-level applications
    http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/techjournal/
0905_edwards/0905_edwards.html
    
    Infocenter 7 New features
    http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/wasinfo/v7r0/topic/
com.ibm.websphere.nd.doc/info/ae/ae/welc6topnew.html
    
    What's new in WebSphere Application Server V8
    www.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/tec...
    
    Infocenter 8 New features
    http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/wasinfo/v8r0/topic/
com.ibm.websphere.nd.multiplatform.doc/info/ae/ae
/welc6topnew.html
    
    Redbooks:
      WebSphere Application Server V8: Administration and Configuration
Guide (sg247971)
    
      WebSphere Application Server V7.0 Security Guide (sg247660)
    
    Hope this helps.
    
Regards

check my blog - websphereapplicationservernotes.wordpres...

There are 10posts explaining the new features of WAS v8

Thanks Gabriel and Joseph.
Your suggestions surely help a lot. This forum is really very good because of helpful people like you 

I am adding this comment to the thread or future readers:

As people are starting to realise, I provide excellent Websphere 8 training materials at www.themiddlewareshop.com.

In 2013 I am releasing WMQ (WebSphere MQ) 7.5, WMB (WebSphere Message Broker) 8 Developer, IBM Process Server and several other WebSphere products yet to be determined.

Regards

Steve