Brief difference between between WAS 8.x Traditional and WAS 9 traditional:
- WAS 8.x supports Java EE 6, WAS 9 supports Java EE 7 as well as Java EE 6.
- WAS 8.0 supports Java SDK 6 only (and therefore has an EOS of April 2018)
WAS 8.5 supports Java SDK 6, 7 and 8
WAS 9.0 supports Java SDK 8 only
- WAS 8 bundles the Java SDK with the binaries, WAS 9 has a separate download for the Java SDK
If you need more details please take a look at:
WAS 9 Knowledge Center and WAS Migration Planning Page