### Application Server Profiles

Since the Administration Console displays the administrative domain, the interface is dependent on the usage profile selected. Every administrative domain is associated with a usage profile that identifies the capabilities of that domain. The Application Server provides the following profiles:

- Developer -- Use this profile if the domain is running in a development environment and if the applications being developed do not need the NSS keystore or clustering features, such as load balancing, and session persistence.

- Cluster -- Use this profile to create clusters that do not require the high-availability database (HADB) or the NSS keystore.

- Enterprise -- Use this profile to take advantage of the High Availability Database (HADB) and NSS keystore features. This profile is available only if the HADB and NSS are installed separately or if the Application Server was installed as part of the Java Enterprise System (JES).

The domain provides a preconfigured runtime for the user applications. Usage profiles facilitate the distinction between the Application Server binaries and the runtime configuration. Use the same installation of Application Server to create different domains with profiles that suit specific needs. For example, a developer may want to use the Application Server to get to know the latest Java EE specifications. This developer does not need stringent security settings. Another user who wants to deploy applications in a production environment needs an inherently secure environment.

#### Configuring Profiles

A usage profile depicts how a particular domain is going to be used. It determines how the templates for various files are customized. Currently, only the customization for `domain.xml` template is supported. Every domain has a configuration which is stored in a set of files. Any number of domains each of which has a distinct administrative identity can be created in a given installation of the Application Server. Choose an appropriate profile for the domain, depending on the applications that will run on the new domain.

If a profile is not identified, the default profile is created. The default profile is defined in the `AS_ADMIN_PROFILE` variable defined in the `asadminenv.conf` file.