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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsJakarta EE is a family of open specifications for enterprise Java—not the name of one application server. The specifications define APIs and required behavior; runtime products implement them, and containers provide the environment in which application components run. This glossary uses Jakarta EE 11 as its versioned baseline and explains how to evaluate a profile or a compatibility claim.
What is Jakarta EE?
Jakarta EE is an open specification family for building enterprise Java applications, stewarded through the Eclipse Foundation’s Jakarta EE work. It continues Java EE technology, but Jakarta EE is not itself a runtime product. A team chooses the specifications its application needs and runs it on a product that implements those specifications.
The official Jakarta EE specification index is the release map for the family. It links specifications, Javadocs, Technology Compatibility Kits (TCKs), and compatible implementations. At the time reflected in the index on September 30, 2026, Jakarta EE Platform 11 was released and Platform 12 was under development; check the index for the current status.
How do the Platform, Profiles, and individual specifications fit together?
They describe different scopes. The Platform is the broad umbrella; a Profile defines a narrower grouping for a target runtime or application scope; an individual specification defines a particular technology. A profile is not simply another name for the full Platform, and no profile should be assumed to include every Platform technology.
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| Scope | What it means | Jakarta EE 11 Java baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Broad umbrella of Jakarta EE technologies and requirements. | Java SE 17 or later, according to the Platform 11 release page. |
| Web Profile | Profile intended for web applications; narrower than the full Platform. | Java SE 17 or later, according to the Web Profile 11 page. |
| Core Profile | Profile intended for smaller runtimes. | Java SE 17 or later, according to the Core Profile 11 page. |
Jakarta EE Platform
The Platform specification describes a broad set of technologies and requirements that a conforming Platform implementation must provide. Its scope is broader than either named profile. Consult the Platform 11 specification for the normative requirements and supported runtime context.
Web Profile
The Web Profile targets web applications. Choose it when the application’s required technologies and the deployment target fit that defined scope; do not assume it supplies every technology in the full Platform.
Core Profile
The Core Profile targets smaller runtimes. It is a distinct scope, not a synonym for Web Profile or a minimal label for every Jakarta EE server.
Individual specification
A specification defines an individual technology’s API and required behavior. The Platform and Profiles organize specifications and requirements into larger scopes. For example, Jakarta Data 1.0 is identified among the additions in Jakarta EE 11 release material; that does not make every individual specification interchangeable with the Platform.
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What do API, container, and implementation mean?
API
An API is the set of programming interfaces application components can use. In Jakarta EE, required APIs are defined by specifications and made available in the applicable runtime context.
Container
A container is a runtime component that hosts application components and supplies their Jakarta EE environment and services. Jakarta EE Platform 11 names application-client, web, and enterprise-bean container types. The component types and requirements a product supports depend on its applicable profile and implementation; the Platform 11 specification sets out those runtime requirements.
Implementation or product
An implementation is runtime software that implements one or more applicable specifications. An application server or other runtime product is not the specification itself. When selecting a product, check that it implements the scope your application needs, rather than relying on the product label alone.
What does “Jakarta EE compatible” mean?
Compatibility is a claim tied to a particular specification release and implementation, not a general promise that a product supports every Jakarta EE technology. The specification states, “Compatibility is a core value of the Jakarta EE platform.” A TCK (Technology Compatibility Kit) is the applicable test kit used to demonstrate compatibility with a specification.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which profile or runtime should a Java engineer choose?
Start from the application’s required technologies and deployment needs, then select the narrowest scope that provides them. A narrower profile can be appropriate when it covers the required APIs and fits the target runtime; the full Platform is relevant when the application needs its broader set of technologies. No profile is universally best.
- Inventory the Jakarta EE specifications and APIs the application actually uses.
- Compare those requirements with the Platform or Profile scope documented for the intended release.
- Confirm that the target runtime supports the necessary component types and services.
- Verify the exact implementation version and its compatibility evidence for the applicable release.
What changed in Jakarta EE 11, and what should migration teams check?
Jakarta EE 11 requires Java SE 17 or newer for the Platform, Web Profile, and Core Profile. That minimum is distinct from capabilities associated with newer Java releases: Jakarta EE 11 release material also discusses Java 21 capabilities such as virtual threads, which does not raise the stated Java SE 17 minimum.
Platform 11 release material identifies Jakarta Data as new, Managed Beans as removed or pruned, and optional specifications as removed from the Platform. Teams moving from Java EE or an earlier Jakarta EE release should consult the relevant release notes and technology-specific migration guidance before assuming source or runtime compatibility; a change in umbrella scope can affect what an implementation provides by default.
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