The new Oracle Application Server offers a wide range of functionality, including Java runtime and development tools, portal development tools, business intelligence, single sign-on identify management, and much more. It's so powerful and complex, in fact, that many people who use the product (or are considering using it) are familiar with only a portion of the entire range of its capabilities. The choices can be overwhelming. Few people grasp how the larger issues--such as the interplay between components or the various architectural choices in the product--play out in the Oracle Application Server.