IBM Websphere Commerce Server Interview Questions and Answers

Q1 : What do you understand by Catalogue Subsystem?
A : Catalog Subsystem consists of all the logic and data applicable to an online store, exhibiting groups, entries, and any relationships amongst them. It helps in creating a personalized list and supports navigating within the online store too. It has certain restrictions and has a structure of a tree and not like a cycle.

Q2 : How many Types of Catalogue are there? Define them.
A : There are two types of Catalogue- Master and Sales Catalogue. Master catalog entry cannot belong to several parent categories. E.g., if we need to place an item in both men’s and women’s category, we have to put them in the sales catalog.

Q3 : What do we understand by dynacache and its role of cachespec.xml in WCS?
A : Dynacache in Web Sphere Commerce Server is the main object cache. As an alternative to creating new objects, again and again, the same store objects are submitted on the basis of matching rules. Rules for caching are stored in a file called cachespec.xml.

Q4 : Describe Marketing subsystem?
A : Marketing subsystem is an essential element of the WebSphere Commerce Server and offers various marketing tools for the online store. These tools are designed to promote brand awareness, attract, and retain existing customers. Elements of this subsystem provide the functionality to generate campaigns, including customer segments, advertising; & mail activities.

Q5 : What do we understand by Optimistic Locking?
A : Optimistic Locking is an approach where rows in the database are not normally accessed simultaneously and not locked with an intention to update. When the update is ultimately made, the row is checked to ensure that it has not been updated simultaneously. If it has been updated simultaneously, then the transaction is canceled and the command may be initiated in a new transaction if found appropriate.

Q6 : What is Web Sphere Commerce Trading Subsystem?
A : This subsystem handles trading agreements, which are used to manage business relationship between a buyer and seller organization. Three basic types of trading agreement available in Web Sphere commerce, which are:

Business Accounts
Request for Quotes(RFQ)
Contract

Q7 : What do you understand by Calmethods?
A : Methods of Calculation used for the information, which is part of the calculation, calculation codes, and scales to conclude the prices of the order items. Calculations are based on the task performed within the framework to which the calculation method belongs.

Q8 : What is the purpose of Bootstrap files?
A : Bootstrap files are the XML files, which WebSphere Commerce Server uses during creation of any instance to populate database tables with information after the schema has been generated. Once the data loads, we can see the preloaded information in the table. These files are generally used to retrieve information about the particular data, such as calculation codes & pricing policies.

Q9 : What is command data bean?
A : Command data bean functions after a command to pull its data and is lightweight data bean. The command fetches all the characteristics of the data bean at once, irrespective of whether the JSP page requires them. As a result, JSP pages uses a selection of attributes of command data bean that may be costly in terms of time.

Q10 : Explain Order Management flow in WCS?
A : Following is the flow in WCS

1) OrderCreate: Creation of the order, even if there are no items available in the cart.
2) OrderItemAdd: Adding of an item into the cart after the customer selects it.
3) OrderItemUpdate: Updated in the shopping cart page, after the customer replaces the item. Order state will exhibit pending
4) OrderCalculate: Calculate the total items added in the cart.
5) OrderItemMove: Merges the current pending order to the previous order.
6) OrderPrepare: Calculates discounts, shipping charges and taxes for execution of the order.
7) OrderProfileUpdate: Update in the billing & shipping address and mode of delivery to the customer.
8) OrderProcess: Final execution of the order.

Q11 : What is the purpose of Bootstrap files?
A : Bootstrap files are the XML files, which WebSphere Commerce Server uses during creation of any instance to populate database tables with information after the schema has been generated. Once the data loads, we can see the preloaded information in the table. These files are generally used to retrieve information about the particular data, such as calculation codes & pricing policies.

Q12 : What Is Fulfilment Center?
A : Fulfillment centers are the stores, which are used as inventory warehouses & shipping and receiving centers. Any store can have one or many fulfillment centers.

Q13 : Explain all the exception types in WCS?
A : Command throws two types of exceptions:

ECApplicationException: This is thrown; if the error is connected to user input and will always fail. If the user enters invalid parameter, this exception is thrown. When this exception is thrown, the resolution manager does not retry the command, even if the command might be specified as retriable.

ECSystemException: This exception is thrown if there is a runtime error in Web Sphere setup. E.g. of this type of exception is known as Remote Exception or other EJB exceptions. When this type of exception is thrown, resolution manager retries for the command, provided that the command is retriable and the error occurred by either a database rollback or database deadlock.

Q14 : What do we mean by cross-selling?
A : Selling of items across the stores. e.g. Store A sells the items of  Store B too, other than selling it own brands. Store A become the affiliate partner of Store B. it can be cross-selling at both the ends too, enhancing each other sales.

Q15 : What do we understand by Attribute Dictionary?
A : Attribute dictionary is a set of familiar attributes with their values, which can be recycled by many products. Management of Attribute tool in Management Center offers business users the capability to create, assign, update, and manage product attributes.

Q16 : Explain the table ATTRIBUTE?
A : ATTRIBUTE table includes all the attribute information of the CATENTRY_ID. The primary key is ATTRIBUTE_ID. CATENTRY_ID may have many ATRRIBUTE_ID. E.g of ATTRIBUTE is color, FM Radio, Internet browser, Blue Tooth, Video Recorder, etc. ATTRIBUTE specifies all features that are available for CATENTRY_ID. THE ATTRTYPE table consists attribute type information. ATTRTYPE_ID can be STRING, FLOAT, INTEGER, DATETIME, FREEFROM, BIGINT, & ATTACHMENT. The ATTRVALUE table consists of the STRINGVALUE and the FLOATVALUE. Description of ATTRIBUTE_ID is specific to the store LANGUAGE_ID.
Explain EMSPOT precisely.
Marketing spots that are generated in the application stores them in table EMSPOT. This table contains EMSPOT_ID, NAME, STORE_ID, USUAGETYPE & DESCRIPTION.

Q17 : What is EJB copyHelper?
A : Access bean uses a copyHelper, which reduces the number of calls to the organizational bean when commands get the bean attributes. One single call to the organizational bean is needed when reading or writing various attributes of the organization. Copy helper object lies within the access bean. Getter and setter technique is allotted to the copy helper object instead of the remote bean object.

Q18 : Describe the benefits of Smart bean?
A : Lazy fetch method to retrieve its data is known as Smart data bean. Data bean offers efficient performance in situations where an entire lot of data from the access bean is not required, and it retrieves the needed data accordingly.

Q19 : What is command data bean?
A : Command data bean functions after a command to pull its data and is lightweight data bean. The command fetches all the characteristics of the data bean at once, irrespective of whether the JSP page requires them. As a result, JSP pages uses a selection of attributes of command data bean that may be costly in terms of time.

Q20 : Explain Hubs and Extended stores?
A : Products and services sold with the help of partners and affiliates feature themselves in Hub and Extended stores. Hub is the centralized site around which all extended stores are generated by the respective partner also known as an affiliate. Storeowner performs the administration for extended site whereas overall control of merchandises remains with the site.