What is a profile in WAS terms?

• A profile is the set of files that define the WebSphere^® Application Server runtime environment. At least one profile must exist to run the WebSphere Application Server.
• A feature pack extends the functionality of the WebSphere Application Server in a particular technology, for example the Feature Pack for Web services.

After completing the installation of a feature pack on a WebSphere Application Server, such as upgrading the server with the Feature Pack for Web services, a feature pack might require you to augment a profile to make it compatible with a feature pack. The Profile Management tool is a WebSphere Application Server tool which manages profiles.