Java Product News (December 1, 2000)
INDEXHEAD: Java community elects new JCP Executive Committee
The Program Management Office of the Java Community Process (JCP) has announced the results of its Executive Committee (EC) election. The Java developer community voted for the 30 EC members who will take office on December 12, 2000. The EC members will help steer the progress of the Java platform for staggered 3-year terms so that 5 of the 15 seats come up for election each year. The JCP 2.0 program was launched in June 2000 and expanded upon the original, community-based process by creating separate Executive Committees for the enterprise and consumer/embedded markets. The Standard/Enterprise Edition EC covers the development of the J2SE and J2EE technology specifications. Its newly elected members are:
- Andersen Consulting
- Apache
- Apple
- BEA Systems
- Caldera Systems
- Cisco Systems
- Compaq
- Fujitsu
- Hewlett-Packard
- IBM
- Inprise/Bordand
- Iona
- Doug Lea (an individual, representing research and education communities)
- Oracle
- WebGain (Visual Café, Structure Builder, and Toplink)
The Micro Edition EC focuses on the J2ME technology specification. Its newly elected members are:
- BEA Systems
- Ericsson
- Cisco Systems
- IBM
- Insignia Solutions
- Matsushita Electric Industrial
- Motorola
- Nokia
- Palm
- Philips
- RIM
- Siemens
- Sony
- Wind River Systems
- Zucotto Wireless
Sun Microsystems holds a permanent seat on each committee.
INDEXHEAD: ePDA offers realtime access to enterprise info
Collective Communications has unveiled ePDA, a wireless-enabled technology with which users can access enterprise data via Internet-connected handheld devices. With the ePDA technology, data remains on a corporate server, which supplies users and administrators with a centrally managed data store from which they can access information. With the ePDA technology, users can also access subsets of data, which is useful for wireless devices with small capacities. The ePDA relies on Java 2 technology and permits access to applications created with XML and Java messaging.
INDEXHEAD: aveConnect 2.3 opens doors to databases
Atinav’s aveConnect 2.3, a collection of Type 4 JDBC 2.0 drivers, allow Java applications to access databases on a variety of platforms. The Java-based offering provides secure multiuser access to Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, and DBF databases. The application relies on JDBC specifications to dynamically save, obtain, and access database information. It also allows users to connect directly from a server to a database without affecting a client location’s memory, and enters password and data encryption information on the driver. Some new features of aveConnect 2.3 include:
- Batch updates
ResultSetimprovements- New data types (blob and clob)
- Unicode support
- Support for advanced URL syntax
AveConnect 2.3 for Microsoft SQL Server costs 95. AveConnect 2.3 with Ex API for Microsoft SQL Server is priced at ,495.
INDEXHEAD: PowerUpdate automatically revises applications
Zero G has unveiled PowerUpdate, an application that helps software developers update their applications in realtime. PowerUpdate automatically coordinates the download and installation of an application’s most current version. It offers a Web-based interface with which administrators can designate the specifics of application updates, such as when, where, and how the revision occurs. PowerUpdate can deploy multiple files, individual files, or new installations. Once you install PowerUpdate on a system, download a “Check for Update” icon (the “updater”) and add it to chosen applications. The updater then connects to a server via the Internet to verify whether the application is the most recent release and, if needed, updates the application.
PowerUpdate is available at no charge. It runs on Windows, Linux, and Solaris platforms.
INDEXHEAD: RSW Software puts EJBs to the Bean-test
RSW Software has introduced Bean-test 3.1, formerly EJB-test, an updated version of its Enterprise JavaBean (EJB) testing tool. Version 3.1 focuses on the functional and load testing of EJBs. New features of Bean-test include:
- Automatic test-case generation, which automatically creates test cases for EJBs on a user’s classpath
- Multiple EJB load testing, which allows developers to evaluate multiple EJBs in an array of load scenarios
- Support for WebSphere 3.5
- Support for automatic custom objects, which allows the application to automatically create test code for objects within EJBs
- Batch processing, which allows users to automatically run EJB performance and functionality tests from a regression batch file
Pricing for Bean-test 3.1 varies, but standard configurations typically start at 9,995.
INDEXHEAD: Versant updates Versant Developer Suite
Versant Developer Suite (VDS) 6.0, an object database management system (ODBMS), offers native support for object-oriented languages, such as Java and C++. Version 6.0 can be used in conjunction with Versant’s enJin application server to provide object persistence cache, and also supports XML and Java. This latest version bundles the ODBMS with a C++ and Java interface, XML import and export toolkit, high availability, and asynchronous replication.
The Java Developer’s Interface (JDI) offers synchronization, object mapping, and advanced caching. The Versant XML Toolkit eases the bulk import/export of XML objects and the development of applications to programmatically input and output Versant database objects as XML. VDS 6.0 supports 64- and 32-bit operating systems.
Pricing for Versant Developer Suite 6.0 runtime licenses starts at 4,995 per CPU.
INDEXHEAD: Iona unveils iPortal Application Server
Version 1.3 of Iona’s iPortal Application Server is an EJB/J2EE-based application for developing the application logic needed by enterprise portals. The iPortal Application Server was developed using EJB 1.1 standards. It offers an EJB 1.1 technology-based container and a J2EE Web container that supports servlets and JavaServer Pages. Version 1.3 also offers the following improvements:
- Mainframe connectivity that allows CICS/IMS applications written in PL/1 and COBOL to be accessed via EJBs
- Interoperability between EJBs and CORBA
- Ability to support dynamic redeployment of containers
- Administration and management support using JMX standard
- HTTP server and Java Transaction Manager support for J2EE-based Web applications
INDEXHEAD: Sun increases IT learning opportunities
Sun Microsystems hopes to combat the shortage of IT professionals by expanding its Authorized Sun Education Center, Academic Initiative. The initiative supplies colleges and universities with the instructional capabilities and curriculum materials needed to teach students Java technologies, the Solaris platform, and the StarOffice application suite. Additionally, students who finish the program’s courses typically meet the requirements needed to take certification exams in the Sun-certified system administrator for Solaris path as well as the Sun-certified programmer for Java path. Sun offers the program at 117 sites in the United States and limited locations in Latin America and Canada.
INDEXHEAD: Cerebellum Portal Integrator transports dynamic data
Cerebellum Software has unveiled the Cerebellum Portal Integrator 2.1, a J2EE-based solution that helps enterprise portal applications coordinate and present distributed corporate data in realtime. The IDI solution supplies a drag-and-drop query language for creating reusable data elements that combine data from legacy, relational, and SAP sources. Cerebellum Portal Integrator is compatible with the SilverStream Application Server and the BEA WebLogic Server. By the end of 2000, it will be compatible with the Bluestone Total-e-Server. This compliance allows the Portal Integrator and the application servers to share security, database connection pooling, session management, and transaction services.
INDEXHEAD: HobLink JWT 2.1 connects Windows Terminal Servers
Hob is now shipping HobLink JWT 2.1, a Java-based offering for Windows Terminal Server connectivity. The product provides multiuser access to applications and data via a standard Web browser running on a variety of platforms, including Mac OS, Linux, Unix, and Windows. Features of the updated offering include:
- Windows 2000 server support based on Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) versions 4 and 5
- Print support for local printers from remote servers
- Enhanced load-balancing capabilities
- Ability to cut and paste text between local and server applications
- Improved security features that support integration with HobLink Secure
Pricing for HobLink JWT 2.1 starts at 43 for a single-user license.
INDEXHEAD: BroadVision One-to-One Enterprise adds J2EE support
BroadVision has introduced BroadVision One-to-One Enterprise Version 6, an e-business application platform that now supports J2EE technology as well as EJB-component architecture, JavaServer Pages, and Java Servlet APIs. New Java tools improve the application’s support for other open standards, including C++, JavaScript, CORBA, COM, XSL, XML, WML, LDAP, and WAP. Version 6 also includes support for third-party J2EE-compatible application servers, such as IBM WebSphere, BEA WebLogic, iPlanet Application Server, and Iona iPortal. In addition, BroadVision One-to-One Enterprise Version 6 offers improved debugging tools, an advanced persistent cache mechanism, and improved system management capabilities.
BroadVision One-to-One Enterprise Version 6 will be available for the HP-UX and Sun Solaris platforms by the end of March 2001.
INDEXHEAD: Metrowerks debuts Java development tools for wireless devices
Metrowerks has unveiled CodeWarrior for Java 6.0, a suite of Java development tools specifically designed for developing applications for Java-enabled wireless computing devices. CodeWarrior for Java helps developers create, organize, connect, emulate, evaluate, and debug PersonalJava, J2SE, and J2ME applications. Version 6.0 supports the Mobile Information Device (MID) profile, which targets wireless devices with restricted processor and memory power. CodeWarrior for Java also provides an open API for connecting to third-party tools; wizards for creating applications, applets, and JavaBeans; and the ability to import and export target and project settings in XML. The PointBase database is also included in CodeWarrior for Java 6.0.
CodeWarrior for Java 6.0 is priced at 99 and will be available by November 30, 2000.
