Brief: Sun unveils beta of open source application server

Computerworld - Sun Microsystems today unveiled the beta version of its open-source application server software aimed at enterprise users.

GlassFish V2, the second major version of Sun's open-source Java EE5 application server, adds enterprise features from Sun's Java System Application Server Enterprise Edition including clustering, administration, Web services interoperability and load balancing. Ken Drachnik, community and marketing manager at Sun, said that the first version of the application server, which was released in May, was primarily focused at developers.

With this new version those developers now have a way to "deploy this applications on a massive scale," he said. "We're seeing uptake within the commercial world picking up GlassFish as their primary application server," he added.

Sun also released its Sun Web Developer Pack, a toolkit for developers to build rich Internet applications. The Sun Web Developer Pack simplifies access to multiple open-source technologies for creating rich Internet-based applications, REST Web services and RSS feeds more rapidly, according to Sun.

The pack will be bundled into the Sun Java Application Platform SDK update 3 preview, which includes the GlassFish V2 Beta and is available for download today. Sun announced the GlassFish project in 2005.

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