- Foundry rolls out ServerIron Plus switches, OS security upgrade
- SourceLabs improves support for open source stack
- Compuware rolls out renamed requirements definition package
- OpenLogic upgrades open source integration tool
- Microsoft offers service pack for .Net Compact Framework 2.0
- Oracle boosting Spring Java apps framework
- Compuware, Borland boost ALM at TechEd
- Azaleos sharpens its OneServer for Exchange with BladeMail
- IBM Jazz-ing up Rational offerings
- IBM enhancing AJAX by contributing to Dojo toolkit
June 28, 2006 | Comments: (0)
Foundry rolls out ServerIron Plus switches, OS security upgrade
Foundry Networks today unveiled a new family of application switches, aimed at filling the need for high-performance equipment that fits in just under 10 Gigabit Ethernet switches.
The ServerIron Plus 350, 450, and 850 switches hone in on Web applications and "triple-play" services (voice, video, data) that are growing in popularity with large enterprises and content providers, says Gopala Tumuluri, director of product marketing for Foundry.
The switches range from three to eight modular slots and include Foundry's WSM7 Web application processor module and a redundant/hot-swappable power supply. All three swiches are available now, with pricing starting at $34,995 for the ServerIron 350-Plus.
Foundry also boosted the security of their TrafficWorks OS, adding a Web firewall and focusing on securing Web applications and preventing attacks such as buffer overflows and session hijacks. Version 9.6 of TrafficWorks, which will include the new firewall features, is expected to be available in August and will be included with new ServerIron switch purchases.
Posted by Stephanie McLoughlin on June 28, 2006 01:08 PM
June 28, 2006 | Comments: (0)
SourceLabs improves support for open source stack
SourceLabs on Wednesday announced SourceLabs Continuous Support System, which improves support for open source infrastructure software deployed with enterprise production applications.
Priced at $2,000 annually for each server that the offering is deployed on, the product is a combination of software and software as a service.
"The main intent of this is to make enterprise software support a lot better. [Support has] been a backwater," because of a lack of a competitive market, said Cornelius Willis, a co-founder of SourceLabs. "Open source changes that."
Featured is continuous diagnostic monitoring of production systems to prevent downtime, through provision of pre-emptive repair processes that discover and resolve issues before production systems are impacted. Ongoing notifications, alerts and analyses are provided.
Continuous Support System utilizes adaptive diagnostic probes that are configured for customer environments. Probes identify production issues and gather diagnostic information to reduce time to resolution. The probes can be configured so that when trouble occurs, the SourceLabs support team can extract key information for diagnosis and triage. The system will then perform statistical pattern matching to find root causes and resolutions, accessing a database of failure and issue signatures.
Also featured with Continuous Support System is SourceLabs Security and Vulnerability Notification services, providing daily information pertaining to potential production issues.
Currently, the technology is limited to working with the Sourcelabs SASH (Spring Framework, Axis, Struts, Hibernate) for Java Middleware stack. But it could expanded to other open source software in the future, SourceLabs representatives said.
Posted by Paul Krill on June 28, 2006 01:01 PM
June 26, 2006 | Comments: (0)
Compuware rolls out renamed requirements definition package
Compuware on Monday is unveiling Optimal Trace 4.1, which is a new version of the requirements definition and management package formerly known as SteelTrace.
Compuware purchased SteelTrace in April. Optimal Trace is intended to enable IT and business groups to better collaborate to improve application delivery outcomes. It features a requirements capture approach called "structured requirements," which are user-centric stories that describe requirements from the user perspective and feature visual storyboards.
A key new feature in version 4.1 is enhanced connectivity to better enable offline work access and connectivity when an Internet connection is obtained. In version 4.1, challenging connections are supported such as virtual private networks and intermittent wireless connections.
A new administration tool, meanwhile, makes it simpler to perform tasks such as assigning security privileges to users from remote locations.
Licensing mechanisms in the new release have been updated to support various configurations managed from a central location and accessible to verifiable users.
Optimal Trace 4.1 is available now.
Posted by Paul Krill on June 26, 2006 09:05 AM
June 26, 2006 | Comments: (0)
OpenLogic upgrades open source integration tool
OpenLogic on Monday is launching OpenLogic Enterprise 4.0, its tool for tracking and integrating open source software.
Formerly known as BlueGlue, OpenLogic Enterprise features a central repository of more than 160 open source software projects. Users can automatically install and integrate this software on remote servers and desktops and get an audit trail of open source software deployments.
OpenLogic's software lets enterprises choose and configure their own stacks, on-the-fly, based on particular needs. The product will notify users which open source offerings will and will not work together.
OpenLogic Enterprise 4.0 allows enterprise to control what open source licenses are used in an enterprise. Certain open source licenses can be banned if lawyers object to them. Only projects with approved licenses will show up in the user's library.
New in version 4.0 are 18 OpenLogic-certified open source projects including Geronimo, Apache Axis and JLDAP (Java LDAP). A distributed architecture allows enterprises to control the use of open source across an enterprise.
A side-by-side install capability allows users to install multiple versions of the same open source product on the same computer, to help users compare versions of open source packages and manage migrations to new releases.
The OpenUpdate maintenance capabilities in version 4.0 allow incremental updates to an enterprise's open source library. OpenLogic evaluates and certifies patches and new software releases for its library of open source offerings.
OpenLogic prices start at $30,000.
Posted by Paul Krill on June 26, 2006 08:45 AM
June 22, 2006 | Comments: (0)
Microsoft offers service pack for .Net Compact Framework 2.0
Microsoft this week released a service pack for the .Net Compact Framework 2.0 that supports development of Windows CE-based "headless" devices such as embedded systems that lack a keyboard and display screen.
.Net Compact Framework is the managed programming layer for the Windows Mobile OS as well as for the Windows CE platform, according to Microsoft.
Also featured in the service pack is the .Net Compact Framework Remote Performance Monitor, which is a debugging and performance tuning tool featuring a user interface that enables developers to view performance data while an application is running. The service pack also has the command-line debugger previously supported on the .Net Framework.
The .Net Framework 2.0 Service Pack 1 is downloadable here.
Posted by Paul Krill on June 22, 2006 04:37 PM
June 15, 2006 | Comments: (0)
Oracle boosting Spring Java apps framework
Oracle is integrating TopLink Essentials, which is an open source EJB 3.0 Java Persistence API (JPA) reference implementation, with the popular Spring Framework 2.0.
Spring Framework 2.0, a Java/J2EE application framework, will ship with TopLink Essentials and support JPA, Oracle said. Oracle has been working with Interface21, which has overseen Spring, to add JPA support to Spring 2.0.
Oracle and Spring technologies will be leveraged to drive adoption of lightweight development frameworks that simplify development of next-generation application platforms. The integration will make it easier for developers to build applications by enabling them to access business data as Plain Old Java Objects, Oracle said.
Posted by Paul Krill on June 15, 2006 09:52 AM
June 13, 2006 | Comments: (0)
Compuware, Borland boost ALM at TechEd
Boston - Compuware and Borland Software at the TechEd 2006 conference this week bolstered application lifecycle management (ALM) offerings for Microsoft's .Net platform.
Compuware announced DevPartner Studio 8.1, which is the company's suite of tools for measuring code quality.
"The things we're doing [are] really trying to extend the collaboration between the QA (quality assurance) organization and the developer organization," said Ken Cowan, product manager for DevPartner at Compuware.
Version 8.1 features integration with work items in Visual Studio Team Foundation Server. This function enables test assets to be shared between developers and QA personnel by storing them in Foundation Server, which is the collaboration component of Microsoft's Visual Studio Team System ALM platform.
Also in version 8.1 are additional rules to test for compliance with .Net coding standards. Compuware also has made it easier to automate the static analysis function in the product; additionally, users can add their own rules for static analysis.
Compuware also enhanced its Vantage product, for monitoring of applications in production. A new version, release 9.9, now features full-time monitoring and root cause analysis for .Net applications.
"The idea is to fix the application before it seriously impacts your business," Cowan said.
DevPartner 8.1 ships on June 19 and costs $2,300 per seat. Vantage 9.9 also is available; Compuware officials did not immediately have pricing information for the product on Tuesday.
Borland is providing Unified Modeling capabilities to Visual Studio users.
Borland's visual modeling tool, Together 2006 for Visual Studio, has been integrated with the Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition, providing UML support and Borland LiveSource capabilities. LiveSource offers roundtrip engineering between source and class diagrams.
The new version of Together is due to ship later this summer.
Posted by Paul Krill on June 13, 2006 02:38 PM
June 12, 2006 | Comments: (0)
Azaleos sharpens its OneServer for Exchange with BladeMail
Azaleos has announced Azaleos OneServer: BladeMail, a Microsoft Exchange 2003 appliance which supports up to 17,500 Exchange e-mail users on a single IBM BladeCenter chassis, and is expected to support 70,000 Exchange 2007 users when it becomes available.
The company describes the system as "a turnkey e-mail appliance designed to help companies lower the cost and complexity of running Microsoft Exchange".
Azaleos and IBM demonstrated BladeMail for Microsoft Exchange 2003 on Monday at Microsoft's Tech Ed conference in Boston.
Azaleos said BladeMail runs on IBM BladeCenter hardware and diskless blades supported by its N3700 fabric-attached storage system, making it highly scalable.
The InfoWorld Test Center reviewed OneServer (not the BladeMail) in May.
One of the key features the company highlights is managing Microsoft patches and distributing them automatically after testing:
All patches from Microsoft and Azaleos are provided monthly on a DVD. Azaleos recommends disabling Windows Server Update Services and relying on their DVD to ensure that all patches have been tested for the OneServer environment. Optional management features available from Azaleos include support for Exchange mobility services, anti-virus, and anti-spam — each available for an additional fee. --IW Test Center
The labs summarized:
Cost:
$30,000 for OneServer appliance plus $7 to $9 per mailbox per month; additional costs include SAN hardware and Windows and Exchange licenses
Platforms:
Windows Server 2003; requires separate storage array for mail store
Bottom Line:
OneServer packs a true Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 cluster in an appliance with an easy-to-use front end. The appliance doesn't include storage, but scales up to 2,500 users per cluster and provides a good value for an environment of 500 or more users. Fail-over occurred quickly during our tests, with minimal disruption to users.
BladeMail, which is currently in beta testing, is expected to be generally available for Exchange 2003 in the third quarter of 2006, the company said.
Availability of BladeMail for Exchange 2007 will coincide with Microsoft's release of the product.
We expect to review the product as soon as it becomes availble to us.
Posted by Mike Barton on June 12, 2006 05:37 PM
June 08, 2006 | Comments: (0)
IBM Jazz-ing up Rational offerings
IBM with its Jazz research project is looking to fine-tune collaboration capabilities in its Rational software products.
The company discussed Jazz at the IBM Rational Software Development Conference 2006 event in Orlando, Fla., this week.
With Jazz, users of Rational products would be provided automatically with software development artifacts pertinent to the project they are working on, said Roger Oberg, vice president of marketing and strategy for IBM Rational. Rather than doing this manually, artifacts would be furnished to the desktop in an automated fashion.
Also included in the Jazz project is real-time communications via instant messaging. Jazz technology, however, is not expected to be included in IBM products for at least a year.
IBM is seeking contributions to Jazz from the community at large. Some parts of Jazz are expected to be made available via an open source format.
IBM this fall, meanwhile, plans to release versions of several products that will feature a greater componentization capability.
"One of the key aspects of this release is we're going to component-ize the products so that customers can configure their desktops more flexibly," Oberg said. The move benefits packaging and installation, allowing users to download the specific software they need rather than downloading an entire platform. For example, if a user just wants a Unified Modeling Language (UML) component but not the code analysis plugin, the user can just download the UML offering, said Oberg.
Products to be upgraded include Rational Application Developer, Rational Software Architect, Rational Software Modeler, Rational Functional Tester and Rational Performance Tester.
Posted by Paul Krill on June 8, 2006 04:52 PM
June 05, 2006 | Comments: (0)
IBM enhancing AJAX by contributing to Dojo toolkit
IBM is looking to boost AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) with extensions to the Dojo Toolkit that accommodate persons with disabilities.
Specifically, IBM plans to contribute technology via open source that will enable internationalization of applications and access to the disabled, through use of assistive technologies such as DHTML (Dynamic HTML) and Accessible widgets. The Dojo Toolkit is an open source JavaScript toolkit for building Web applications. It is sponsored by the Dojo Foundation.
Also, IBM will help integrate support of the Dynamic Web Accessibility specification into the Dojo Toolkit widget set. This specification is being developed as part of the World Wide Web's (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative, IBM said. The W3C technology is intended to enable development of rich user interface components for Web applications that are accessible via the keyboard and when using assistive technologies such as screen readers and screen magnifiers.
The IBM contribution will extend the Dojo Toolkit data model and provide a foundation architecture and Web-based tools pertinent to software development best practices.
Posted by Paul Krill on June 5, 2006 04:05 PM
June 02, 2006 | Comments: (0)
Altova this week announced availability of the version 2006 release 3 (v2006r3) of its XML products line, including the revised Altova StyleVision 2006 visual stylesheet designer.
StyleVision now includes cascading stylesheets and JavaScript support. Other new features in v2006r3 include XML validation and error-tracking in XMLSpy 2006, which is an XML development environment.
MapForce 2006, a graphical data integration and Web services implementation tool, now has seamless integration with Microsoft Visual Studio.Net and Eclipse, according to Altova.
AltovaXML 2006, an XML standards processor, features XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Transformations) support, an XQuery 1.0 engine and COM (Component Object Model), Java and .Net interfaces.
Also part of v2006r2 is Authentic 2006, a free XML and database content editor.
Posted by Paul Krill on June 2, 2006 11:41 AM
June 01, 2006 | Comments: (0)
Mainsoft links Java, ASP.Net apps to IBM portals
Mainsoft this week announced availability of Visual MainWin for J2EE, Portal Editon, which enables IBM customers to run ASP.Net applications natively on IBM WebSphere Portal.
The Portal Edition product features a set of .Net extensions. IT organizations can use Visual MainWin to integrate a mixed portal environment with access to ASP.Net and Java applications.
To deploy portal initiatives in .Net and Java frameworks, Mainsoft is partnering with two IBM business partners, TamGroup and Prolifics. These two companies can recompile ASP.Net applications into Java portlets on a fixed-time, fixed-cost basis, typically at a rate of 5,000 lines of code per day.
Posted by Paul Krill on June 1, 2006 04:21 PM
June 01, 2006 | Comments: (0)
LSI Logic reveals low-profile SAS controllers
LSI Logic is announcing today two new low-profile RAID controllers, dubbed MegaRAID SAS 8308ELP and 8344ELP.
Both cards have PCI Express interface but the 8308ELP View image
can support up to 8 internal connections to SAS or SATA drives while the 8344ELP View image
can connect only 4 internal drives and has an external connector for 4 additional devices.
Both adapters are immediately available through channel resellers, but a kit version of the 8344ELP will begin shipping later this month. LSI suggests a retail price of less that $800 for a kit version of each card.
Posted by Mario Apicella on June 1, 2006 11:50 AM