News

JBoss EAP 6.4 Supports Java App Deployment in Hybrid Cloud

• By John K. Waters
• May 12, 2015

Red Hat released version 6.4 of the JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (JBoss EAP) last week with new capabilities for JBoss EAP subscribers deploying Java apps in hybrid cloud environments.

JBoss EAP is an open-source, Java EE-certified application platform, and it's the run-time engine that drives Java applications in Red Hat's OpenShift PaaS. JBoss EAP deployed on OpenShift provides developers with a Java EE 6-certified container and the tools for building, running, and managing a range of Java applications. The company has described Version 6 of the platform, released in 2012, as "a response to significant changes in the way organizations develop and deploy enterprise applications." That release introduced a cloud-ready architecture designed to support deployment in on-premises, private, and public clouds.

The new 6.4 released was designed to address the increasingly common use of DevOps methodologies among enterprises trying to increase their agility and foster better communication among development and operations teams to accelerate app deployment and delivery, the company said.

"We see enterprise IT moving on a clear path toward implementing initiatives such as DevOps methodologies and two-track IT," said Mike Piech, GM of Red Hat's Middleware group, in a statement. "The inherent flexibility of JBoss EAP allows it to act as a versatile foundation on which organizations can build both sides of their IT organization, prioritizing both agility and stability, and combat inefficiencies as they bring products to market by fostering greater collaboration between the development and operations teams."

Analyst firm Gartner noted the growing importance to the enterprise of "DevOps-ready tools" in a report published last year. "These tools are specifically designed and built with out-of-the-box functionality to support the described DevOps characteristics and traits," the firm observed. "Most DevOps-enabled and -capable tools currently exist as part of the larger IT operation and development toolbox; however, with time to value as a critical demand factor from clients, emphasis in support of DevOps has transformed how these tools are positioned and perceived in the marketplace."

By 2016, Gartner researchers wrote, DevOps will evolve from a niche strategy employed by large cloud providers to a mainstream strategy employed by 25 percent of Global 2000 organizations.

The list of enhancements in JBoss EAP 6.4 includes, among others:

• Support for Java 8 apps and the Java API for WebSockets (JSR 356), which allows developers to build real-time, rich-client, and mobile apps with reduced overhead and complexity.
• Expanded JBoss EAP console and Red Hat Customer Portal integration. Users now have direct access to the Red Hat Customer Portal, where they can receive support, open and manage tickets, and access the knowledge base.
• New console functionality, including an updated user interface designed to allow users to view log files more easily and manage security configuration for applications.
• Kerberos authorization support for greater application security.

A complete list of new features and enhancements is available here.