In-Depth Features


J2EE meets Web services

J2EE was tearing up the charts when Web services appeared on the scene, and the Java community has reacted quickly. This rundown recaps key technical milestones.

Real-time light, real-time anywhere

Jnan Dash gives us his view of the real-time enterprise.

BI: Real time or right time?

It is difficult to debate the need for real-time analytics because the definition of real time itself can be so highly subjective, but everybody wants data “while it’s hot.” Development managers need to navigate a wide field of hyperbole to find the big picture.

Heard on the street: Tales of .NET

Development teams are finding their way toward the new Microsoft platform. They are encountering decent performance, sketchy security standards and a handful of best practices.

Is UML heading for fragmentation?

In the “aught-world” of standards (2000 and beyond, that is), compliance is a moving target. Vendors are beginning to push UML 2.0 products, but some people wonder if today’s “standardization” is adequate.

Resources for Application Lifecycle Management

Check out these publications, tools, and community sites for additional information about application lifecycle management (ALM).

The contrarian view

The concept of a self-healing infrastructure is great, but how does that help the developer? Zohar Gilad maintains that the notion of on-demand or utility computing is "a more beautiful name for outsourcing."

The CORBA State of the union

Java and Web services get all the fanfare now, but CORBA was first with a host of crucial breakthroughs in distributed computing. It’s here, it works and this update tells you what’s next.

Users judge BEA’s XQuery play

Among bigger software players outside of the database realm, none has been faster off the block to promote XQuery than BEA Systems.

Self-healing systems

IBM calls it autonomic, Microsoft calls it dynamic, Hewlett-Packard calls it adaptive -- if it works, developers may someday deploy their apps on “crashless grids” of computers.

What are the vendors up to?

Most major software suppliers are waiting on the XQuery standard to be finalized before they ship any related products. An update from IBM, Oracle and some smaller vendors.

XQuery percolates

The still-developing standard for querying XML documents is garnering more support from vendors. But it will likely be a while before most shops have to deal with it directly.

Oracle tools strategy: 10G signals grid direction

Oracle’s application business draws attention right now, but its evolving tools tactics are crucial to legions of developers grappling with data, Java and XML.

Analysis: Grid gets another fan

Oracle will begin a potentially big new push in Grid computing.

Analysis: Oracle helmsman on a tear?

Oracle must deftly compete with IBM, SAP and Microsoft. But right now, Oracle head Larry Ellison’s touch is far from deft.

Architecting Security for Web Services

Ponder the security challenges posed by Web services, how to address them with security architecture, and what security architecture can offer going forward when XML traverses firewalls.

Managing for Security

For many reasons, enterprise application security is an inefficient and expensive model. Obviously there''s no such thing as a completely secure application, but enterprises must target an acceptable level of risk.

5 stories about XML and integration

Users find value -- and challenge -- in the handy markup language that could.

Change, always change

As they become intrinsic to software development within the enterprise, software configuration management tools meet new capabilities.