Joe Mitchko

One of the first things that crossed my mind after being asked to review JRun 3.0 was this: How could I objectively evaluate this product without being biased by my own experience working with a competing product? To give you a little background, all but one of the major Internet application projects I've worked on used this other product (which will remain nameless) as their Java application server. In addition, I've seen this product used so often in conjunction with Oracle Enterprise and Sun servers that the combination in my mind has become a semiofficial architectural standard. Despite its prominence in the Java application server space I had to come to the realization that other application servers on the market are just as capable and have unique and desirable features of their own. One such product is Allaire's JRun Application Server 3.0. JRun 3.0 ships wi... (more)

Product Review: InstallShield Java Edition 3.0

Having been involved in a fair number of development projects over the years, I've often wondered what goes on during the process of setting up and configuring installation programs using authoring tools such as InstallShield. The task of generating a setup program was always assigned to some unsuspecting junior programmer on the team. How they were able to get all the various components, registry settings and so on set up in the tool and compressed into a single file was always a well-guarded secret (I always thought it had something to do with job security). Anyway, driven by ... (more)

webMethods Version 4.6

Information technology sometimes reminds me of the magic industry. The first time a new and exciting act is performed, it creates a level of stir in the industry, leading to the eagerness of other magicians to perform it in their acts. Over time, the secret is gradually shared (or obtained by illicit means) among fellow magicians until eventually everyone is performing it. You can carry this analogy to Web services. For what started out as a trickle, we now have a myriad of products implementing SOAP-related protocols - old hat at this point. But the core issue regarding Web ser... (more)

Watch Your Security Hole

Anyone who has recently been on the job hunting circuit, looking for a position as a developer, knows that employers are getting rather picky. With the oversupply of IT professionals, recruiters are not just looking for good people, they are looking for good people with an exact skill set to match their requirements. As such, the chances of getting the position you desire is not as guaranteed as it was back in the boom times four years ago. Besides having good looks and luck, one of the ways that you can get around this dilemma is to maintain a diverse set of skills on your résum... (more)

DeployDirector

DeployDirector provides a comprehensive environment for maintaining Java applications across the enterprise. It consists of several modules, including a server-based repository, an administrative interface, and a client-side agent. The administrative tool allows you to configure and deploy new or updated versions of an application to thousands of client desktops across the enterprise. A Java applet performs installs and updates, obtaining all the necessary components from a server-based repository. For installs, the applet is invoked from a Web page while the application automat... (more)