New – JBoss MASS – Migration Analysis Tool

Posted on by Rich Sharples

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It’s been just over 3 months since we created the JBoss MASS project and today we’re announcing the first major code contribution – The Migration Analysis Tool (MAT) was created by Mitch Mocle and team at Middleware Connections. The tool is used as a starting point for estimating the effort required to migrate a group of J2EE applications  from an Oracle/BEA WebLogic environment to a JBoss AS / JBoss EAP environment.

The tool produces detailed HTML reports covering Server Configuration, Deployed Applications and Class Dependencies. Read More on the MAT sub-project page.

This is an important first step. The goal of JBoss MASS is to provide a common place to develop tools for migrating to JBoss – if you have or are thinking of developing such a tool and think that Open Source collaboration might be a good way to enhance and maintain the technology – get in touch.

Tab Sweep : JBoss Mostly

Posted on by Rich Sharples

Over the last ten years – every year has been proclaimed the year that Java dies. And every year people are proven wrong and I think that will continue to happen for another 20 or 30 years. To put it into perspective COBOL, another fairly sucessful language is 50 (fifty) years old this month. Other popular langauges : C – 37 years old, C++ – 26 years old, Java – a mere 14 years old. People are still running and maintaining COBOL, ditto C, C++, etc. These popular languages have taken decades to reach mainstream adoption and will be viable for decades to come.

JBoss AS 5.1 GA has been released. Downloads are looking pretty healthy and it’s good to see almost monthly releases now that the MC / re-architecture work is behind us. Release early, release often …

It’s Java One time again, JBoss’ presence this year will probably be larger than last year – we have a lot to talk about and show – so swing by our sessions, our booths and join us at the JBoss Party. See you there – and follow @JBossNews on twitter for the latest Java One updates.

Sun seem to be getting increasingly desperate to build a business around their Java middleware – they’re attacking companies a fraction of a fraction of their size and continuing the fire sale. It’s going to be really interesting when Sun product lines get hit with Larry Ellison’s “fiduciary responsibility” stick. Weblogic wasn’t exactly cheap – and Oracle had to pile on a pretty hefty Tax to bring it in line with Oracle’s cost model. The disparity between Sun and Oracle pricing is *huge* and is going to require something more dramatic than a a mere 30% price increase.

Although Java One hasn’t started yet – for all the folks involved in planning and preparing – the work is (or should be) done. At Red Hat we already have our sight on the biggest Red Hat / JBoss event of the year – the co-located Red Hat Summit and JBoss World 2009 which is in Chicago, Septemer 1st to 4th.

2 Days in Provence

Posted on by Rich Sharples

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Last week I spent a couple of days in Provence visting a (potential) customer. I stayed in the little village of Cassis to be precise; which is a pleasant little place though a bit of a tourist trap (ie. expensive but only half-decent food). If I’d been a bit more prepared I would have taken a real camera but unfortunately only had my iPhone (pictures on Flickr).

Among the things I learned on this trip i) never transit through Philly again; ii) if you want medium-rare in Provence you have to insist on “burnt to a crisp” anything below that is just raw meat; iii) raw meat doesn’t agree with me; nor me with it; iv) The Mediteranean has Fjords; only they’re made from limestone and called Calanques.

Truth happens

Posted on by Rich Sharples

If you wander around any of Red Hat’s offices you might see this quote from Mahatma Gandhi :

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” Or you may have seen this (exceptionally cool) video at one of our conferences :

Of course Gandhi wasn’t talking about JBoss or Red Hat or Open Source – but the quote is still very relevant to a company that has revolutionized the software industry. People and companies who once ignored or laughed at Linux, or JBoss’ original EJB server are now waking up to the reality that they are losing.

Given the recent presentations that JBoss’ only real competitors (IBM and Oracle) have been spreading around and the amount of work and energy they’re both expending to compete with JBoss – I think JBoss has reached a significant milestone – I think we’re at stage 3 of Gandhi’s steps to oppose the truth  – ” … then they fight you …”.

It’s flattering and inspiring to know that two companies who are literally hundreds of times the size of Red Hat are worried. Really worried. It also adds a huge amount of credibility to our business model and our technology.

What’s next ?