Sun Microsystems Fuses Java Technology and Web Services

Announces Availability of J2EE 1.4 Beta2 SDK, WS-I Basic Profile Support, Web Services Developer Pack version 1.2 and New Software for Secure Java Technology-Based Web Services; Major Open Source Donation of Web Services Technology to the java.net Initiative

SAN FRANCISCO -- JavaOne(sm) Developer Conference -- June 11, 2003 -- Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUNW), the creator and leading advocate of Java technology, today announced the next step in the convergence of Web services with Java Technology for the Enterprise, version 1.4.

"There is no line of demarcation between Java technology and Web services," said Mark Bauhaus, vice president of Java Web Services, Sun Microsystems. "It's not Java technology or Web services. It's Java technology and Web services. Sun is making a significant investment in the Java platform and the related community infrastructure to help ensure that Java technology is the industry's best platform for developing and deploying secure Web services, now and in the future."

With the following announcements, Sun demonstrates its continued leadership in positioning the Java platform as the preferred environment for developing and deploying Web services:

• Immediate availability of the Beta 2 version of the J2EE 1.4 software development kit (SDK), delivering extensive support for Web services and the Web Services Interoperability Organization (WS-I) Basic Profile specification.
• Immediate availability of the Java Web Services Developer Pack (Java WSDP), Version 1.2, providing enhanced Web services capabilities.
• Donation of important Java Web Services APIs included in the J2EE 1.4 SDK to the newly created java.net initiative for the development of open source versions (JAX-RPC, JAXB, SAAJ).
• Immediate availability of enhanced network identity capabilities delivering the strategic foundation for identity-enabled Web services through the use of SAML, Liberty Alliance specifications and, in the future, via the OASIS WS-Security standards. New products include the Sun ONE Directory Server 5.2, Sun ONE Meta Directory 5.1, Sun ONE Identity Synchronization for Windows 1.0 and Sun ONE Identity Server 6.0 Service Pack 1.0. Sun's network identity platform contains extensive Java support including open J2EE standard APIs such as JAAS for authentication; enables management of access to EJBs, servlets and JSPs; and supports XML and SOAP through the use of the JAX-M/JAX-R standards.

Upcoming J2EE Version 1.4 Features Major New Enhancements

The upcoming release of J2EE version 1.4 will feature major new enhancements to the Java platform, including additional support for key Web services technologies. Building on Java technology's heritage of platform independence and portability by design, Sun is working through the JCP to make J2EE technology the standard for Web services development and interoperability.

Specifically, Sun will include full support for the "Basic Profile" specification that has been proposed by the WS-I to ensure that Web services component technologies work together. J2EE 1.4 will deliver leading-edge support for Web services capabilities that is well aligned with the needs of companies who are in the process of developing and deploying Web services today, including synchronous or asynchronous SOAP-based messaging, service description and discovery; support for registries and interoperability of Web services as defined by the WS-I Basic Profile.

By adding support for WS-I Basic Profile to existing support for Web services standards such as WSDL, SOAP, ebXML and UDDI, J2EE technology provides both the Web services programming model and data model that enables developers to build end-to-end applications and services that can be used on any Internet-enabled device, anytime, anywhere and by anyone. As a result, developers can apply their programming knowledge broadly across computing environments to build portable Web applications or Web services that allow customers to reduce costs and increase revenues by bringing their information assets to the Web.

J2EE 1.4 SDK

With more than 3.5 million downloads to date, Sun's J2EE SDK is the most popular software code being used by Java enterprise developers. Historically, developers have used the SDK only for development purposes, deploying on commercially available J2EE application servers of their choice. With the release of J2EE version 1.4 later this year, the J2EE SDK will be licensed for use in both development and deployment environments, providing a seamless end-to-end development and deployment experience and helping speed time-to-market.

The SDK includes blueprints, a tutorial and a J2EE 1.4-compatible application server, as well as industry-leading Web services support. J2EE 1.4 now provides five Web services APIs and is expected to be the first enterprise platform to support the WS-I Basic Profile specification. A preview of the J2EE 1.4 SDK is available immediately as a Beta 2 release. For more information and to download the J2EE SDK v. 1.4 Beta 2, visit http://java.sun.com/j2ee.

Defining the Next Generation of Web Services

Additionally, work is currently underway through the JCP to extend existing J2EE technology capabilities to provide support for the next generation of Web services, including Web services security, identity management, choreography and quality of service management. Specifically, the recently opened Java Business Integration JSR (JSR 208) is a Sun-led effort to define and deliver a new infrastructure for the Java platform to enable next-generation business integration capabilities, based on Web services technologies and standards. As Web services mature, the emphasis is shifting from building discreet services and simple RPC style point-to-point connections, moving more into the domain of connecting individual Web services together into business processes designed to solve more complex business problems. Work is now underway in the JCP to define the Java Business Integration specification, with direct participation from many leading software companies and leaders in the integration market today.

Java Web Services Developer Pack (Java WSDP)

Sun's Java WSDP provides early implementations of Web services specifications, tools and Java APIs, many of which will be supported in future versions of the Java platform. The pack is designed to help developers keep current with rapidly evolving standards and programming interfaces for Web services and has had a significant impact in the marketplace, with over 800,000 downloads since its inception. Version 1.2 of the pack is available now and targeted for deployment on J2EE 1.3 or J2EE 1.4. Java WSDP version 1.2 includes the following new Web services capabilities:

• Updated Messaging APIs -- JAX-RPC 1.1 and SAAJ 1.2 provide full support for both synchronous and asynchronous styles of Web services messaging.
• XML Data Binding API -- Developers need the flexibility to work with XML in a native data format, or as a set of Java classes, based on application need. JAXB enables easy conversion between XML and Java classes, including support for XML Schema & Relax NG.
• Web Services Security -- Initial support is being provided for XML Digital Signatures and Encryption, enabling secure exchange of XML documents.
• Web Services Interoperability -- The Java WSDP includes a WS-I sample application, which is a supply chain management application that uses Web services endpoints from different vendors to test for compliance with the WS-I basic profile.
• Industry Standard Schemas -- Universal Business Language (UBL) is an industry standard under development in OASIS to define standardized schemas for common business documents. The Java WSDP provides a case study of how JAXB helps in the rapid development of applications using industry-standard schemas.
• Server Side GUI Development -- Java ServerFaces technology significantly simplifies the development of user interfaces for server-based applications, resulting in easier development of Web applications.
• Code examples and Best Practices

Java Community Contributions

The community of more than three million Java technology developers continues to expand and is evolving to embrace support for open source activities to complement the more formal standards-based work underway through the JCP. In support of these efforts, Sun has announced that it is donating the reference implementations of JAX-RPC, SAAJ, and JAXB to the recently formed Java open source forum, java.net(sm). In making this contribution, Sun is jump-starting the java.net effort, encouraging innovation through the open source community and complementing the significant standards work underway in the JCP today.

Identity Foundation for Java Web Services

Today, Sun announced new and improved software for deploying a scaleable, high-performance identity foundation for Java Web services that supports and builds on industry standards such as the Liberty Alliance. These new products form the core of an identity management platform and include the Sun ONE Directory Server 5.2, the Sun ONE Directory Proxy Server 5.2, the Sun ONE Directory Server Resource Kit 5.2, the Sun ONE Meta Directory 5.1, the Sun ONE Identity Synchronization for Windows 1.0 and the Sun ONE Identity Server 6.0, Service Pack 1.0. Support for the Liberty Alliance Identity Web Services Framework and OASIS Web Services Security (WS-Security) standards will be included early next year.

A secure identity management infrastructure is a core foundation component in building the next generation of federated commercial Web services and is essential to managing the lifecycle of an identity -- whether it be a person, community, device or service. Network identity is imperative for enterprises to increase the availability and access to information from the outside in -- providing secure remote access to data for employees, partners and suppliers. By propagating updated information across applications and services, the enterprise saves time and money while ensuring the consistency and quality of information.

These new identity management software offerings can increase efficiency and lower TCO costs by consolidating user identities, centralizing security functions and delegating user administration across a common infrastructure. This enables significant reduction in administrative costs, allows for consistent security policies across the network and provides a consolidated view of customers, employees and supply chain partners.

Features specific to the enhanced Sun ONE Directory Server 5.2 include increased multiple platform support now including the "Solaris operating system on x86, increased scalability with 64-bit cache support, higher availability with 4-way multi-master replication over Wide Area Networks, support for global deployments, high- performance throughput with a protocol-independent front end that supports both LDAP and DSML, enhanced administration and Sun Cluster 3.0 agent support, which helps provide continuous availability for deployments. The Sun ONE Directory Server already supports UNIX(r), Linux and Windows. For more information visit http://www.sun.com/software/products/directory_srvr/home_directory.html.

For more information about the Conference visit http://java.sun.com/javaone.

About Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- "The Network Is The Computer" -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that make the Net work. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com

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