GlassFish
Encyclopedia
GlassFish is an open source application server
project started by Sun Microsystems
for the Java EE
platform and now sponsored by Oracle Corporation
. The supported version is called Oracle GlassFish Server. GlassFish is free software
, dual-licensed under two free software licence
s: the Common Development and Distribution License
(CDDL) and the GNU General Public License
(GPL) with the classpath exception.
GlassFish supports all Java EE API specifications (by definition since it is the Java EE Reference implementation
), such as JDBC, RMI, e-mail, JMS
, web services, XML, etc., and defines how to coordinate them. Java EE also features some specifications unique to Java EE for components. These include Enterprise JavaBeans, Connectors, servlets, portlets (following the Java Portlet specification), JavaServer Pages and several web service technologies. This allows developers to create enterprise applications that are portable and scalable, and that integrate with legacy technologies.
GlassFish is based on source code
released by Sun and Oracle Corporation
's TopLink
persistence
system. It uses a derivative of Apache Tomcat
as the servlet container for serving Web content, with an added component called Grizzly which uses Java New I/O
(NIO) for scalability and speed.
On 8 May 2007 Project SailFin
was announced at JavaOne
as a sub-project under Project GlassFish. Project SailFin aims to add Session Initiation Protocol
(SIP) servlet functionality to GlassFish.
On 17 September 2007 the GlassFish community released version 2 (aka Sun Java System Application Server 9.1) with full enterprise clustering capabilities, Microsoft
-interoperable Web Services.
On 21 January 2009 Sun Microsystems and the community released version GlassFish 2.1 (aka Sun GlassFish Enterprise Server 2.1) which serves as the basis for the Sailfin SIP AppServer project (aka Sun Communication Application Server).
On 10 December 2009 GlassFish v3 was released. Being the Java EE reference implementation, this was the first application server to completely implement Java EE 6 JSR 316. JSR 316 was however approved with reservations. In this version GlassFish adds new features to ease migration from Tomcat to GlassFish. The other main new features are around modularity (GlassFish v3 Prelude already shipped with an Apache Felix OSGi
runtime), startup time (a few seconds), deploy-on-change (provided by NetBeans and Eclipse plugins), and session preservation across redeployments.
On 25 March 2010, soon after the acquisition of Sun Microsystems, Oracle issued a Roadmap for versions 3.0.1, 3.1, 3.2 and 4.0 with themes revolving around clustering, virtualization and integration with Coherence and other Oracle technologies. The open source community remains otherwise unaffected.
On 28 February 2011, Oracle Corporation released GlassFish v3.1. This version introduced support for ssh-based provisioning, centralized admin, clustering and load-balancing. It maintains its support for both the Web Profile and full Java EE 6 Platform specifications.
On 28 July 2011, Oracle Corporation released GlassFish v3.1.1. This is fix release for GlassFish v3.1 with multiple component updates (Weld, Mojarra, Jersey, EclipseLink, ...), JDK 7 support, AIX support and more.
Other Java EE application servers:
Application server
An application server is a software framework that provides an environment in which applications can run, no matter what the applications are or what they do...
project started by Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
for the Java EE
Java Platform, Enterprise Edition
Java Platform, Enterprise Edition or Java EE is widely used platform for server programming in the Java programming language. The Java platform differs from the Java Standard Edition Platform in that it adds libraries which provide functionality to deploy fault-tolerant, distributed, multi-tier...
platform and now sponsored by Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
. The supported version is called Oracle GlassFish Server. GlassFish is free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
, dual-licensed under two free software licence
Free software licence
A free software licence is a software licence which grants recipients rights to modify and redistribute the software, which would otherwise be prohibited by copyright law. A free software licence grants, to the recipients, freedoms in the form of permissions to modify or distribute copyrighted work...
s: the Common Development and Distribution License
Common Development and Distribution License
Common Development and Distribution License is a free software license, produced by Sun Microsystems, based on the Mozilla Public License , version 1.1....
(CDDL) and the GNU General Public License
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
(GPL) with the classpath exception.
GlassFish supports all Java EE API specifications (by definition since it is the Java EE Reference implementation
Reference implementation
In the software development process, a reference implementation is the standard from which all other implementations, with their attendant customizations, are measured, and to which all improvements are added...
), such as JDBC, RMI, e-mail, JMS
Java Message Service
The Java Message Service API is a Java Message Oriented Middleware API for sending messages between two or more clients. JMS is a part of the Java Platform, Enterprise Edition, and is defined by a specification developed under the Java Community Process as JSR 914...
, web services, XML, etc., and defines how to coordinate them. Java EE also features some specifications unique to Java EE for components. These include Enterprise JavaBeans, Connectors, servlets, portlets (following the Java Portlet specification), JavaServer Pages and several web service technologies. This allows developers to create enterprise applications that are portable and scalable, and that integrate with legacy technologies.
GlassFish is based on source code
Source code
In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
released by Sun and Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
's TopLink
TopLink
In computing, TopLink is an object-relational mapping package for Java developers. It provides a framework for storing Java objects in a relational database or for converting Java objects to XML documents....
persistence
Persistence (computer science)
Persistence in computer science refers to the characteristic of state that outlives the process that created it. Without this capability, state would only exist in RAM, and would be lost when this RAM loses power, such as a computer shutdown....
system. It uses a derivative of Apache Tomcat
Apache Tomcat
Apache Tomcat is an open source web server and servlet container developed by the Apache Software Foundation...
as the servlet container for serving Web content, with an added component called Grizzly which uses Java New I/O
New I/O
New I/O, usually called NIO, is a collection of Java programming language APIs that offer features for intensive I/O operations. It was introduced with the J2SE 1.4 release of Java by Sun Microsystems to complement an existing standard I/O. NIO was developed under the Java Community Process as JSR...
(NIO) for scalability and speed.
Releases
Sun Microsystems launched the GlassFish project on 6 June 2005. On 4 May 2006, Project GlassFish released the first version that supports the Java EE 5 specification.On 8 May 2007 Project SailFin
SailFin
SailFin is an open-source Java application server project led by Sun Microsystems. It implements the JCP SIP Servlet 1.1 specification integrated with the open-source Java EE application server GlassFish....
was announced at JavaOne
JavaOne
JavaOne is an annual conference inaugurated in 1996 by Sun Microsystems to discuss Java technologies, primarily among Java developers. JavaOne is held in San Francisco, California typically running from Monday to Thursday. Technical sessions on a variety of topics are held during the day. In the...
as a sub-project under Project GlassFish. Project SailFin aims to add Session Initiation Protocol
Session Initiation Protocol
The Session Initiation Protocol is an IETF-defined signaling protocol widely used for controlling communication sessions such as voice and video calls over Internet Protocol . The protocol can be used for creating, modifying and terminating two-party or multiparty sessions...
(SIP) servlet functionality to GlassFish.
On 17 September 2007 the GlassFish community released version 2 (aka Sun Java System Application Server 9.1) with full enterprise clustering capabilities, Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
-interoperable Web Services.
On 21 January 2009 Sun Microsystems and the community released version GlassFish 2.1 (aka Sun GlassFish Enterprise Server 2.1) which serves as the basis for the Sailfin SIP AppServer project (aka Sun Communication Application Server).
On 10 December 2009 GlassFish v3 was released. Being the Java EE reference implementation, this was the first application server to completely implement Java EE 6 JSR 316. JSR 316 was however approved with reservations. In this version GlassFish adds new features to ease migration from Tomcat to GlassFish. The other main new features are around modularity (GlassFish v3 Prelude already shipped with an Apache Felix OSGi
OSGi
The Open Services Gateway initiative framework is a module system and service platform for the Java programming language that implements a complete and dynamic component model, something that does not exist in standalone Java/VM environments...
runtime), startup time (a few seconds), deploy-on-change (provided by NetBeans and Eclipse plugins), and session preservation across redeployments.
On 25 March 2010, soon after the acquisition of Sun Microsystems, Oracle issued a Roadmap for versions 3.0.1, 3.1, 3.2 and 4.0 with themes revolving around clustering, virtualization and integration with Coherence and other Oracle technologies. The open source community remains otherwise unaffected.
On 28 February 2011, Oracle Corporation released GlassFish v3.1. This version introduced support for ssh-based provisioning, centralized admin, clustering and load-balancing. It maintains its support for both the Web Profile and full Java EE 6 Platform specifications.
On 28 July 2011, Oracle Corporation released GlassFish v3.1.1. This is fix release for GlassFish v3.1 with multiple component updates (Weld, Mojarra, Jersey, EclipseLink, ...), JDK 7 support, AIX support and more.
See also
Other CDDL-licensed, Java-based services:- OpenDSOpenDSOpenDS Software is a free, open source directory service, written in Java, and developed as part of the OpenDS project. OpenDS Software implements a wide range of Lightweight Directory Access Protocol and related standards, including full compliance with LDAPv3 but also support for Directory...
- OpenSSOOpenSSOOpenSSO was an open source access management and federation server platform.Oracle completed their acquisition of Sun Microsystems in February 2010 and shortly thereafter removed OpenSSO downloads from their website in an unannounced policy change...
- Open ESBOpen ESBOpen ESB is a Java based open source enterprise service bus. Open ESB can be used as a platform for both Enterprise Application Integration and SOA. Open ESB is built on open standards....
Other Java EE application servers:
- JBoss AS
- WebSphere AS
- WebLogic Server
- Apache Geronimo
- Comparison of application servers