Q: Why use GlassFish?

The GlassFish community implements an open source Java EE 5 application server.  GlassFish is a robust, commercial, production quality, compatible application server that is free for development, deployment, and redistribution.  Here is a list of reasons why to use GlassFish.

• GlassFish is an Open Source, Community Based implementation of Java EE 5.
  

• Java EE 5 is a huge improvement over earlier J2EE versions (J1 Keynotes).
  

• GlassFish is Production Quality, has very Good Performance and is  scalable
  

• GlassFish is delivered in SJS AS 9.0, Java EE 5 SDK, and NetBeans 5.5.
  

• GlassFish has already affected adoption and is getting analyst attention [1], [2].
  

• GlassFish is used by other groups like in JEUS 6 Preview from TMaxSoft.
  

• GlassFish has many goodies, including Java DB,  Java Blueprints and AJAX examples and samples
  

• GlassFish is committed to your favorite framework and application. 

• GlassFish has extensive documentation.

• GlassFish has migration tool support

• GlassFish has a  production quality administration console and security support
  

• GlassFish is at the forefront of JPA adoption.
  

• GlassFish Web Services stack is very good and it is getting better and better.
  

• GlassFish's Grizzly delivers top Web Tier performance and flexibility.
  

• GlassFish has Developer Support, Software Services, Training, classes, forums, blogs and more.
  

• GlassFish supports AJAX and Scripting.
  

• GlassFish has platform and tool SOA support, including JBI and BPEL.
  

• GlassFish is used directly for the official Reference Implementation of Java EE 5.
  

• GlassFish is the code base for the Sun Java System Application Server.
  

• GlassFish will incorporate the enterprise features available today in SJS AS 8.x.
  

• Many components are in the Maven Repository; and more soon.
  

• We are already working on the next releases (more).

• See some great testimonials

Q: What is Project GlassFish?

GlassFish is the name for the open source development project for building a Java EE 5 application server. It is based on the source code for Sun Java System Application Server PE 9 donated by Sun Microsystems and TopLink persistence code donated by Oracle. This project provides a structured process for developing a high quality application server that makes new features available faster than ever before. It is the response to Java developers who want access to the source code and the ability to contribute to the development of Sun's next generation application server which is based on GlassFish. This project is designed to encourage communication between Sun and Oracle engineers and the community and will enable all developers to participate in the application server development process.

Q: What is available on the website?

Nightly builds and the source code for the application server are available on http://glassfish.dev.java.net. As with other community development sites, you will also find email lists, discussion forums, news, feedback, licensing information, and extensive help resources.

Q: How large is the GlassFish community?

The GlassFish development community is just getting started so it is small but rapidly growing. There are over 100 contributors already signed up. The number of Sun and Oracle engineers working on this product is comparable in size to other application server developer communities today. With the release of project GlassFish to the community, we expect to greatly increase the number of developers working on the code.

Q: Where to I go to access the GlassFish project?

http://glassfish.dev.java.net

Q: Can I as a developer make any changes I want to the code?

Yes, developers have free access to the source code under the terms of the Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL) v1.0 and are free to change it as they see fit. To be able to claim Java Compatibility, developers of commercial distributions will need to sign the Java Developer License (JDL) and verify the code passes the compatibility test suite (CTS) before they can redistribute it. Anyone can sign a contribution agreement and work on the code to contribute changes, bug fixes, and features.

Q: How often can I get an update of GlassFish?

Updated builds for GlassFish will be posted every night to glassfish.dev.java.net. These code pushes have gone through very basic testing to ensure they will build and execute but have not been tested as thoroughly as our production releases. Additionally, you have read access to the same CVS tree that the developers do - so you always see the latest versions of the code there. Occasionally, typically weekly or so, we will push a "promoted" build which has been more thoroughly tested and will contain many more documented features than the regular nightly builds.  A supported Beta and FCS version of the Sun Java System Application Server 9.0 which is built on GlassFish.

Q: What version of Java EE does this apply to?

GlassFish will implement the latest version of the Java EE platform, Java EE 5, and the two should become final at around the same time.  At that time Sun will also release a final, supported and compatible Sun Java System Application Server PE 9.0 based on GlassFish.

Q: What is being released and when?

In June of 2005, Sun published project GlassFish by making the web site available to the public. Developers can access source code, nightly builds, discussion groups, and mailing lists. This is the first time developers were able to see and participate in the Application Server development process. Over the next 6 months, Sun will gradually roll out more information and more details about the code. Initially, access will be provided to the web-tier followed by other modules as GlassFish is developed.

Q: How does this impact Java EE licensees?

Project GlassFish opens up Java EE to a larger audience that will ultimately be the customers of the Java EE licensees. GlassFish does not change any of the license terms for licensees. Under their license terms, licensees can still sell or distribute code and use the Java Compatibility brand for products which have passed the TCK. Under the license terms of the CDDL, which is granted to developers, they can use, edit, and alter the code, and distribute it or use it in production. However they do not have a license to use the CTS nor can they use the Java Compatibility brand.

Q: What are the licensing terms?

The OSI-approved CDDL license is being used for project GlassFish which allows developers to view, use, edit, and alter the code, and distribute it or use it in production. Portions of this code are not yet available in source form. Because of this, a few portions are currently also under a Binary Distribution License. As time goes on, we'll make more of the code available, with the eventual goal of making all the code available, and removing the Binary Distribution license. This isn't some sort of evil plot - it's hard work moving stuff out into an Open environment, we expect to have a roadmap for our timing for this published by the end of the Summer.

People who want to redistribute a build of our application server do not have a license to use the CTS nor can they use the Java Compatibility brand. They may choose to sign a JDL commercial license and pass the CTS which would then allow them to distribute the code and use the Java Compatibility brand.

Q: I am a current SCSL licensee, and want to use the CDDL. Can I do this?

Yes. Current SCSL licensees can choose to use the CDDL, but they must click through the new license, and use the CDDL notification in their work.

Q: Where can I get more information about the CDDL license?

You can find details about the CDDL here.

Q: Will there be compatibility tests for the Java EE 5 platform?

Yes. The Java EE 5 Compatibility Test Suite (CTS) will be available for the Java EE 5 platform. The current J2EE CTS contains over 5,000 tests for J2EE 1.4 and will contain more for Java EE 5 and beyond. This suite tests compatibility by performing specific application functions and checking results. For example, to test the JDBC call to insert a row in a database, an EJB component makes a call to insert a row and then a call is made to check that the row was inserted. In addition to the tests themselves, passing the full suite requires adhering to a specific set of rules. These rules are just as important, and in many cases more important, than the content of the tests themselves.

Q: What is the difference between being a Java EE licensee and being Java EE compatible?

A Java EE licensee has signed a commercial distribution license for Java EE. That means the licensee has access to the compatibility tests and has made a commitment to maintain compatibility. It does not mean the licensee's products are necessarily compatible. Look for the Java EE brand which signifies that the specific branded product has passed the Compatibility Test Suite (CTS) and is compatible.