Replication also is enhanced Sleepycat Software on Tuesday announced availability of Berkeley DB 4.2, a version of the company’s embedded data management software that is intended to make it easier to build Java applications and features enhanced replication.The small-footprint database can be used for specific applications such as Web services or for storing XML information for routers, according to a company representative.A key feature in Version 4.2 is a Java collections API that allows groups of Java objects to be easily stored, updated, and queried in a transactional, recoverable manner, Sleepycat said. This API enables programmers to store and retrieve Java objects by eliminating the need to learn a new API. It also enables greater reuse and interoperability with other APIs. The API was modeled after the collections API introduced in release 1.2 of Java 2 Standard Edition (J2SE).Replication improvements in the product enable programmers to build high-availability applications that have nearly zero downtime for end-users, according to the company. Version 4.2 has enhancements that enable replication to run faster and make it faster and easier for programmers to use.Specifically in Version 4.2, multiple servers have copies of the database, and all updates, or writes, go to a single master copy of the database. Reads can be handled by any replica. If a master fails, either the application can select a new master, or the replicas can automatically hold an election to elect a new master. The old master then can rejoin the group as a replica after rebooting, the company said. Berkeley DB 4.2 automatically keeps the master and all replicas in sync. Berkeley DB 4.2 is priced from $20,000 to $200,000. Software DevelopmentTechnology IndustrySmall and Medium Business