GlassFish app server, Jakarta EE Java implementation set to move forward with cloud native focus Credit: Thinkstock The Eclipse Foundation, which has taken over development of enterprise Java, plans two releases of the GlassFish Java application server this year, including one that will pass through Eclipse’s new enterprise Java specification process. The rollouts are the first steps in the foundation’s efforts to advance the enterprise Java platform, which, going forward, will emphasize microservices and cloud deployments. GlassFish historically has served as a reference implementation of Java EE (Enterprise Edition}, which is being relabeled Jakarta EE. GlassFish will serve as the reference implementation of Jakarta EE as well. In the third quarter of this year, Eclipse GlassFish 5.1 will debut, becoming the first release of a project from the Eclipse Enterprise for Java (EE4J) top-level project. GlassFish 5.1 will be certified as compatible with Java EE 8. In the following quarter, Eclipse GlassFish 5.2 will arrive, certified for Jakarta EE 8 and compatible with Eclipse’s enterprise Java process. Java EE 8 and Jakarta EE 8 will be “extremely similar,” albeit with small differences, Eclipse Executive Director Mike Milinkovich said. A release cadence for Eclipse’s Jakarta EE is still to be determined. Cloud native Java Eclipse’s roadmap for GlassFish is part of a multifaceted announcement today detailing both development plans and the organization’s overall vision for Jakarta. Key goals and areas of focus, based on feedback from developers and stakeholders, include: Enhanced support for microservices architecture. The existing Eclipse MicroProfile community will help take the lead on this. Jakarta will have a microservices-first outlook and a simpler consumption model where enterprises can use the best of the platform without having to use all of it. Provision of production-quality reference implementations. Building of a vibrant developer community. Establishing Eclipse as an open source “center of gravity” to attract other technologies in realms such as cloud-friendly Java, microservices, and Docker and Kubernetes integration. Eclipse’s emphasis on cloud support and microservices echoes the plans Oracle had previously outlined for enterprise Java. As part of Eclipse’s takeover of the project, the organization is endeavoring to make community participation easier. Although the previous Java Community Process under Oracle had engaged the Java community, participation in open source projects such as GlassFish and the Jersey web services API required signing an Oracle Contributor Agreement—a barrier to some Java developers, Eclipse said. New processes for Jakarta EE specifications and development will be “open,” vendor-neutral, and provide a level playing field for all participants, the organization said. Jakarta EE compatibility testing Test compatibility kits (TCKs), to verify compliance with Jakarta EE platform specifications, could arrive as soon as 2018. These are intended to be more open and less arduous than before. The TCKs will be available under an open source license for the first time. Previously, TCKs had been available only to Java EE licensors, who had to pay for them. Certifying compatible implementations will require a Jakarta EE trademark license. Whether Eclipse will charge for the license is still to be determined. JavaOpen SourceDevelopment Tools