Putting open source to the test: The making of JBoss Enterprise Middleware
www.jboss.com
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aBstract
For enterprise IT organizations and independent software vendors (ISVs), open source software eliminates
high up-front license fees, provides transparent access to code, and delivers high-quality capabilities honed
by many intelligent minds focusing on a problem. But wholehearted adoption of an open source approach
also brings diverse challenges, including highly granular components with disparate versions that must be
integrated and tested, variable component stability, uncertain platform and database compatibility, and un-
known performance characteristics. Documentation and support may or may not be available to save time
for busy developers. While IT managers expect to perform some testing and validation of any new software
they adopt, it can be hard to predict the time and effort needed, especially in a complex environment that
incorporates multiple platforms and systems. A multitude of open source components — with a multitude of
usage agreements — also brings management headaches and legal risks.
JBoss Enterprise Middleware helps companies overcome these and many other challenges by providing the
best of both worlds — software developed by a vibrant open source community, with the testing, certifica
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tion, documentation, training, and support traditionally found only with mature commercial software prod-
ucts. This whitepaper describes how a collection of technology developed by open source projects becomes
a set of JBoss Enterprise Middleware products. This productization process — incorporating careful require-
ments analysis and selection, a stable code branch, a formidable battery of tests, and full documenta-
tion — continually delivers products that are hardened, polished and enterprise-ready — stable, scalable, and
fully supported. As a result, enterprise IT organizations experience lower middleware TCO and risk, while
developers can devote more time to business application challenges.
This paper is intended primarily for senior IT managers responsible for enterprise architecture, application
development, and application operations. Managers evaluating middleware solutions will gain a deeper un-
derstanding of how JBoss Enterprise Middleware products are developed and why they offer an ideal plat-
form for the development and deployment of mission critical applications and services.
Note: This paper does not provide an overview of the capabilities of JBoss Enterprise Middleware products.
If you are new to the products, you may wish to begin with the JBoss Enterprise Middleware data sheet or
individual product data sheets available from www.jboss.com.
