A Q&A with Juan Carlos Soto, Director, Advanced Technologies, Sun Software
January 29, 2004 - Juan Carlos Soto, Director of Advanced Technologies for Sun's software division, answers questions on recent news around JXTA [TM] technology and peer-to-peer (P2P) computing:
Q: What is peer-to-peer computing?
A: Peer-to-peer is a style of computing that allows any device to interact with any other computer on the network. In effect, P2P turns every device into both a client and a server, enabling a much more symmetrical and decentralized communications model for applications, services and users.
Q: What is JXTA technology?
A: Introduced by Sun Microsystems in April 2001, JXTA is a set of open protocols and implementations (available in various programming languages) that allows any connected device on the network -- ranging from cell phones and sensors to PCs and servers -- to communicate and collaborate in a direct, P2P manner. JXTA technology is developed under a BSD-styled open source model, meaning the source code for the platform technology is freely available to everyone. Today JXTA is being used for commercial, internal, and research distributed applications by developers all over the world at leading companies, defense, and academic organizations.To join the JXTA community and start working with the technology to see how it can help enhance new and existing applications, visit www.jxta.org.
Q: What is new with JXTA technology?
A: The JXTA technology and code has been downloaded over 2 million times from jxta.org, doubling the number of downloads since last March. Additionally, there are now over 16,200 registered members, which demonstrates the continued growth of the community. In addition, the jxta.org community recently released version 2.2 of the JXTA implementation for Java 2 Standard Edition (J2SE). Release 2.2 includes a number of security and performance enhancements and maintains full backward compatibility with previous 2.x releases. Now on a quarterly release cycle, the JXTA for J2SE roadmap can be seen at: http://platform.jxta.org/java/currentwork.html.
Q: How can an individual use JXTA technology? Do I have to download a piece of JXTA code? How is Verizon using JXTA?
A: JXTA technology is designed to be easily integrated into end user applications. As a user, there is nothing extra to download. Everything is already included in the application you run.
Verizon is using JXTA in its upcoming call management service called iobi. The iobi service has been designed to help customers manage calls between their work, home and cellular phones and provide a platform for new services that tie the voice, data, and wireless networks together. As part of the service, due later this year, iobi will be able to set up a data channel automatically among PCs, so callers can exchange files or collaborate on documents. iobi uses JXTA to locate those PCs on the Verizon data network and establish the connection. Linking the PCs in a P2P manner enables Verizon to reduce costs by minimizing the amount of data that has to be centrally routed and stored. Verizon selected JXTA because it provided them with the performance, robustness, and flexibility that they needed to implement the data sharing backbone used in iobi.
Q: How are people and companies like Nokia, Brevient, Codefarm and Zudha using JXTA?
A: Nokia is using JXTA to create a peer-to-peer server network for their Automated Network Services and network appliance management. Using JXTA's discovery and communication protocols, new servers added to the network are automatically discovered and interact with peer servers at other locations around the world. This reduces the administration burden to maintain the network and provides increased flexibility as the network expands. Zudha, based in India, created a P2P instant messaging application. The application called ZIM-Pro, uses JXTA P2P technology to deliver a cost effective, IM application that allows people to securely communicate directly with each other and in groups across different offices with minimal infrastructure. UK-based Codefarm is using JXTA to distribute its artificial intelligence algorithms for solving problems such as market financial analysis across many resources in a grid-like fashion. Brevient Technologies created a new Web conferencing product called Brevient Connect in 90 days by using Java and JXTA technologies. Their use of a P2P network for collaboration and conferencing lets Brevient offer a more predictable and lower cost pricing structure to their customers.
Q: Why JXTA?
A: JXTA technology makes it easier and faster for developers and companies to create and deploy interoperable applications in a distributed and cross-platform environment. JXTA aims to reduce the complexity otherwise required to build and deploy P2P applications and services by providing an open source software platform and deployed virtual network. This enables developers to focus their efforts on innovating in areas where they add the most value.
Q: How does Sun's Java technology fit in with JXTA technology?
A: Currently there is an implementation for J2SE and for J2ME for smaller devices\. Using the Java implementations of JXTA, companies can more quickly bring to market secure, scalable peer-to-peer applications that can be used anytime, anywhere, on any device.
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