IBM Goes After Apache’s Tomcat

Java Developers looking for a mobile-friendly platform could be happy with the next release of IBM’s Websphere Application Server, which is aimed at offering a lighter, more dynamic version of the app middleware.

Shown off at the IBM Impact show in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Websphere Application Server 8.5, codenamed Liberty, has a footprint of just 50MB. This makes it small enough to run on machines such as the Raspberry Pi, according to Marie Wieck, GM for IBM Application and Infrastructure Middleware.

Updates and bug fixes can also be done on the fly with no need to take down the server, she added.

The Liberty release will be launched this quarter, and already has 6,000 beta users, according to Wieck.

John Rymer of Forrester said that the compact and dynamic nature of the new version of Websphere Application Server could make it a tempting proposition for Java developers.

“If you want to install version seven or eight, it’s a big piece of software requiring a lot of space and memory. The installation and configuration is also tricky,” he explained.

“Java developers working in the cloud and on mobile were moving towards something like Apache Tomcat. It’s very light, starts up quickly and you can add applications without having to take the system down. IBM didn’t have anything to respond to that, and that’s what Liberty is.”

For firms needing to update applications three times a year, for example, the dynamic capability of Liberty will make it a much easier process.

“If developers want to run Java on a mobile device, this is good,” Rymer added.

The new features are also backwards compatible, meaning current Websphere users will be able to take advantage of the improvements.

However, IBM could still have difficulty competing in the app server space on a standalone basis, according to Rymer.

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