Resin Released Under GPL

JohnA writes "I can't believe this hasn't received more attention than it has, but Caucho Software released their award-winning Java application server Resin under the GPL. This means that you are no longer bound to Tomcat and its less-than-stellar performance when deploying Java-based web apps."

Comments

Hmm...

[klui]

From 3.0.9's description:...

"The Resin distribution for 3.0.9 has been refactored into two distributions:

* Resin Professional - Most companies and organizations will use Resin Professional. Includes performance, caching, and clustering capabilities.
* Resin Open Source (GPL) - Contains all functional components of Resin, including EJB, but excludes performance and clustering capabilities. "

So, it looks like not all of Resin's performance is in the Open Source version. It would be interesting if someone were to compare the performance of Tomcat vs Resin Open Source.

Re:Hmm...

[zaqattack911]

Yeah I hate half assed gpl where they claim you're running a rechid turd of a server if you don't have the pro version.

Clustering I can understand they don't include in the GPL version. But caching? doesn't tomcat at least do some caching.

And what does "excludes performance" mean? wtf.. they took their mature software and "removed" performance from it? Sounds like BS.

Maybe they just run a bunch of Thread.sleep() calls randomly in their code in the GPL version :)

--Etan

Re:Hmm...

[rixdaffy]

well, since it's GPL... wouldn't it be funny if the community decides to fork the opensourced code to include their own version of caching and clustering.

I worked a lot with resin at my previous job and the caching is pretty good & useful.

I don't think Tomcat does much caching... only caching of jsp compiled code, but I having a jsp engine which doesn't do that is unworkable.

Now that I think of it, if I remember correctly, the resin source was always available. Maybe it's just that they changed the license of it...

Ricardo.

Re:Hmm...

[dtfinch]

Even php has performance features removed. It keeps Zend in the business of selling products to make php faster.

Who ever said Java was slow?

[Johnny Doughnuts]

http://www.caucho.com/resin-3.0/features/jspvsperl php.xtp

Keep this in mind when reading those benchmarks:

The server is a 266 Mhz Pentium II running RedHat 6.0 with 64 meg of ram. The client is a 300 Mhz Celeron also running RedHat 6.0 with 32 meg. The two machines are connected with a 100bT ethernet connection.

I'm considering deploying this on my person webserver now.

Re:Who ever said Java was slow?

[Unordained]

Indeed. Java, which compiles to native cpu byte code, is apparently faster than perl and php, which don't (that I've heard of.) I didn't see any CGI/C tests nor mod_my_custom_code/apache. Valid tests here, but more comprehensiveness would have been nice. Anyone have that for me? (Nope, not language trolling today. Honest question.)

Re:Who ever said Java was slow?

[Kingpin]

Those stats are for Resin 1.1 and JDK 1.1.8.. We're several generations down the road bub.

Re:Who ever said Java was slow?

[consumer]

This benchmark is both ancient and wrong. I can't speak for the PHP code, but the mod_perl code is not done in the way that an experienced mod_perl programmer would do it, and thus does not demonstrate the best performance mod_perl can give in this situation. It would be better to look at this benchmark instead.

I didn't think Tomcat was an app server...

[BeatdownGeek]

I didn't think Tomcat was really considered an app server, since Tomcat doesn't support EJBs. Tomcat is just a "Servlet/ JSP container," which JBoss happens to use now in its app server.

Shouldn't this be compared to JBoss or Sun's app server (I forget what they call it)?

Re:I didn't think Tomcat was an app server...

[chickenwing]

I don't think the definition of app server is "something that runs EJBs". You seem to be confusing one solution with a general concept.

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

application server

1. A {designer}'s or {developer}'s suite of {software} that helps {programmers} isolate the {business logic} in their {programs} from the {platform}-related code. {Application} {servers} can handle all of the {application} {logic} and {connectivity} found in {client-server} {applications}. Many {application} {servers} also offer features such as {transaction management}, {clustering} and {failover}, and {load balancing}; nearly all offer {ODBC} support.

{Application} {servers} range from small {footprint}, web-based {processors} for intelligent appliances or remote {embedded} devices, to complete environments for assembling, deploying, and maintaining {scalable} {multi-tier} applications across an {enterprise}.

No JNDI ?

[zaqattack911]

This page seems to imply there is no JNDI in the GPL version... how can you do ejbs and all that stuff with no JNDI ?

have a look here: http://caucho.com/index.xtp

Under " Resin® Professional" it explicitly says "JNDI" support, hinting that the GPL version doesn't include it.

Can someone confirm/deny this?

Re:No JNDI ?

[JohnA]

JNI, not JNDI.

Resin uses a custom JNI I/O library to increase performance. This component is not included in the GPL'ed version.

Both releases allow JNDI.

Java S&M?

[BigLinuxGuy]

I never really considered myself bound to TomCat or any other servlet engine or application server (not to mention Java). There are too many options for Java and other languages for anyone with any sense to feel that way. JBoss, Apache Geronimo, sort of leap to mind as alternative J2EE app servers, likewise PHP, Python, and Perl all have quite workable (and scalable) application server capabilities behind a web server (just ask, er, Slashdot).

These days I'm more interested in looking for ways to insulate myself and my customers from disruptive technologies rather than tie myself to a single solution. The OMG's MDA has promise, but to realize that approach requires tools to support it. AndroMDA will kick out Java, but little else. I'm just wondering when a group of software engineers will get together and create an Open Source MDA suite that allows language generators to be plugged in. Once those tools are in place and support any language (or have the capability to do so), the promise of MDA can be realized. Until then, I guess we have to type code the old fashioned way. :-(

Remember the tired old adage, when the only tool you have in your toolbelt is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail. Master craftsmen have a number of tools and techniques at their disposal and don't have to settle for a single approach.

Tomcat catching up?

[crisco]

According to this guy, Tomcat 5 is faster than Resin 3 and Resin supposedly has some compatibility issues. Resin 2.x turned in a mixed performance.

Re:Tomcat catching up?

[angel'o'sphere]

The pre 4.0 versions of Tomcat where the so called "Servlet API reference implementations". Tehy where merly showcases how the specs are supposed to work.

Tomcat is a serious Servlet engine since 4.1x and a pretty fast (more or less complete rewrite) since 5.0.

As far as I know Tomcat 5.x is now in the top leage of server performance in serving static and dynamic content (faster than Apache).

angel'o'sphere