Handle Heavy Scalability Loads

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March 30, 1998

Handle Heavy Scalability Loads

By Rich Levin

ome server-side Java adoptees say the key to increasing Java's server-side scalability is not the exclusive domain of better compilers, faster virtual machines, or hooks to native code libraries-although these things can help. Rather, to scale Java quickly and to tackle the most demanding loads, simply apply a dash of heavy iron to the application tier.

"We're looking at moving our applications to the Java Virtual Machine on our IBM S/390," says John Lavkulich, an application services administrator at the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) in Columbus. "We're talking about some awesome performance and flexibility here. The heaviest loads can be addressed by the S/390, and we can scale down from there to Unix or NT, as required."

ODOT is now building three major server-side Java applications, all of which will leverage common application-level security built in Java. The three-tier applications are restructured versions of client-server systems currently supporting the entire ODOT.

Having been stung by proprietary client-server solutions in the past, Java's portability looked like a good way to avoid vendor locks, while allowing scalability requirements to be more easily addressed by simply repositioning application layers to more powerful hardware already in ODOT's inventory.

ODOT turned to Borland International's JBuilder Java rapid application development platform, and is restructuring the systems around distributed server-side Java, avoiding platform-specific extensions in the process. While performance may suffer by remaining purely within the Java model, once ODOT establishes Java run times on all of its core hardware-S/390, AIX, and Windows NT Server-the application layers can be deployed as scalability requirements dictate.

"The bottom line is, how do we get the most value for our dollar?" Lavkulich says. "We already have the OS/390, and we want to get as much use out of it as we can. Java breathes new life into the mainframe."

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Illustration by Matt Foster