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June 22, 1998

Make The Web Work For You

continued...page 2 of 6

The Cold Fusion Application Server is a fully multithreaded application that can take advantage of multiprocessor machines. The server can be fully administered through a Web browser--functions such as threading, logging, mail settings, debugging, scheduling, search engine settings, and even the creation and administration of Open Database Connectivity data source definitions can all be handled through the browser interface to the configuration manager. The entire configuration manager is a Cold Fusion application, so it can be modified and customized as needed.

The server can be installed in a clustered environment, though it doesn't fully leverage the advantages of clustered environments, such as sophisticated load balancing. Since Cold Fusion was not built with multinode capabilities in mind, the administration of multiple servers has to be done on an individual basis. The server also uses a somewhat dubious method for thread pooling, allowing administrators to set only the maximum number of threads that can be open at a time.

Sapphire/Web Application Server 5
Bluestone focuses on high-end interenterprise applications in which scalability, availability, and manageability play a crucial role. The company's Sapphire/Web offering provides a very robust architecture and a highly functional system that incorporates industry standards and technologies.

The system is an end-to-end development and deployment platform, but it's also open enough to incorporate other technologies. The server, known as the Sapphire/Universal Business Server, can generate Java code for server-side business logic, as well as C++ code on the server. UBS uses Corba and Internet Inter-ORB Protocol for distributed computing between the client and server.

Sapphire/Developer is one of the most feature-rich development tools we evaluated. It's also more difficult to use--for example, the system's wizards cannot be used to modify applications once they're built; all modification must be done programmatically. But its features are good. The system includes tight integration with LogicWorks' ERwin data modeling tool for modify database schema. And the tool uses SCCAPI to integrate with source-control products such as Microsoft Visual Source Safe or PVCS.

Bluestone provides its own Sapphire/Integration modules for integrating with back-end systems--but there are a limited number of integration modules available from Bluestone. Fortunately, Bluestone provides a SIM Builder that lets independent developers create their own modules.

The Sapphire/Application Manager provides application management and control for Sapphire/Web applications. SAM also includes a deployment manager that makes it easier to roll out applications and restricts access to system components and configuration files. On the systems-management side, Sapphire/Web is unique in offering integration with CA Unicenter, easing the management burden for large enterprises.

Overall, Sapphire/Web is a very functional product, but with a fair amount of complexity. If you need to build sophisticated applications and you have a team of qualified individuals to do it, Bluestone's tools are a nice fit.

Tango Enterprise 3.0
EveryWare Development Inc. offers two key products: Tango Enterprise 3.0 and Bolero. Tango Enterprise is a two-part package that consists of the Tango Development Studio and Tango Application Server. Bolero is a Web-site tracking and analysis application which itself is written using the Tango product.

Tango focuses on the rapid, cost-effective development of powerful Web-based applications. The Tango Development Studio provides a visual development environment for building and testing Web applications. The tool runs on Windows NT, Windows 95, and the Mac OS, and is easy enough to use that beginners can quickly become productive. Tango was among the fastest application builders we evaluated.

Tango uses a visual development environment in combination with a powerful HTML-based tag language, which HTML developers and experienced programmers alike will feel at ease working in. The interface is neither too restrictive nor too open for most developers--an impressive feat among the Web development tools we evaluated.

The environment includes "Builders," which are interactive wizards for creating common application functions such as searching. The system lacks a fully interactive debugger, although error-checking reports can be run against any application.