IBM plays open source card in middleware

Jorina Choy/ Singapore

IBM’s open-sourcing of its Cloudscape database announced earlier this month points to a deeper strategy to gain control of the middleware space at Microsoft’s expense.

Cloudscape is a 2MB embeddable full-functioned relational database which does not require a database administrator to manage. It was acquired along with IBM’s billion-dollar buyout of Informix in 2001.

Now IBM has handed over “Derby”, a copy of Cloudscape, to the Apache Software Foundation to build a community of users around it, and in the process make Cloudscape the de facto standard for embedded databases.

“We see the need for Java app developers to have a database that can be easily embedded into the Java development environment,” said Janet Perna, general manager of Data Management Software Group, IBM.

Cloudscape is already embedded in 70 different IBM projects, such as WebSphere Portal, WebSphere Application Server, and as part of Lotus Workplace and Tivoli.

Perna also revealed that IBM is making available a commercial version of Cloudscape in September. This version, which will support PHP and Perl for Linux, will be another copy of Derby and will evolve as a snapshot of Derby, she added.

It will benefit application builders of SMB apps and those who need an embedded database for registries and directories. IBM will also embed this commercial version in IBM Workplace software to provide client database support, she said.

Mike Gilpin, vice president at Forrester Research, said that IBM’s move on Cloudscape is “not earthshaking but a logical step.”

“Any time it’s a more commoditised technology—where it’s not where IBM wants to differentiate—it makes sense to [open-source], and I think you’ll see more of this approach not only by IBM but other companies as well,” he said.

Handing over Cloudscape is IBM’s way to gain control of the middleware area, specifically where file systems, databases, application servers, and app management intersect. Some see IBM’s recruiting of the open source community as a means to stop Microsoft at the gates and dominate middleware. IBM wants to see database management functions folded into the application and Web server. If the Apache group combines enough application, Web and database management functionality into a single offering it could make Microsoft’s next-generation offering seem overpriced.

Meanwhile, IBM will concentrate on combining the higher-level system management functions available in DB2, WebSphere and Tivoli to create a distributed information system.

Perna comments that open-sourcing Cloudscape allows IBM to focus on adding higher-value functions to DB2, such as information integration, search technology and text analytics.

“We can build [analytics] into the database to make access to information faster. The better we can make DB2 an analytical database, the more [developers] will be predisposed to working on DB2,” she said.

But Microsoft is not going to let IBM gain the upper hand in the middleware market without a fight.

“[What] makes open source popular is not just that the source exists but it’s the assets people want to use. It’s making popular technologies available. It’s not as if IBM is open-sourcing DB2,” said Eric Rudder, senior vice president, Server & Tools, Microsoft.

Microsoft is strengthening its own community of developers with new engagement programmes such as Microsoft TechNet Connection and giving them better tools.

“[We’re] committing to more previews, and [doing] more samples,” said Rudder.

“We’re building community features into our tools. Visual Studio 2005 has a new window to connect to the MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) centre, and a new product feedback centre which allows you to share suggestions with Microsoft and get feedback in return.”

Visual Studio 2005 will also have “increased synergy with SQL Server 2005”, both available early next year.

“Both take advantage of the same IDE (integrated development environment). We have enhanced SQL Server 2005 with .Net technology so any .Net language can be used to extend SQL server, such as Visual Basic, Cobalt, Java, C sharp—this broadens the base for developers,” said Rudder.

Currently in beta 2, SQL Server 2005 has two other key improvements: a new database mirroring feature which enables failover within five seconds and support for XML as first-class data type, as well as expanded BI functionality.

This article first appeared in Asia Computer Weekly