Destination ASP, a program that aggregates go-to-market offerings from across Sun, is designed to empower independent software vendors (ISVs) in the Sun Developer Connection Program with the tools, partnerships, and support they need to enter the application service provider (ASP) market, build sustainable models, and drive end-user demand. Destination ASP pilot participants include Oracle, Lawson Software, Corio, Portera, Appshop, and Eagle Investments.

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Sun brought together teams of engineers from different divisions such as sales and product development to work with the developers of customer application to form "Tunathon," a program that studied and tested the performance of customer applications of Solaris Operating Environment (Solaris OE) on the SPARC platform.

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The Sun Cluster 3.0 White Paper, "Managing Application Services: A Progressive Approach" discusses the challanges managers face regarding scalability, availability, and complexity of IT infrastructures as architectures expand. This white paper discusses the four basic steps in Sun's approach to Service Management. Also covered are Sun Solutions for Service Management.

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The beta version of StarOffice 6.0 office productivity software is available for download on the Sun web site. New features include support of XML file formats, improved Microsoft Office application compatibility, and elimination of the integrated desktop.

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This article looks at some of the basic low-level (or unbuffered) I/O functions provided by the Solaris Operating Environment (Solaris OE). Each of the basic file I/O functions (the fundamental way of accessing files) either takes a file descriptor as an argument or returns one. Nomenclature for the standard input, output, and error descriptors is outlined, as are a number of specific functions.

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The Java Migration Tool for COM is a MIDL compiler for Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) components. It provides programmers a jumpstart in porting COM components to Java technology. The tool takes in MIDL description and produces Java language stubs. It also generates JavaBeanscomponents, which could be considered to be an equivalent of in-proc COM component. For the equivalent of COM+ or DCOM components, the tool can, at the user's option, generate EJB interfaces as well as skeleton implementation classes. Downloads and installation instructions are included.

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"Analyzing Application Service Providers" by Alexander L. Factor discusses IT application outsourcing, its beginnings, and its future growth and evolution. Also covered are the diverse economies inherent in ASP. ASP architectures are defined, as well as applicable technologies, and specific ASP services to be offered to ASP business customers.

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The JumpStart software feature in Solaris Operating Environment (Solaris OE) enables you to perform software installations in a hands-off manner. The SunSolve Online/etc web site provides a list of articles on different ways how to use JumpStart without a name service and how to add a kernel patch to a JumpStart installation boot image.

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The updated list from the SANS Institute of the "Twenty Most Critical Internet Security Vulnerabilities" expands on last year's list of ten vulnerabilities to highlight the most dangerous vulnerabilities. The new list is separted into three categories of Microsoft Windows, UNIX systems, and general vulnerabilities.

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The mapping of the human genome was officially completed in June, 2000. With the completion of the human genome, research goals began to expand computationally. These enormous computational tasks began to present scalability problems for many of the previously established genomic search facilities. Genomics, and the companion study of proteomics--the mapping and understanding of the coded proteins in a given genome--present genetic researchers with incredibly complex computational tasks. The secure, network-aware, cross-platform power of Java technology is increasingly proving indispensable to this ongoing Herculean task.

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The recent XML One/Web Services One Conference was an event that showed technology professionals the current and future direction of the evolving global web service network. Bill Smith, director of Sun Microsystems' XML Technology Center, former president of OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards) and member of the former ebXML initiative executive committee, delivered a keynote speech. His keynote, titled "The Importance of Standards on the Road to Web Services," described the broad vision of XML and Java technology deployment for the worldwide enterprise.

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