Java drips deeper into network

Sun Microsystems' SunSoft subsidiary will release three products this week that will let carriers use Java technology to deploy and manage new services, effectively weaving Java into the fabric of carrier network management.

The products, to be announced at the Internet World show in New York, are intended to help carriers implement self-managed, service-driven networks. Smart, distributed Java agents act as invisible assistants, alerting network managers of potential problems throughout the network or fixing them on their own.

The Java Dynamic Management Kit (JDMK), the Bandwidth Allocator and a Java supplement to the Solstice Enterprise Manager enable agents and management services to be assembled "on-the-fly in a plug-and-play fashion," said Stephen Borcich, director of engineering for enterprise management products at SunSoft.

"The JDMK allows services to be developed," Borcich said. "The Bandwidth Allocator measures the bandwidth used by the customer and the services to make sure that the network has the capacity to deliver those services. The Solstice Enterprise Manager allows those services to be managed from a Web interface."

The capabilities are designed to help carriers in two ways. Added Java functionality could help speed development and acceptance of information appliances, such as smart telephones, by letting them load new and updated applications automatically.

Alcatel will use the products to perform this function for France's nationwide Minitel screen phone system, said Patrick Liot, president of Alcatel's Professional Consumer Division. "With this product, we can transform our network into a service-driven network," he said.

Similarly, carriers could use the technology to deploy, tune or revamp software-based services, cutting both administration costs and time to market.

The JDMK could be the most important piece of Sun's equation. The kit allows developers to create dynamic management agents.

"This could help push new services out much more quickly," said Eileen Eastman, an analyst at Business Research Group, Newton, Mass.