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Apache Derby graduates with Sun onboard

One year after IBM submits initial code, the Apache Foundation releases first version of open-source Java database.

Martin LaMonica Former Staff writer, CNET News
Martin LaMonica is a senior writer covering green tech and cutting-edge technologies. He joined CNET in 2002 to cover enterprise IT and Web development and was previously executive editor of IT publication InfoWorld.
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The Apache Foundation has released the first version of the open-source Derby database, which also gained support from Sun Microsystems.

Apache Derby is a Java database that IBM submitted to the foundation last year. Late last month, the project graduated from "incubator" status and became part of the Apache DB project.

Meanwhile, IBM rival Sun voiced its backing for Derby. Sun said it will dedicate employees to work on the project at Apache and intends to bundle the database with its Java software products.

According to Sun, the company's decision to dedicate "committers" to Derby helped push the project out of incubator status. To be a full-fledged Apache project, a software product needs to demonstrate interest from a more than one vendor.

Sun said it plans to embed Derby as a database with its Java application server and portal server as well as its open-source NetBeans Java developmental tool.

Derby is specifically designed to be embedded within other Java software products, rather than a fully featured relational database.

IBM already has a commercial version of Derby called Cloudscape. It also acquired GlueCode, which bundles Derby with the Apache Geronimo Java application server.

Apache Derby version 10.1.1.0 introduces an open-source network driver and supports the Java 2 Micro Edition standard used for handheld devices.