Oracle Promises Improved Clustering In 9i App ServerOracle Promises Improved Clustering In 9i App Server

Oracle is redoubling efforts to become a major player in the application server market. At last week's Oracle OpenWorld conference, the vendor unveiled the second release of its Oracle9i Application Server, with improved support for Java and Web-services standards, new portal capabilities, and security and clustering upgrades.

Until recently, Oracle commanded only a small fraction of the application server market. Last year, Oracle revamped its product line--essentially starting from scratch--and rolled out the first release of Oracle9i Application Server. The software was more successful than earlier products, and the latest release could boost Oracle's market share even more, analysts say. Still, Oracle has only 8% of the app-server market, tied with Sun Microsystems and behind IBM's 15% and BEA Systems' 18%.

The market is strategic for Oracle. Application servers have become the linchpin for building, deploying, and integrating Web-based applications, Illuminata analyst James Governor says. Oracle considers the 9i Application Server its third core product, along with its flagship database and E-Business Suite of enterprise resource planning and customer-relationship management tools.

The California Public Employees Retirement System in Sacramento, Calif., installed Oracle9i Application Server earlier this year as a platform for self-service Web applications for its members. The release "will be part of my rollout strategy over the next six months," says Jack Corrie, the group's division chief of IT services. "What I'm looking for is the new clustering so that I can build more robust applications."

Oracle9i Application Server standard and enterprise editions will ship in the first quarter of next year, priced at $10,000 and $20,000 per processor, respectively. A developer version is available now from the Oracle Technology Network Web site.

Oracle is also developing technology it calls XDB to enhance the ability of its relational database to store and manage XML data and content. XDB attempts to overcome differences between XML and relational database technology by making XML a native data type in the database so users can store, search, and access XML data--in combination with relational data--for operational and analytical purposes. Oracle execs wouldn't disclose when the technology would be ready but hinted that it could be in an upcoming release of its database.