Oracle and SpringSource have teamed up to propose a new Eclipse project called
"Enterprise Modules" and code-named Project Gemini, "to
provide a home for subprojects that integrate existing Java enterprise
technologies into module-based platforms," the proposal said.
According to the proposal, released on Nov. 20, "Gemini will be a
parent ... for several subprojects ... that provide the specific
implementations/integrations. Gemini will itself be a subproject of the Eclipse
Runtime Project."
Also according to the proposal:
"The primary goal of the Gemini
project is to provide access to standard enterprise technology implementations
within a modular framework. The OSGi [Open Services Gateway Initiative] Alliance has developed specifications for the
application and usage of many of the enterprise technologies within OSGi. These
specifications describe how vendors should implement and interoperate with
existing services, and how the OSGi modularity, life cycle, and service models
should be applied with respect to those technologies. Gemini will provide
implementations of many of these specifications..."
In addition, the Project Gemini proposal said:
"OSGi started as a technology to
enable embedded devices and appliances to operate and communicate through
services in dynamic environments. The devices could come online and offline,
were decoupled from each other, and had independent life cycles. The framework
that emerged to host and support these features turned out to be beneficial to
other applications and software layers as well. Recently, OSGi and the
module-based design principles that it espouses and promotes, have begun
gaining popularity amongst enterprise developers as well. The natural evolution
was to start creating standards for integrating popular enterprise technologies
in module-based systems, and then provide implementations for consumption by
the general population."
SpringSource CTO Adrian Colyer is closely
involved with the project. So is Doug Clarke, director of Product Management
for Oracle Application Server's Java Persistence solutions and co-lead of the
Eclipse Persistence Services Project, aka EclipseLink.
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