EMIC extends open source clustering to Tomcat, JBOSS, and JOnAS

At this week's LinuxWorld in Boston, Emic Networks -- provider of fault tolerance and load balancing solutions for open source server software such Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP (collectively known as the LAMP stack) -- is extending the coverage of its clustering umbrella to open source-based Java-based application servers. In ZDNet's 10th podcast audio interview (download the MP3, or learn how to have them automatically downloaded while you're sleeping), I discuss the announcement with Emic's vice president of product management and marketing Donna Jeker.

At the end of the interview, Jeker initiated a comparison of Emic's technology to that of Oracle's and made it seem as though you get the benefits of Oracle's clustering solutions for a fraction of the cost. Ultimately, yes, both solutions deliver a degree of fault tolerance, scalability, and manageability. But the approaches to providing those services and the degree to which the solutions can power massive, mission-critical applications are so different that I can't help but wonder if that's like saying that a Kia offers equal protection to that of a Hummer because both have airbags. While Emic's solutions may very well be worth the investment for what you get (as are many low-to-midrange clustering solutions), just remember you get what you pay for. I'm not sure making the comparison to Oracle is a good idea.

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