OpenDS, the 100% Java implementation of an LDAP v3 directory has reached the 0.9 milestone earlier this week. At this point, it is an LDAP v3 compliant directory with multi-master replication and access controls just to name the main features. Next stops are the beta release and a 1.0 version later this year. In the mean time a Summer 2007 Bugfest has just started with prizes for people helping fix as many as 130 defects listed today.

OpenDS comes with a Java Web Start installer and data to populate the directory. It really doesn't get any easier than that to start using an LDAP directory. If you need to speak XML to OpenDS rather than LDAP, the DSML gateway (implemented as a WAR archive) is also available.

Check also the cool uses of OpenDS as presented by Ludo at the San Francisco GlassFish Day in May 2007.

The GlassFish v2 beta 2 bits are now available. For the curious out there, it's build 41d (beta 2 candidate 5).

New in GlassFish v2:
•  Clustering, Load Balancing, High Availability (HA)
•  Microsoft interoperability with Web Services Interoperability Technology (WSIT)
•  Improved Performance
•  Next-generation Web with Ajax, Scripting, and RESTful Web services

New in Beta 2:
• Fixed many bugs between beta1 and beta2
• Fixed performance issue with in-mem replication feature
• Admin GUI is now fully feature complete
• More modules in GF update center

Schedule: Final release date (latest estimate) is September 17th.

Tools: The recommended NetBeans version is 5.5.1 (RC1) although NetBeans 6 Milestone 9 also bundles GlassFish v2 beta 2.