Last week we made available the latest sustaining (for-fee) release of the GlassFish Server. GFv2.1p2 fixes 40 new bugs beyond the 31 fixed by GFv2.1p1. GFv2.1p2 is also a patch release (p8) for the earlier GFv2U2; collectively all the patch releases in that family addressed 152 bugs. Sustaining releases are available at the Basic level of Sun GlassFish Portfolio; higher subscription levels entitle different levels of customer support and access to the GlassFish Enterprise Manager

The Sun Identity Team is kicking off a monthly webinar program outlining our overall portfolio and how it can help you solve everyday identity challenges. The first session will be held on February 18 at 8AM PT and will provide an overview around how Sun approaches everyday identity and offer an overview of our methodology to build strong identity foundation that lasts. So . . . what are you waiting for! Register for our life changing webinar now!

Just slightly over a year ago I posted Welcome Aboard, MySQL! from Orlando. Since then we have worked together in many things including GF Bundles, IdMgr, Telco, OSS Price/Performance, Pricing, even Legal. Possibly the biggest impact of the acquisision has been on the non-engineering side: the MySQL team brought an emphasis on volume and that is making a huge difference - I can point to some Isolated deals and to Sun's financials.

I've enjoyed the MySQL team throughout the year and now we will have even more opportunities to work together since the engineering team is going to report into Karen Padir, my manager. As you would expect the news have been reported in the online press and blogosphere. If you are interested, I'd start with Kaj's post, and, if you are attending FOSDEM you may want to attend his Q&A Session. Other reports include ArsTechnica, SJMercury, CW, ITWorld, IW, ZDNet, Reuters, the451group, OWDeveloper and The Register; of these, the post I probably find most interesting is Matt Asay's.

The next "Ask the Experts" is on the Open Source Java Project. This will give the Java community an opportunity to ask questions about Sun's open source initiatives, including GlassFish. Got a question about Sun's open-sourcing of its Java platform implementations? Read the FAQ . Then post any follow-up questions during this Ask the Experts session, week of Jan. 16-19, and get answers from representatives of Sun's Java platform implementations.

OpenGrok is a fast and user-friendly multi-lingual search and cross-reference tool that is used by the OpenSolaris team. OpenGrok first grinds through the sources to create the data repository; the program itself is written in java and uses Exuberant Ctags. The result is then browsed through a Java Web App that runs in a container like GlassFish (or Tomcat), and Shawn reports positively on his Experience using OpenGrok on GlassFish.

I think it would be interesting to try to combine the features of OpenGrok with those of Sorcerer. Since Sorcerer uses the JavaC Tree API, the information is more accurate, but OpenGrok has more features (like full text search) and is multi-lingual.

Another Kohsuke special: a source cross-referencer that is using the JavaC Tree API to produce high quality information; check this Sample Output. The Sorcerer project is Open Source at Java.Net and it includes goodies like a Maven 2 plugin. Kohsuke also promises to run sourcerer on the Project Glassfish Sources and make this another of the Tool Services available to the community. Also check Tom Ball's blog on Hacking JavaC.

Here are instructions, from Martin, on how to Run Mercurial on GlassFish. For more information on Mercurial, check: Wiki home page, Features, Quick Start, and Map of CVS Concepts. Also see our earlier blog and Neuron's blog.