The Jakarta EE 9 platform release announced during today’s JakartaOne Livestream virtual conference has a notable change: The package namespace is now jakarta.* instead of javax.*. Moving all the specification APIs to the jakarta namespace (sometimes referred to as the “big bang”) is a simple, but very significant, update that opens the door to the next era of innovation using cloud native technologies for Java.
For the first time, cloud native technologies for Java are being provided in a true open source, vendor-neutral environment that provides a level playing field for all. And the Jakarta EE community has taken important steps to encourage broad adoption across all stakeholders.
Migration to Jakarta EE 9 Is Straightforward
The decision to include only the namespace change in Jakarta EE 9 was a very deliberate one.
With only the namespace change to consider, tool vendors, product vendors, and custom application developers whose offerings rely on can focus on updating their software to comply with the Jakarta EE 9 specifications. They don’t need to consider additional innovations and updates that would make migration more challenging and time consuming. The Jakarta EE community leadership chose this release approach specifically to support the enormous task of migrating the ecosystem to a new namespace.
A number of vendors have already started migrating to the new namespace, and we expect many more to follow now that the final release is out. These vendors are getting in on the ground floor to ensure their offerings are ready to leverage the innovations in Jakarta EE 10 and beyond.
The Barrier to Entry Is Lower Than in the Past
Jakarta EE 9 is the first release containing significant changes developed under the vendor-neutral, community driven Jakarta EE Specification Process. This process makes it considerably easier for products to be certified as Jakarta EE full profile and web-compatible products than it was under previous processes, as we can see by the number of vendors which are supporting the previous Jakarta EE 8 release.
- Apache TomEE
- Apusic AAS
- Fujitsu Software Enterprise Platform
- IBM Websphere Liberty
- Jboss Enterprise Application Platform
- Open Liberty
- Payara Platform
- Piranha Micro
- Primeton AppServer
- TMax Jeus
- WildFly
I’m very pleased to see this momentum, and look forward to seeing many more products and technologies on this list.
Jakarta EE 9 Is a True Platform for Innovation
Jakarta EE 9 also represents a divergence from previous platform release strategies.
Going forward, the community members working on each Jakarta EE specification will have the freedom and flexibility to deliver as many specification releases as needed to meet the community’s requirements. That means developers and enterprises that need technology advances in a particular Jakarta EE specification such as Servlet no longer have to wait for a full platform release to start using those advances.
When it’s time for a Jakarta EE platform release, the community will determine which version of each specification should be included to create the optimal platform release. The Jakarta EE community expects to provide full platform releases more often than in the past, and will share details about the release strategy as it progresses.
Share Your Migration Updates: #JakartaEE9
Making the namespace change across all 41 Jakarta EE specifications required a huge amount of effort from many committed community members and Eclipse Foundation staff, and I want to sincerely thank them for their efforts. I have no doubt the Jakarta EE community has laid a strong foundation for future cloud-era innovations.
If you’re migrating to Jakarta EE 9, we encourage you to share updates on Twitter using #JakartaEE9. It’s a great way to connect with other people on the same migration path, and to let the world know that the massive installed base of enterprise Java applications is making the transition to the next phase of innovation.
Learn More About Jakarta EE
If you weren’t able to join the JakartaOne Livestream sessions live, you can always watch the replays on the Jakarta EE YouTube channel.
If you’d like more information about the Jakarta EE community and technologies, here are a few additional resources:
· Connect with the Jakarta EE community
· Review the Jakarta EE specifications
· Discover the benefits of membership in the Jakarta EE community
(Note: Moving all the javax specification APIs to the jakarta namespace in one release was referred to as the “big bang”. It is a simple, but very significant, update that opens the door to the next era of innovation using cloud native technologies for Java.)
