Sun Delivers Cross-Platform Enterprise Load Testing Tool.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 18, 1998--

Customers, Including Prudential Securities and Active Software,

Demonstrate JavaLoad 1.0 Software's

Leading-Edge Load Testing Capabilities

Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq:SUNW) today announced availability of JavaLoad(TM) 1.0 software, the industry's first cross-platform testing tool written entirely in the Java(TM) programming language to enable end-to-end load testing of enterprise applications across large heterogeneous computing environments.

JavaLoad software allows system developers and quality assurance engineers to systematically load test distributed client/server applications to ensure high-performance. With large corporate customers and ISVs, including Prudential Securities and Active Software, JavaLoad software is the testing tool of choice for businesses leveraging the benefits of the Java platform and network computing.

Businesses today are rapidly deploying applications, with technologies like NetDynamics' Application Server, for electronic commerce, banking, telephony, order-entry, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), call center and manufacturing operations. To ensure high-performance of business-critical applications before deployment, developers need to test how these applications will behave under a variety of simulated load conditions.

JavaLoad software provides developers with a cross-platform testing tool for generating repeatable, targeted client activity and then measuring the effects of the load on the network, servers and the entire system.

JavaLoad software allows developers to target load testing at every point in an application's architecture and the development process, from running Java Graphical User Interface (GUI) clients directly to targeting server-side interfaces using protocols like HTTP, CORBA/IIOP, RMI, JDBC(TM) or proprietary networked protocols.

Since JavaLoad software is written in the Java programming language, it can test both native and Java applications at every tier of the system, employing any number of client machines across the environment.

"Developers need powerful tools for testing their applications for bottlenecks before they deploy," said Joe Keller, director of Sun's Developer Environments and Tools. "JavaLoad software is the only tool on the market today that provides an end-to-end load testing solution for the entire enterprise."

Prudential Securities -- Forging Ahead With JavaLoad Software

Prudential Securities has created a Fixed Income Offerings Database which allows Financial Advisors to perform real-time queries against it using a myriad of sophisticated selection criteria. This has become the focal point of its order-entry system for the 6,500 financial advisors spread across 300 Branch Offices.

With the new intranet-based application, Prudential's advisors will be able to trade and manage bond portfolios with their main office in New York through an easy-to-use front end Internet browser.

"Before we could deploy our new web-based order-entry system, we had to successfully load test the new application to ensure that it would meet Prudential's demands for high-performance and reliability," said David Lesser, first vice president of Prudential Securities.

"To ensure a successful deployment, our internal development team is using JavaLoad software to gather critical information about our Java application and quickly pinpoint potential trouble spots. And since JavaLoad's testing scripts are written in the Java language, our development team did not have to learn another language to create load tests."

Active Software -- Peak Integration Performance

As businesses deploy new packaged applications and Internet-based technologies, they are challenged by the monumental task of integrating these systems within their existing, legacy environment. With customers including Boeing, Daiwa Securities, FedEx and Motorola, the ActiveWorks Integration System from Active Software provides the glue behind the integration of customers' complex networks.

With the Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) market growing by nearly 50% annually and expected to become a $5 billion market by the year 2001, Active Software needed a way to accelerate their in-house development efforts and better test ActiveWorks software to meet the increasing complexity of customers' real-world environments.

"To generate the complex testing scenarios needed to mimic deployed enterprise applications working across multiple platforms, system developers would typically spend days hand-coding test scripts," said Jim Green, chairman and CEO of Active Software.

"JavaLoad software allows us to perform repeated load tests that provide precise data on how the ActiveWorks solution will perform once it is deployed at our customers' location. By taking advantage of JavaLoad software, we can now deliver a higher-quality solution to our customers in half the time it would have taken us with traditional load testing tools."

About JavaLoad 1.0 Software

In addition to being the industry's only cross-platform load testing tool written entirely in the Java programming language, JavaLoad Software also utilizes reusable components, so developers can quickly construct future tests from existing test components. JavaLoad software also provides support for validating architectures, benchmarking hardware, and stressing the integrated system. Additional features in JavaLoad software include: -0-

--   JavaLoad software allows Virtual Users to be designed to
     automatically perform a list of tasks, including invoking Java
     and other applications. Once the Virtual User is defined, it can
     be replicated throughout the enterprise network to simulate real
     usage loads.

--   JavaLoad software can access, monitor and report on any
     name-value pair, including testing a client response time, the
     number of application server users, or database server data
     access times.

--   All test information obtained from JavaLoad software is stored in
     the JavaLoad Central Repository, including the programs and data
     files that comprise the load tests, as well as all result data
     generated from the load sessions.

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Other Sun Testing Tools

The SunTest(TM) Suite of Java testing tools, including JavaLoad software, provides an integrated test environment that lets developers leverage the full power of Java technology in each phase of an application's development. Additional Java testing tools include: -0-

--   JavaStar(TM) software provides an automated tool for testing Java
     applications and applets through their GUIs. JavaStar is
     integrated to run under JavaLoad software's control to capture
     load and performance data for the GUI users.

--   JavaScope(TM) software is a powerful and easy-to-use test
     coverage analyzer. JavaScope functions in the background during
     testing to monitor and ensure thorough test coverage.

--   JavaSpec(TM) software allows developers to perform formal
     specifications testing for both API and class testing of Java
     applications.

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Pricing and Availability

Available immediately, JavaLoad 1.0 software is competitively priced starting at $75,000 and includes two Consoles, five GUI Virtual Users and 500 Network Virtual Users. For more information go to http://www.sun.com/workshop.

About Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The Network Is The Computer(TM)," has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq:SUNW), to its position as a leading provider of high quality hardware, software and services for establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet. With more than $10 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com.

Note to Editors: Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, Java, SunTest, JavaLoad, JavaSpec, JavaScope, JavaStar and The Network Is the Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Active Software and ActiveWorks are trademarks of Active Software, Inc.