Questions to ask software vendors
Hi everybody,
While I am not new to Java, I have not developed in Java for a very long time and there have been a number of changes. The company I work for does not do in house development, but rather purchases complete solutions from vendors. As such, we put vendor solutions through a fairly rigorous assessment to ensure compatibility with other applications, our infrastructure, and our security/privacy policies.
So here is the problem. The number of Java based applications that are coming into our environment has grown significantly, but we are not currently asking our vendors any questions related to Java other than the version they use. I was wondering if the Java community could tell me what questions we should be asking vendors about their Java product. I have come up with a few questions which I have posted below (mostly client based questions as opposed to server based), but would appreciate if you all could suggest others as my Java knowledge is limited. Here is what I have so far:
1. Does you product implement the J2EE framework?
2. Does you product install its own version of Java in an isolated directory or is it reliant on a resident installation of Java.
3. If your product is reliant on a resident installation of Java, does you product update the resident version of Java to the version which your product requires?
4. Can you product function with multiple versions of Java installed on the client machine?
5. Does you product install its own version of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) in an isolated directory or is it reliant on a resident installation of the JRE?
6. If your product is reliant on a resident installation of Java Runtime Environment (JRE), does you product update the resident version of the JRE to the version which your product requires?
7. Can you product function with multiple versions of Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed on the client machine?
8. Does you product use web services?
If you can think of any others please let me know.
Thanks!
[2091 byte] By [
Techie101a] at [2007-11-27 10:57:15]
Can I addres some of your existing questions first?
> 1. Does you product implement the J2EE framework?
Implement? J2EE framework? I'd avoid that question as it makes you look like you don't know what you're talking about, and they'll fob you off with nonsense
> 2. Does you product install its own version of Java
> in an isolated directory or is it reliant on a
> resident installation of Java.
Does Java licensing permit this? I'm not sure
> 3. If your product is reliant on a resident
> installation of Java, does you product update the
> resident version of Java to the version which your
> product requires?
Would you want it to? Most enterprises I know wouldn't be too comfortable with software that does things like this on its own. Wherever I've worked for a vendor, we've mandated a version, and left it up to the customer to install it
> 4. Can you product function with multiple versions of
> Java installed on the client machine?
Again, is this desirable?
> 5. Does you product install its own version of the
> Java Runtime Environment (JRE) in an isolated
> directory or is it reliant on a resident installation
> of the JRE?
How does this differ from question 2?
> 6. If your product is reliant on a resident
> installation of Java Runtime Environment (JRE), does
> you product update the resident version of the JRE to
> the version which your product requires?
How does this differ from question 3?
> 7. Can you product function with multiple versions of
> Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed on the
> client machine?
How does this differ from question 4?
> 8. Does you product use web services?
Do you? What for? The answer could be "yes!" but offer no value at all
To be honest, a set of stock questions isn't really suitable. Without knowing the details of what you do, it's hard to say. You need concrete requirements for each consideration, rather than a sort-of vendor compliance questionnaire, which will almost always be filled in in a way to encourage you to buy, rather than honestly. Quite what those requirements are, are very specifically determined by what your organisation does, and how it operates
I'm not sure the above fit in with your rigorous assessment to ensure compatibility. Particularly the questions about systems updating Java for you
