Term of the Day: JXTA

[Keefe]

Pronounced "juxta," JXTA is Sun Microsystems' set of open-source peer-to-peer networking protocols that allow any connected device on the network to communicate, including PC workstations and servers, cell phones and PDAs. Because it is based on protocols and not an API, JXTA works with any language, operating system, hardware and transport protocol. Virtually any network-capable device can be a JXTA peer. Because the underlying network does not have to be TCP/IP, JXTA applications can include Bluetooth-enabled mobile handsets as peers. JXTA is similar to Jini, but Jini networks require a Java Virtual Machine on every member device whereas JXTA does not.

JXTA provides the protocols for basic functions of peer-to-peer networking, such as creating, finding, joining, leaving and monitoring groups, talking to other groups and peers, and sharing content and services. The functions are performed by exchanging XML advertisements and messages between peers.

The name JXTA comes from the word juxtapose, meaning side-by-side.