Advantages for System Integration
webMathematica is built on platform-independent standards such as HTML, Java, and Java Servlet technology.
For example, Java Servlet technology is supported, either natively or through plug-in servlet containers, by all modern web servers--including Apache, Microsoft IIS, and iPlanet--as well as by application servers such as IBM WebSphere.
The main advantages of webMathematica for system integrators include:
Easy Integration with Other Software
Other software can be incorporated readily into webMathematica with MathLink technology. For example, you can call functionality in the server to examine HTTP headers, create and inspect cookies, or use JDBC for database connectivity.
Full Separation of Server Administration and Content Generation
The server setup and content generation are completely separate so that system administrators and webmasters can set up the system once and then have others populate it. Content generators, be they engineers, writers, or instructors, do not have to understand or even have access to the underlying engine.
webMathematica Kernel Manager
An important part of webMathematica is the kernel manager, which calls Mathematica in a robust, efficient, and secure manner. The manager maintains pools of one or more Mathematica kernels; by maintaining more than one kernel, the manager can process more than one request at a time. Each pool takes care of launching and initializing its kernels. When a request is received for a computation, a kernel process is utilized to process the request and, upon completion, is returned to its pool. If any computation exceeds a preset amount of time, the kernel process is shut down and restarted. When the server is shut down, all of the kernel processes are also shut down. These features maximize the performance and stability of the server.
Additionally, Parallel Computing Toolkit offers the ability to run large calculations distributed over several sessions.
|
