rPath
®,
whose unique technology simplifies application distribution and management through virtual appliances, today announced upgrades to rBuilder®
and new functionality for the rPath
Appliance Platform™.
rPath’s rBuilder and the rPath Appliance Platform transform applications into virtual appliances. A virtual appliance is an application combined with a streamlined operating system, offered in a format that runs in virtualized environments.
rBuilder is the first and only development tool that simplifies and automates the creation of virtual appliances. The updated version of rBuilder, rPath’s flagship product, provides a new Appliance Model which allows software companies to centrally define configurations for the development, testing and release stages of their appliance. This makes it easier for multiple groups to coordinate on the development and launch of a new appliance. It also ensures that consistent processes are used across multiple appliance releases. Additionally, rBuilder 4.1:
· Streamlines the process of turning an application into an appliance and provides appliance templates that can be customized to a vendor's specific needs.
· Provides detailed reports on the software contents of each appliance, including information on the license for each software component. These reports reduce lengthy legal review cycles prior to product release, speeding time to market.
The rPath Appliance Platform includes all the services needed to provide customers with a sophisticated appliance life cycle experience. Maintenance, configuration, backup, networking, user management and more are all provided to the customer via a simple browser interface. The rPath Appliance Platform 3.0 sports a new, cleaner look and feel. User interface consistency and usability have been improved while the ability for appliance developers to customize the user interface has been simplified. New functionality for the rPath Appliance Platform includes two new features which ease the burden of supporting appliances deployed in the field:
· System Information service, which provides detailed hardware information for the appliance.
· Collection Tool service, which gathers critical information from the appliance and delivers it to the vendor’s support organization.
“rPath is the driving force in transforming applications into virtual appliances, and we are committed to delivering the best technology to the market,” said Erik Troan, CTO and founder of rPath. ”As our product continues to evolve, more and more ISVs are realizing the benefits of software and virtual appliances with faster time to market and return on investment.”