BlueDragon Blog
Here you'll find tips and information about making the most of BlueDragon, which offers several compelling implementation alternatives for your CFML applications. This blog was created originally by Charlie Arehart, who was New Atlanta CTO from 2003-2006.,He has since moved on to become an independent consultant but continues to answer comments raised in existing blog entries. BlueDragon continues, and you should look to the newer BlueDragon blog, from New Atlanta president, Vince Bonfanti, for more updated information.

BlueDragon 6.1 Free Server Now Feature-packed!

« H E FAQs :: BlueDragon Evangelism :: Charlie Arehart :: email
posted Saturday, 28 February 2004

Continuing from the previous announcement on the new BlueDragon 6.1 Beta 3, one of the important changes is that we've decided to significantly enhance the features provided in the BlueDragon Server 6.1 FREE edition. The free edition now has almost all of the features of the premium edition BlueDragon Server JX. The advanced features of BlueDragon Server JX that are not supported in the FREE edition are:

  • Java Servlets and JavaServer Pages (JSP)
    • GetPageContext() function
    • CFINCLUDE of servlets/JSPs from CFML templates
    • CFFORWARD tag
    • CFSERVLET tag
    • J2EE sessions
  • built-in JDBC drivers for Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle
    • support for configuring additional JDBC drivers
    • (BlueDragon Server FREE edition supports only ODBC on Windows and only MySQL/PostgreSQL on Linux)
  • ability to create and deploy Precompiled, Encrypted CFML templates
  • web server adapters for iPlanet and SunONE web servers

That's it! The FREE edition now has all of the other features included in BlueDragon Server JX, including: CFCs, XML, Web Services, Java and C++ CFX tags, CFSEARCH, WDDX, etc.

Note also that the FREE edition is not licensed for redistribution or for use in providing commercial web hosting services. For additional information, please contact: sales@newatlanta.com, or visit the partner section of our site: http://www.newatlanta.com/products/bluedragon/partners/overview.cfm

So the bottom line is if you're running a server just for your own organization's applications, you can use the free Server edition. We want to help CFML developers fend off the "free" alternatives like PHP, ASP, and JSP. As we say often, "We love CFML". If you want to take your CFML skills to a client and build an app for them, the free Server edition helps you overcome that argument.

Of course, all the other editions (Server JX, J2EE and (soon) .NET editions) are free for trial and development, and we hope you may find reasons to move to any of them, as many have. :-)


comments (3)


1. a reader left...
Friday, 20 August 2004 7:01 am

Would going to production with Bluedragon's free standalone server be equivalent to going to production with Macromedia's standalone Coldfusion Server (the $1300 version), in terms of performance and stability?

Also, how does the free Bluedragon Server stacks up to say a standard install of PHP on Windows 2K Server in terms of speed and stability?

I know a lot has to do with coding practices, etc, especially when it comes to making sure you write clean code with PHP. But simply in terms of power - is Bluedragon Server on par with Zend Engine I when both are used with IIS? Maybe switching Trusted Cache to "on" brings BD up that level?

I am interested in possibly using cfml to build our sites from now on, as I am both webmaster and one of the content editors, and would like to spend more time writing content. But if in order to deploy cfml with the same performance as PHP I need to purchase a license, then I simply can't afford it at this time.

I noticed that BD advertises, just briefly, their free server as a direct alternative to PHP, but then I don't see any information on how it stacks up to PHP.

Thanks for any help.

Ryan


2. Charlie Arehart left...
Friday, 20 August 2004 7:26 pm

To Ryan's question, he asked it on the BlueDragon Interest list and you can read my reply there (http://www.newatlanta.com/c/products/bluedragon/self_h elp/archiveSearch/detail?page=1&messageId=73587). There will surely be more discussion, so those interested in the topic should please join the interest list or use the list archive search mechanism (http://www.newatlan ta.com/c/products/bluedragon/self_help/archiveSearch/showSearch). He used the subject "Bluedragon Server in production environment".