Derby has a fairly long lineage. As one of the first embedded Java databases, it was originally developed by the old Informix back in the dot com era. After IBM acquired Informix, the technology sat in the back room for a while until IBM got around to donating it to the Apache Foundation, under the name Project Derby.
With the technology open sourced through Apache, IBM then incorporated Derby into Workplace, its Java-based successor to Lotus Notes/Domino. It also developed a Derby plug-in for Eclipse.
Sun decided to incorporate Derby as well once it emerged out of Apache’s incubation period last August. Sun will brand its implementation, not surprisingly, Java DB. It will be bundled into the 7.0 version of Sun’s Portal Server, and in the commercial and open source versions of Sun’s Java appserver (the open source version known as Project Glassfish).
And, for symmetry, it is also providing a Java DB plug-in for NetBeans 0- providing a bit of ironic commonality with the rival Eclipse framework.
