Chopp Computer Corp has drawn attention to the usefulness of its ANTs software in delivering XML-based applications using parallel processor servers. The Palm Springs, California-based software vendor wrote its asynchronous non-preemptive tasks (ANTs) in C++ and Java as a development tool, designed to help programmers write scalable applications for servers with one to a thousand processors. Chopp says ANTs applications will run on all flavors of Unix as well as Windows NT. The company points out that likely applications for XML include automating business processes to run over the internet. This machine-to-machine traffic could swamp an internet infrastructure now optimized for human interaction, making it necessary to run more powerful internet servers. ANTs could improve raw XML performance by making asynchronous communication more efficient. Large servers have sophisticated control structures which exact a significant overhead. As features are added, this overhead increases and impairs server performance. Chopp says ANTs decentralises control, meaning new features can be added without slowing existing ones. For now, Chopp’s claims have to be taken on trust. The company doesn’t yet have a web site, though it says it hopes to launch one later this month.
