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We installed and tested the BackWeb Cha nnel Server/BackWeb Console on NT 4.0. We were disappointed with the installation procedure, because we had to manually edit a configuration file. We also installed the BackWeb Authoring Language Interface (BALI), a graphical tool for developing content and scripting it in BackWeb's proprietary scripting language. We used it to create scripted multimedia content, which we published on our Channel Server and pushed to Windows95 BackWeb clients.

From a developer's standpoint, BackWeb is rich with functions and features that you can combine to create useful push applications. For starters, the BALI scripting language is powerful, yet intuitive. We easily created a series of audio/video scripts and then published and pushed them to client desktops. We also like BackWeb's support for a variety of media types and Netscape plug-ins, as well as its nifty inbox capability that delivers .EXE and any other files that you push to desktops for users to execute or save. We were pleased with its batch content creation command and ability to generate content on the fly, which is particularly useful for pushing personalized enterprise data to corporate users. BackWeb also has a client software development kit (SDK) that uses ActiveX to link desktop applications directly with data from a BackWeb Channel Server.

The BackWeb Console publishes and manages content in Infopaks, which include screen savers, animations, audio alerts or wallpapers. Using BackWeb's proprietary scripting language, you can configure Infopaks to provide user access to other pushed content.

The BackWeb Console does an excellent job of monitoring server status, providing ongoing detailed reporting on the number of connection requests, downloads, packet errors and so forth. Unfortunately, the BackWeb Console lacks an interface to configuration options, so you'll have to manually edit a .CFG file to tweak the server.

BackWeb's Polite Agent protocol supports interruptible file transfers, so bandwidth-constrained users may sip on BackWeb content a cross multiple sessions for more effective and efficient multimedia downloads. Sales personnel can call in from the road and take presentations in chunks, while telecommuters can use higher-quality multimedia pushed across multiple connections. You can also configure network clients to download only during off-peak hours, when you push a high-resolution corporate communications video, sales presentation or training module to the local disk.

Marimba Castanet
Castanet provides a set of tools for developing and pushing Java-based Bongo presentations (Java-scripted interface widgets) and Java applications. Castanet's Java applications and Bongo presentations aren't restrained in the way that typical Web-based Java applets are. They save space on the user's hard drive and interact with the push server via Castanet Transmitter plug-ins that enable tailored channel behavior. You can also use Castanet to push Web pages and Java applets, but if that's all you need to do, you can get by with a Web server push to IE 4.0 or Netcaster.

When it comes to Java application push delivery, Castanet's push mechanism is state-of-the-art. (Marimba expects to extend that capability to other programming environments in a future release.) If you have Java programming expertise and applications that call for regular updates of Java code on client desktops, Castanet is an excellent solution. If you want to push Web pages, video or some other content, stick with a Web server push strategy, BackWeb or one of the many other push products.

Castanet Transmitter runs on Windows NT and Solaris, and we loaded it on Windows NT 4.0, along with Castanet's Bongo development tool which runs on NT or Windows95. We then created some Bongo presentations and pushed them out to Windows95 clients running Castanet Tuner.