Progress enhances OpenEdge platform for quicker application modernisation

Infrastructure software provider, Progress, has announced the introduction of new features to its OpenEdge platform. This trusted platform is utilised globally by over 100,000 customers and these enhancements are designed to speed up application modernisation.

The updates include the integration of OpenTelemetry, support for incremental builds and the introduction of dynamic data masking. The intent of these features is to aid developers and organisations in optimising development processes, enhancing database performance and boosting the security of applications.

John Ainsworth, Executive Vice President, General Manager, Application and Data Platform, Progress, said, "Whether you're an Advanced Business Language developer seeking enhanced productivity tools, a database administrator aiming to streamline management tasks or a security-conscious professional striving to protect critical assets, OpenEdge 12.8 enables you to develop, deploy and manage business applications that are more secure, scalable and agile."

Progress OpenEdge 12.8 equips Advanced Business Language developers with tools designed to improve productivity and optimise workflows. These include OpenTelemetry integration for increased operational metrics and trace information to manage OpenEdge applications effectively. Trace information provides crucial insights into application performance, helping to identify code bottlenecks and optimise application performance.

Additional improvements include incremental build support, allowing developers to quickly rebuild only parts of the code affected by changes, thus significantly reducing build times and facilitating accelerated development cycles. The updated OpenEdge application also boasts enhanced integration and environment management through improved administration and monitoring capabilities.

A significant addition to OpenEdge 12.8 is the integration with Apache Kafka, enabling businesses to enhance their applications with real-time data feeds and event streaming. OpenEdge Command Center (OECC) is another headline feature, providing a cloud-ready tool and APIs for simplified management of OpenEdge applications and the integration of popular Application Performance Management tools likely already present in developers' environments.

Incorporated into this release are various database improvements, enabling administrators to perform more tasks online, thereby eliminating the need for downtime for offline maintenance operations and offering substantial performance enhancements in areas such as database scan/repair and backup/restore.

OpenEdge 12.8 also introduces several features that boost application security to help safeguard critical data. The inclusion of Dynamic Data Masking (DDM) allows Security Administrators or Database Administrators to disguise sensitive data at run time, based on user role permissions. This enables OpenEdge business applications to meet data privacy and integrity requirements such as GDPR or HIPAA more easily.

Also included is support for Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), which provides a safe environment for cryptographic operations and facilitates compliance with stringent security standards. The latest version of the open-source cryptographic library, OpenSSL 3.1, is implemented in OpenEdge 12.8, supporting Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3 and promoting robust encryption and data integrity for OpenEdge applications.

OpenEdge's developers are using this platform to build innovative business applications, forming the backbone of a range of sectors such as healthcare, financial services and manufacturing. With OpenEdge 12.8 now available, businesses will have access to a platform capable of generating robust, secure applications with high availability and flexible deployment options.