Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

Enterprise JavaBeans
     
         (EJB) A {server}-side
        {component architecture} for writing reusable {business logic}
        and {portable} {enterprise} applications.  EJB is the basis of
        {Sun}'s {Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition} (J2EE).
     
        Enterprise JavaBean components are written entirely in {Java}
        and run on any EJB compliant server.  They are {operating
        system}, {platform}, and {middleware} independent, preventing
        vendor {lock-in}.
     
        EJB servers provide system-level services (the "plumbing")
        such as {transactions}, security, {threading}, and
        {persistence}.
     
        The EJB architecture is inherently transactional,
        {distributed}, {multi-tier}, {scalable}, secure, and {wire
        protocol} neutral - any {protocol} can be used: {IIOP},
        {JRMP}, {HTTP}, {DCOM} etc.  EJB 1.1 requires {RMI} for
        communication with components.  EJB 2.0 is expected to require
        support for RMI/IIOP.
     
        EJB applications can serve assorted clients: {browsers}, Java,
        {ActiveX}, {CORBA} etc.  EJB can be used to wrap {legacy
        systems}.
     
        EJB 1.1 was released in December 1999.  EJB 2.0 is in
        development.
     
        Sun claims broad industry adoption.  30 vendors are shipping
        server products implementing EJB.  Supporting vendors include
        {IBM}, {Fujitsu}, {Sybase}, {Borland}, {Oracle}, and
        {Symantec}.
     
        An alternative is Microsoft's MTS ({Microsoft Transaction
        Server}).
     
        {Home (http://java.sun.com/products/ejb/)}.
     
        {FAQ (http://java.sun.com/products/ejb/faq.html)}.
     
        (2000-04-20)