ESS is an SSL (secure sockets library) implementation written from the ground up for use in resource-constrained embedded devices. It comprises client and server components with footprints as small as 50KB each, separately, or 60KB together. ESS was announced in October of 2003 by partner Art & Logic, which integrated a beta version of ESS with the popular GoAhead WebServer. After extensive testing, ESS reached general availability in June.

Support for more platforms and OSes

According to Mocana, ESS was written to be platform and architecture independent, enabling support for OSes and platforms to be added "in hours." The library now supports "most devices," Mocana says, and will integrate seamlessly with hardware accelerators without custom code. Currently supported platforms and architectures include:

• New Platforms
  • MacOS X
    
  • (ARC) MQX
    
  • pSOS
    
  • Cygwin
• Pre-existing platforms:
  • Windows CE and XP Embedded
    
  • Linux
    
  • VxWorks
    
  • MontaVista Linux
    
  • Nucleus
    
  • Solaris
    
  • ThreadX
• Newly supported optimized processor support:
  • PPC
• Pre-existing optimized processor support:
  • ARM
    
  • Coldfire
    
  • MIPS
    
  • 386+

Broader cryptography support

The new version of ESS supports "all major cryptography suites," Mocana says, as well as:

• Mutual Authentication for SSL/TLS Client and Server
  
• Simple Certificate Management for SSL/TLS Client and Server
  
• Keyboard Interactive Authentication Support for SSH Server

Support for advanced authentication makes the new library version suitable for implementation in perimeter security devices, Mocana says.

New customers

Mocana additionally announced that customers of ESS now include AMX Corporation, Centillium, Radvision, and Performance Technologies, along with pre-existing customer Nortel Networks. Mocana also partners with networking products and services providers such as MontaVista Software, it says.

"Mocana continues to broaden its out-of-the-box support for device manufacturers and semiconductor vendors to provide industry-leading security with unsurpassed ease-of-use, flexibility, and performance," said Adrian Turner, Mocana President and CEO.

Availability

Mocana Embedded Security Suite is generally available now, and an evaluation version is available for download.

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