Java EE (Java Enterprise Edition) General Discussion

Hi all,
I have used Apple's Enterprise Object Framework in the past when any project required database connectivity. EOF provided the tools and the runtime to set up an object to relational table mapping, caching of objects, rules for cascading deletes, primary key propogation, and cache to persistance layer synchronization.

Now I am looking for an OpenSource (i.e., free) alternative that is as quick to configure, intuitive to use, has a fast runtime, and can be distributed as in a client/server environment.

Options I have examined are Apache.org's OJB project and ObjectStyle.org's Cayenne project and briefly, Exolab.org's Castor project.

A colleague mentioned that an EJB solution might be a better route to take since there is so much support for it.

Can anyone tell me if EJB is the correct tool for the job? I am an EJB newbie, thus the "quick to configure" might not be fulfilled due to my ignorance. Everytime I looked at EJB is seemed more complex than required, hard to debug, hard to setup, and confusing as there were EntityBeans, SessionBeans, and different persistence methodologies(Container Managed, Bean Managed). I don't want to design my persistence layer tool. I want to leverage one and begin concentrating on business logic as EOF allowed me to do.

Can anyone point me in the correct direction?
Thanks,
Dave Paules