From the Blogosphere

Desperately Seeking SOA Business Cases

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Or, to rephrase that famous Kennedy quote, "ask not what SOA can do for you, but ask what you can do to improve your business!" This is a really important question because I believe that the person seeking this information is not alone in attempting to identify real value of investing in Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). The problem is that a properly done SOA should be unique to the mission, goals and processes of the organization making it of limited relative use to another organization. That is, SOA offers a framework for identifying, isolating, delivering and servicing a consumer need, and, while all businesses have some common aspects, the resulting business services should be unique to the needs of that business' consumers.

IT's Groovy Time Flashback

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST

As virtualization-lite creates swarms of increasingly dense VLANs in the data center, the IT industry appears to be responding by consolidating into coalitions, including Arcadia (EMC, VMW, and CSCO); HP/COMS; and IBM/JNPR. Each coalition will likely produce its own "branded container" dedicated to the simplification and tactical orchestration of growing VLAN empires. This consolidation takes us back to the 70s when IBM and the BUNCH offered ever-shrinking choices to smocked IT decision makers. Years later the network evolved and disrupted the consolidation with new equipment categories, new solutions and emergent demands soon addressed by a mushrooming venture capital industry and hordes of tech entrepreneurs.

Reality Check at the Cloud Computing Expo

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:30:00 EST

The talk at the Cloud Computing Expo this week in Santa Clara was all about enterprise cloud adoption. Is it real? Is it already happening? If so, who’s doing it, which applications are they running and which clouds are being tested? To a large extent, cloud computing is a victim of its own somewhat out-of-control hype cycle. Since so much has been written and discussed about the cloud in 2009, there is now a growing impatience for actual results. The fact that 2000 people showed up at the Cloud Expo in Santa Clara this week (double the number from last year’s show) suggests that at the very least, interest in enterprise cloud computing remains very real, and the need for practical solutions and use cases is growing more urgent.

Cloud, The New Taste of the Internet

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:45:00 EST

Lately there seems to be a minor debate among the clouderati about the semantic differences between the term "the cloud" versus the use of "cloud computing". So I thought I'd jump into the fray.

As someone who spends his days eating, breathing and sometimes drinking cloud computing, it's fun to see how the debate has recently devolved into a debate purely focused upon the finer semantic nuances of the various terminologies. The debate seems to generally focus on the varied usages within the companies that are attempting to "cloud-ify" themselves & their products/services. This cloudification seems to be the trend du'jour within the technology industry, an attempt to augment marketing materials and or product positioning to include cloud related buzz words, whether they make sense or not.

Actually one of the better stated criticism comes from Oracle CEO Larry Ellison who observes that cloud computing has been defined as "everything". It's everything and nothing in particular, a trendy word that is used more to impress than explain a particular problem. I for one completely agree.

As a marketing term, cloud has enabled us to broadly define the movement away from the desktop / server centric past to the cloud [Internet] enabled future. Wikipedia's cloud definition says it well, "it is a paradigm shift where technological details are abstracted from the users who no longer need knowledge of, expertise in, or control over the technology infrastructure "in the cloud" that supports them". Yup, enough said.

This message is to of you -- the ones who are jumping on the cloud bandwagon, let me say this as plainly as possible. Regardless of whether it's "the cloud" or "cloud computing" it all comes back to the fact that it's a buzzword. A way to say we're cool, we're now, we're new, with out saying it directly (a neologism). It's the New Coke of Computing / the new taste of the Internet.

So what is The Cloud? It's the Internet. And what is Cloud Computing? It's the next big thing in computing, it's using the Internet.

Is Your Vocabulary Costing You Money?

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:45:00 EDT

By Tom Hopkins When we give a presentation to a future client not only do our appearance, visual aids, and body language relay a message, but the words we use create pictures in their minds. When we hear a word, we often picture a symbol of what that word represents. We may even attach emotions to some of these words. For example, let’s consider the words, SPRING, SUMMER, AUTUMN, WINTER. Depending on your particular experience, each of those words can generate positive or negative emotions in [...]

Gain Your Prospect’s Attention

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:15:00 EDT

By Wendy Weiss On a cold call you have approximately 10-30 seconds to grab your prospects’ attention—and you won’t get a second chance. Read on to discover how to gain your prospects’ attention… I was eating lunch. The phone rang and thinking it might be a client calling (and also, let’s face it—I’m a little compulsive) I bolted to my desk and grabbed the receiver. Instead of my client, on the other end of the line was a perky person telling me that their company provides high-speed Internet [...]

Are You Getting Excited About the Cloud Computing Expo in Santa Clara?

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:45:00 EDT

Whether you are searching for a Cloud Computing solution for your enterprise or you want to learn about the latest and greatest Cloud Computing technology, The Cloud Computing Expo in Santa Clara, California running from November 2 until November 4 is for you. http://cloudcomputingexpo.com/general/keynotes1109.htm Keynote speakers include Richard Marcello, President, Systems & Technology, Unisys, Shelton Shugar SVP [...]

Ajax in RichFaces 3.3, JSF 2 and RichFaces 4

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT

During my RichFaces session at JBoss World 2009, I showed three small examples of using Ajax with RichFaces 3.3, JSF 2, and RichFaces 4. I thougth it would be a good idea to show you the difference or more correct the similarities between the three. I will be blogging more about RichFaces 4 [...]

The Art of Software Delivery

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:30:00 EDT

Often, estimates are initially made with an incomplete understanding of requirements. Estimation is done at the beginning of the lifecycle before the requirements are defined and thus the problem understood. How can you accurately estimate unless you know what the problem we intend to solve? At this point, they often represent wishes rather than realistic estimates. As the project progresses and the problem become better understood, estimates should be revisited. For example, NASA advocates re- estimation at defined points in the lifecycle. Often, a Project Manager will know that they should revise their estimates as they get a better understanding of the requirements, but are afraid to; they feel they will be viewed as a failure. A Project manager needs to be honest to themselves, their team and stakeholders.

The Neglected Flipside of SOA Security

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EDT

Joe McKendrick kicks off a thread on the current state of SOA Security. As usual, most discussion of SOA Security applies to "how SOA can be made secure". This is understandable. And, as some commentators have pointed out, there is a body of Best Practice out there on how to secure services in an SOA. For example, Randy Heffner provides lots of good advice on how to secure the services in an SOA)

Cloud Gets Endorsement From Events

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:45:00 EDT

Many of the concepts first proposed and extolled during the Internet hype curve in the mid-1990s are now bearing fruit. Perhaps we should think of cloud computing as less than a separate hype curve, and more as the realization of the original Internet value curve , now some 15 years into its mainstream maturity.

Net-Centricity: SOA in Battle

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:45:00 EDT

As the DoD and their contractors hammered out the details of Net-Centricity, it became increasingly clear that Net-Centricity required a broad, architectural approach to achieving agile information sharing in the context of a complex, siloed organization. At that point, SOA entered the Net-Centricity picture, providing essential best practices for sharing information resources to support business process needs. In the military context, such business processes are operational processes, where the operation at hand might be fueling airplanes or deploying ground troops or spying on suspected terrorists with a satellite. When battlefield commanders say that they want the warfighting resources at their disposal to be available as needed to achieve their mission objectives, they are essentially requiring a Service-Oriented approach to Net-Centricity.

The Cloud, SaaS, and IT PPM

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 05:10:00 EDT

In the same vein as the article on BPMS, have you considered a SaaS based IT PPMS (Project and Portfolio Management Systems) tool for your next project? If you are in that process now, you're in luck as Gartner has recently released their review of those tools. The report can be [...]

Is a Private Cloud Worthwhile?

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT

Much discussion in the cloud computing world has focused on a simple question: Is a private cloud infrastructure worthy of the name? It's been posed in many ways, with some going so far as claiming that there is no such thing as a private cloud. Although discussions like these are all too common in many areas, the question really amounts to little more than counting angels dancing on pin heads. The key issue is whether private cloud-style infrastructure can deliver real benefits like public clouds can.

Governance: Service Catalogs and the Cloud

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:30:00 EDT

My first read through a post on the Cloud Front Office led me to scoff disdainfully at the re-emergence of a concept central to a successful SOA implementation: the service catalog. Oh, we called it "registry" and then "registry/repository (reg/rep)" and finally "governance" but the concept behind it was exactly the same. Take a gander at the description of a cloud service catalog apparently growing out of discussions that began at Structure 09:

When SOA Fails, Just SCA

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:15:00 EDT

So, in this morning’s email I received a notification from ActiveVOS that their CTO is a primary contributor to a new book recently released on Service Component Architecture (SCA). Having just recently completed a full investigation into SCA, two things jumped out at me: 1) SCA is heavily being driven by the vendor community and 2) SCA breaks many of the rules of SOA that have been touted by these same vendors for the past 6 years. For example, SCA rewards an implied contract versus a contract-first approach to service development. That is, the contract is derived from the programming model versus defined by the architects.

Regional Cloud Computing Providers

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EDT

One of the oft discussed business challenges of cloud-based application deployments – or any remote app deployment where a service has to communicate over the public internet – is latency. It takes more time to fetch data when a request has to leave the LAN, and latency is usually variable and at the mercy [...]

Then What Does Make Someone an Architect?

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:45:00 EDT

"Historically, the architect has been the coordinator of all other disciplines involved in the building process. According to training and licensing exams, architects must be able to integrate all building disciplines to protect the overall health, safety, and welfare of a project. We are responsible for not only this integration and the accessibility of structures and their surroundings for human use and habitation, but also for the end result in terms of use, quality, composition, and appearance; engineers are responsible for the application of mathematical and physical sciences, within an area of expertise, and the related health, safety, and welfare. While architects are tested in engineering systems [structures, electrical, mechanical, and site design], building construction materials and methods, codes, contracts, programming, spatial relations, history, and theory, engineers are tested only for specific systems and disciplines. Engineers have a narrow focus; architects bridge the gap between the systems [what engineers design] and what the community needs."

Cloud Services Interest Erupts in Groundswell

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:30:00 EDT

The anticipated benefits from adopting managed cloud services have reached the executives suites of many corporations. Proactive CEOs and CFOs are pushing their IT leadership team to seek out actionable information and guidance. There's also a constant stream of service providers announcing new offerings -- and the momentum is becoming a global phenomenon. As a result, Forrester Research has witnessed an expanding number of client inquiries around cloud computing. The acceleration in market development has been building for some time now. Forrester analysts responded to more than 264 client inquiries about cloud computing between January 2008 and April 1, 2009 from companies of all sizes and industries.

Cloud Computing Is the Next Great Land Rush and It Is Happening Now

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EDT

In theory, migration to the Cloud makes business sense; you’re enabling companies to rent computing power that would cost them too much to buy. I won’t bore you with yet another blog post on the ‘what is it’ topic. There is a great synopsis of Cloud Computing published by Mache Creeger and I recommend checking it out. In our model, we’re allowing companies to pool their resources on the supply side of Cloud Computing and leverage a much bigger, better shared infrastructure on the demand side of the equation.

The Long Tail of Cloud Computing?

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EDT

So, I can infer then that some $20 Billion will comprise the 2012 feed bag from which all the little cloud computing piggies will line up at the trough to consume. Not a bad market, from 10,000 feet away. But here’s the thing. The cloud computing market is already becoming pretty full. I mean rush hour commuter train full and it will get even more crowded in the coming few years. $20 Billion doesn’t last long when you have a litany of players stepping up to the plate, and with the recent moves made by Oracle, Microsoft, EDS and other big time shops, the groovy young open source outfits that are all the rage now could very well be fighting over table scraps by 2012 (um, what’s your exit strategy?). Table scraps in a $20 Billion market? Imagine that. Welcome to the hysteria of cloud computing.

Finding New Life For SOA in the Cloud

Thu, 28 May 2009 07:45:00 EDT

We’ve been having quite a few discussions with analysts over the past few months on the subject of “cloud”. The interesting thing about these discussions is the vast array of points of view from which those analysts are viewing “cloud”. Some are focused on the network aspects, others on pricing/differentiation, and some are even very focused on what “cloud” means to applications – and the organizations that will, allegedly, take advantage of the cloud as a means of application deployment. One such analyst is Daryl Plummer of Gartner. Daryl has always been very application focused so it’s always a pleasure to speak with him and, of late, read what he has to say via his blog. (Daryl is also a cartoonist, and has turned his interests in that area on the cloud, resulting in “G-Men”. If you haven’t yet, take a gander. He’s quite talented.) The last time we spoke to Daryl he asked “What can you do to help an organization move a monolithic application into the cloud?” That’s a fairly straightforward answer for F5, unless you specify that the organization wants to move workload into the cloud, not necessarily the entire application.

Red Hat Named "Platinum Sponsor" of Virtualization Conference & Expo

Thu, 29 May 2008 14:30:00 EDT

Red Hat is a trusted open source provider. Red Hat offers enterprise customers a long-term plan for building infrastructures on the quality and innovation of open source. Combining open source operating system platform, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, together with applications, management, and Services Oriented Architecture (SOA) solutions, including the JBoss Enterprise Middleware Suite.

Oracle Buys BEA, Sun Buys MySQL: What's the Future for Developers?

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 18:15:00 EST

For BEA, I was hoping they would succeed at combining the power of JRockit with AquaLogic to build scalable workflow (a la BPM) services. Instead, we users and developers will be waiting for years to see WebLogic and AquaLogic integrated into the Oracle Fusion Middleware stack. For MySQL, I was hoping for an IPO.

As Enterprise RIA Development Market Mushrooms, Marc Fleury Joins Board of Appcelerator

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 12:00:00 EST

Appcelerator CEO Jeff Haynie is quoted as saying about Fleury, 'We believe the knowledge he developed building JBoss, to the point where it quickly became a true challenger to much larger competitors and a substantial industry force, will be invaluable to Appcelerator as we look to achieve similar dominance in our pursuit of the enterprise RIA development market.' According to Fleury the company delivers cross-platform functionality on the server side, supporting the .NET, Java, Ruby or PHP architectures. On the client side, its RIA widgets are standards-based and portable across browsers.