Web Forefront

Cloud computing - A side by side comparison

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:08:36 -0800

Web application deployment has changed substantially throughout the years. Once the domain of niche market players or 'hosting providers' that allowed you to park content on the web, this space has grown considerably, sparking the interest of players like Google, Microsoft and Amazon.

These larger companies are setting the stage to change not only how you deploy web applications, but also how you design them and how you pay for their presence on the web. All of which has given way to 'platforms' that scale and adapt more easily, than the services offered by the 'hosting providers' of yesteryear.

But what are the benefits of such 'platforms' or 'cloud computing platforms' as they are now called ? In what ways are the offerings made by Google, Microsoft and Amazon in this space different ? This entry contains more details, including an extensive 6 page Reference Card I recently wrote on the topic.

Java build tools: Why Ant will never go away and Maven will never prosper

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:50:41 -0800

I recently had a discussion on what Java build tool to use for a particular project. Its a small project in terms of the amount of code it will use -- a book project to be exact, with all its examples. But one of the co-authors suggested we use Maven. Even though I've learned to use Maven I shy away from it, but now that my co-author has hinted with A Survival Guide to Maven, OR, Why Maven's Still Cool , I thought I'd write this post on why Ant will never go away and why I believe Maven will never prosper.

'Content is king' the continuing saga, now with tight money

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:30:56 -0800

Its been almost two years since I posted the Content is the peasant, if you only live in the Internet kingdom entry, in which I mentioned how syndication, RSS feeds and the likes were going to put Internet content on its head. Fast forward to tougher times, tighter budgets and more diligence to make a sale, no wonder some people are going ballistic.But I still think we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg on this evolving saga.

Password masking, Hollywod and standards

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:03:27 -0800

Passwords are sacrosanct on the web. Some sites force you to change it every so often, others force you to use a minimum length, others force you to use certain symbols to make a password stronger. All this is OK I believe. But why do passwords always appear in the form '******' when you introduce them on a web page? As if everyone is peeping over your screen at that very second? Jakob Nielsen, one of the most notable usability experts says 'Stop Password Masking', his comments reminded me of the only time I've seen non-masked passwords: Hollywood movies. Perhaps Hollywood on this occasion has a better depiction of what works, especially now that Nielsen said something on the topic.

The multi core processor quandry for software developmet - can and will you take advantage of it

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:25:38 -0800

The era of multi-core processors, dual-core two processors in one, quad-core four processors in one, is now in full-swing. If you think to yourself 'my software will be blazing on a machine running a hexa-core processor which is six processors in one!'. It just might, but before it can do that, your software might as well run on a single-core processor if it isn't designed to take advantage of this fact. This post is a high-level view on multi-core processors, concurrency and the programming languages that have caught recent headlines as concurrency champions and how they fit this multi-core paradigm.

OSGi's service model, more than just versioning

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:46:54 -0800

In an earlier post I described OSGi versioning and Java's run-time and how the former is often discussed with the latter, since Java lacks run-time versioning. In this post I will describe another OSGi feature, one that although not as fresh a concept as Java versioning, is still central to OSGi: The OSGi service model.

Versioning and .NET's run-time

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:37:15 -0800

For those using .NET the title is probably not news, since this has been available since .NET 1.0. This is simply a follow-up to the last post ' OSGi: Versioning and Java's run-time '. Yes .NET got this functionality in its first version, Java is 7 versions in and its still not clear when support for this will materilize. The mechanism is strikingly similar though, this post will illustrate how.

OSGi: Versioning and Java's run-time

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:46:34 -0800

When the topic of OSGi comes up it often comes hand-in-hand with the term versioning. In short: 'Java has no support for versioning and OSGi does, so OSGi fills this void'. But how does this versioning mechanism work and what implications does it have for a Java application? This post will attempt to summarize how OSGi, versioning and Java's run-time fit together.

Wubi : Windows Linux dual boot the easy way, when virtualization is not an option

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:28:24 -0800

I've always liked the capability to use Windows and Linux on the same piece of hardware. Linux for any type of development, and Windows for doing documentation and media - some companies will never use Open Office or Linux compatible media lets face it. However, installing the two on the same laptop or workstation isn't straightforward: You either need to partition your disk, erase what is more likely the Windows boot loader and lets not even talk about wrecking a perfectly good Windows installation if you go wrong in any step. The other option is using virtualization software, in which one operating system is hosted and run simultaneously by the other, a resource hog and even unusable system if you don't have the adequate hardware. Another way and probably the simplest I've seen is using Wubi .

Linux disaster recovery - From upgrade, installation, re-installation to salvaging data

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:41:32 -0800

Until a few weeks ago, I'd never had a big issue with Linux. Having installed and worked on over 4 workstations with different distros over the years, they had all been stable, meaning no lost data, no sudden re-boots, frozen screens or application crashes. Well, there is such a thing as 'segmentation fault hell' or even the prospect of losing data on a Linux workstation/server as I realized all to well just recently. So if you're a Linux user, this post contains some preventive measures on avoiding a panic situation or if you're already in this situation, some steps to recover your data from what are apparently irrecoverable hardware errors.

What programming language / platform should you choose for your next project ?

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:13:33 -0800

Since I try to post on as many programming languages / platforms as possible on this blog, not to mention some of my clients have also asked me, 'What programming language / platform should I use on 'X' project ?' Here are my opinions on the subject, its a long answer, since its got as much to do with the target business, the people you can bring into a team and the abstraction provided by a programming language / platform.

Scaling in the 'cloud', a few case scenarios : Memcached & EC2

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:05:43 -0800

I've seen a few stories in recent months all having to do with scaling, there's of course the Google I/O conference that covered what can be considered 'proprietary'-'non-available' technology, the Twitter scaling nightmare -- which is backed by Ruby/Rails BTW -- and yet another on how Facebook is buying thousands of servers to support its traffic -- which is backed by PHP of all things -- its no doubt an interesting topic, but what are the real technical options out-there for scaling ? This entry will cover a few case scenarios I've worked on related to scaling, elaborating on the software that makes it all happen.

Browser makers listen up, we want the following... Signed - OpenAjax alliance

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:33:11 -0800

Reaching a consensus is a difficult task in any endeavor, just look at technology standards were numerous parties are pulling in different directions in order to get better leverage for their 'standard' based products. One such process going on right now is the one being held by the OpenAjax alliance, which will hopefully have a say on future browser standards, but what is probably more important about this process is its openness, which sheds a real light on what the software community has to say about the techniques browsers should be supporting.

Data Center technology inside Google : Wow

Sat, 31 May 2008 16:51:44 -0800

With more and more software deployed as services over the web, the infrastructure used to support it is becoming increasingly important, as a consequence data center technology is also gaining its fair share of attention. Google recently held an event showcasing some of the technology it uses in its data centers, from custom made circuit boards, custom made server racks to its own custom file system, its an impressive look at the backbone of what is probably the most scalable 'web application' on the Net.

Advertising, content networks, domains, registrars, and a few other dirty little secrets on the web

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 11:40:48 -0800

Advertising is now part of the web's DNA, the scientific and collaborative origins of the web might still be there, but lets face it, once business sense got involved it was only a matter of time for advertising to come to the forefront. This entry will cover a few practices I've seen that revolve around the money-pit that is advertising, content, domains and registrars, seen from someone who both buys advertising on the web and tries to make revenue from advertising, if you do any of these things on the web, read on for some dirty little secrets that are not so obvious and are poised to break anyone legitimately involved in this same loop.