With SCA Reality Bites J2EE Again

It is interesting to again be involved in the latest industry developments. I have recently been working on evaluating the open source implementation of SCA (Service Component Architecture) - Tuscany - currently it's still in incubator status at apache.

SCA presents interesting challenges to the J2EE world and seems to be providing a path away from its complexity and java centric view.

Anyway, here is a link to a good article at The Register. Particularly interesting is the insight into the licensing battles going on behind the scenes.

Moving on

Okay, this is the third time I've had to type this message. One more time and I quit.

I am starting a new job with Oracle Corporation on November 1st.

This is my last week at Probaris Technologies and in center city Philadelphia. I will miss my coworkers at Probaris and some of the aspects of the startup environment. I will miss the downtown philly feel and places to eat. I will not miss taking the PATCO train everyday.

I am looking forward to starting work at Oracle. I will be working on the web services team on policy realted issues initially. The entire office in Mt. Laurel consists of ex-Bluestone Software folks. Going back to work with them will be like going home.

:-)

ESB project planned by Apache

The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) is drilling deeper into infrastructure software with plans for an open source enterprise service bus (ESB) project.

ASF is next week expected to announce the ESB project, backed by a brace of software vendors and led by integration specialist Sonic Software. A source familiar with the project told The Register the ASF is offering customers an alternative to closed-source ESBs to "keep vendors honest."

http://www.theregister.com/2005/08/19/esb_apache/

Identity Management Architectures and Digital Identity

After some analysis, you've decided that your company needs to beef up its digital identity infrastructure. You've read some white papers from vendors and even considered buying an enterprise package that you've been promised will solve your single-sign-on problems. Still, you're uncomfortable. You should be.

 

Read about it here...

IBM Joins the Podcast craze

Podcasting it really taking off as a distribution channel for radio like addresses and shows and as I see it will eventually change the music industry in a big way.

IBM is using it to deliver investor information.

Read about it here...

Work Manager API for Threading from J EE Applications

BEA and IBM have introduced the Work Manager API and JSR-237 for abstracting the low level APIs for accessing container managed threads.

This elliviates the problem associated with use of threads out from under the container which could lead to resource issues. Using threads without the container's knowledge was always frowned upon but sometime necessary.

This DevX article described the Work Manager API nicely...

Read about it here...

Big names try to save the Bowery's punk music landmark

My brother Patrick's band The Silence Kit will be playing CBGB's next thursday as part of the benefit to try and keep the legendary club's doors open.

After 31 years at 315 Bowery, CBGB -- considered the breeding ground of punk rock and new wave, with early-'70s gigs by the Ramones leading to Television, Blondie, Talking Heads and the U.S. debut of the Police -- is in the last month of its lease. Renewal negotiations have been the subject of a complicated, much-publicized dispute between Kristal and the club's landlord, the Bowery Residents Community, a non-profit organization that aids the homeless.

Read about it here...

Windows Genuine Advantage cracked

HA!

Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) Programme has been cracked only days after the software giant activated the antipiracy scheme. Since the service went live on Monday (25 July), Windows users wishing to receive software updates from the Microsoft Download Centre or from Windows Update were obliged to join the WGA authentication program.

Read about it here...

JSR 196: pluggable authentication for JEE containers early draft

I am a member of the expert group for JSR 196. TheServerSide.com posted this yesterday...

After nearly 3 years since the expert group formed, an early draft review of JSR 196, Java Authentication Service Provider Interface for Containers has been released for review. The spec is intended for security & user management product vendors (not application developers). The spec will create standard ways for third party authentication providers to integrate with any JEE appserver, as opposed to the current situation where security/user management vendors need to implement custom, per-appserver interfaces (like weblogic.security.spi.AuthenticationProvider) to plug-in to those appservers.

Read about it here...