CiaN:MinDMaP

So today I’ve been reading about Service Oriented Architecture and Design concepts. It seems to be an interesting development in the arena of Systems Analsysis and Design. From what I’ve read so far, it takes elements from Enterprise Architecture, Business Process Modeling, and Object Oriented Analysis and Design.

The central concept of SOAD is that it further abstracts concepts in those three areas into real life (for example Web) functional concepts. Operations, Services, and Business Processes. Operations are Logical Units of Work. For example a software component that could retreive an attribute, like getFirstName(). A Service, is simply a grouping of these operations, like getUserProfile(). And a Business Process is a grouping of Services, like createNewUser().

Part of the reason this has come around is the age old problem of what do we do with our old systems? Typically when you design a new system, you do a top down approach, map out all the actors and objects, map out sequences of events, and how objects interact. But when you want to integrate it with an existing system, you must also do a bottom up analysis, and meet somewhere in the middle. Service Oriented Analysis optimizes this experience, by allowing one to do a holistic analysis of the Business Services that are provided by a system.

So essentially SO is like OOAD (Object Oriented Analysis and Design) but it blurs the details of the Class and Object relationships so you can focus on higher level, more important concepts like Services.

Then you start getting into how you descibe these Services and interactions. For example a common one on the web is WSDL (Web Service Description Language) based on XML and using SOAP. So to interact with someone’s web service, you use a service directory to first search for and find a service that fits your needs. These are often stored in UDDI (Universal Description Discovery and Integration) on some sort of Directory. Once the appropriate service is found, you can use the WSDL to connect to it. The WSDL will describe what sort of methods can be used, what port to connected to, basically all the information an Actor would need to get or put information into a system. It can also describe constraints such as order of operations and such.

With that in mind, you start to see how new web applications and systems can be designed with Services in mind, rather than just simple classes and objects. From what I have so far, this is one more level of abstraction that will allow much more transparencies between different systems, and will help move towards the ‘Data Everywhere’ model that is demonstrated by web applications such as salesforce.com or facebook.com.

I know I’m not an expert on this, so no flames please. I’m simply exploring some new ideas in an area that I happen to be researching at the moment.

Tags: analysis, computers, design, facebook.com, object oriented, salesforce.com, systems
Posted in Business, Coding, Sysadmin | | No Comments »

So everyone seems to be jumping on this whole Open Source bandwagon, or at least trying to take advantage of it. OS X did what few do and completely revamped their entire OS, deciding to go with BSD (my favorite) as the underlying infrastructure. Vista, white they stole a lot of their visual styles and interface widgets from OS X, are making the move to become more like Open Source OS’ by implementing (yes I know, bad) User Access Control, and a new command shell with scripting ability. Microsoft has even bought out Sysinternals and made their OS tools their own, tools which all have a very *nix feel to them.

Sun has been trying to emulate a lot of what BSD has been doing for years, and yes, in some cases they actually do it better. Take BSD jails for instance. They have been around since like 2000? Something like that. Sun eventually came out with their own variant, Solaris Zones. Now I do admit, Zones have much more granular control than jails do.

And now Sun has publicly released their OpenSolaris OS which is still based on the Solaris kernel, but has been a collaborative development project involving many Open Source developers and software platforms. They implement modern *nix desktops such as GNOME and a brand new package managment facility that is supposed to be similar to many linux package managers.

This is great. Sun does do a good job on the underlying OS, where they’ve historically had many problems (and problems that I deal with every day) is in applicaiton development and support. For example I don’t know a Sun admin who actually runs Sun’s IPF module (except us lol) because of all the problems with it. So trashing all that and replacing it with OS software is a good idea.

What I’m interested to see with the new OS, and no one has commented on this yet, is if Sun has implemented a headless install option. If you’ve ever tried to do this with Solaris, you know what I’m talking about. They have so tightly integrated their java desktop and other packages, that the dependancy resolution will take you years to figure out…and there’s no easy way to go about it either. So if you happen to be using a Console connection through a 9600 baud terminal server…it really takes hours to figure out that there is no way in hell it will let you strip off the packages you don’t need. Any literature that I’ve read on this subject recommends just installing everything, and turning down services you don’t need.

From a security perspective, in my eyes, packages you don’t need introduce variables and potential security holes that really have no place on a secure system. Many of my FreeBSD boxes which service only one purpose (such as a db server) have about 5 packages installed on them. Easy to maintain, easy to audit. Look at the process table once and you have it memorized. You will instantly know if something is ‘off’.

Sun, if you are reading this, please please please implement a headless install option.

Tags: computers, freebsd, nix, open source, solaris, sun
Posted in Business, Sysadmin | | 2 Comments »

It’s the 4th of May and it is one of those days. The sun was shining yesterday and I was out in the yard doing work. I have a mud pit for a front yard because last year I started to dig up all the patchy grass and lumpy soil…but never had time to finish re-sodding or whatever. The whatever is what I’ve been thinking about. I’ve been thinking a lot more Green lately. As in party. A gentleman who is a candidate for the Green party has asked me for some help, I’m thinking I could put some of my business skills to use for a real cause.

But as far as the personal aspect of all this, they have just passed law in Ontario that most herbicides are illegal now, because they are persistent and harm our environment, thus causing harm to us. So why wait until they pass it here? If that’s true, why are we even bothering with grass? I heard an interview with a couple from Ottawa that are just letting the weeds take over. “Actually I find the yellow flowers kinda nice…”.

Indeed. Well my back yard has never had a weed problem – but that’s because I never mowed it for 3 years. It’s this really nice thick prairie grass that grows about 1-2 feet tall. I’m pretty sure it’s way too dark for the weeds down near the soil so they don’t stand a chance.

Here we are, trying to force our environment to fit to a certain model, a model that really makes no sense, and just makes more work for us! White picket fence, grass lawn, etc. Herbicides to kill the weeds, pesticides to kill the ants. I tell yah, when my neighbours had ants in their lawn it was awful…but my ‘forest’ didn’t have any problems. So perhaps trying to fit nature into a box forces it to ‘fight’ back by using it’s natural (lol) balancing mechanisms. If you don’t want tall grass in your front yard, perhaps you shouldn’t have grass at all.

Then I start thinking, well since grass takes lots of maintenance and natural resources, mowing, poisoning, watering, etc. Why not remove it?

What I was going to do last year was lay down some scotch moss which is pretty native to the northern part of NA. But I’m not entirely sure how to do that. I know I have to acidify the soil, but don’t want to spend a bunch of money on something that will just die.

I also have the option of laying down brick or something like that. But then I’m reducing the amount of food available to the animals that live in my area. Perhaps I can tell them to use the back yard

Another thing snow day reminds me of is a few years ago, when I was just getting into photography. I shot a set that later became titled “Snow Day” on suicidegirls.com. My friend Vesper and I went out into my back yard at around 8am or so on a Sunday. The sun was bright and the colour was beautiful. We had tons of fun, and she got a little cold. But it’s one of those memories that just gets burned into your mind…not to mention that it’s reinforced by having digital images. That was the set that got us both into SG, though I declined to sign the contract because I didn’t want to work for them exclusively (anyone hear about Apena and Lithium Picnic being sued, it’s total BS those fracking sellouts!!!)

I digress.

Lol I always wanted to say that actually. I’m glad I’m writing again. I’m had the block for about 2 years. Or so. I think really there was an even that happened that hurt me…and I’ve been asleep ever since. But some of the things that are happening in my life right now are not necessarily repairing things, but are waking me up. I’ve come into some sort of great source of power, something that gives me influence over people, and events in my life. It’s nothing tangible, and no it’s not some sort of cult or religious thing either. Just an understanding. I’m starting to truly see how things in my world work, or don’t, and I’m using that.

Being able to see deeper into the meaning of the events into my life have given me the ability to re-tapp into the creative side of me that I thought I had killed. It was after all the side of me that allowed me to live a little too much, and hurt me greatly in the end. But now with the knowledge that I’ve gained over the past few years, I have the wisdom to control that again, because, of experience I guess.

It’s weird how when you’re a kid (or at least when I was) that you think everyone is dumb, and don’t understand why people do the things they do. Well with age comes experience, and if you’ve been paying attention, wisdom. Now I see why people do the things they do. I still think a lot of them could be doing better things with their time, but I don’t blame them, think they are dumb, or misunderstand them. I know that people are just trying to live their lives according to their own experiences, impulses, and influences.

Now I just try to understand things that are unknown or confusing, instead of shunning or hating them. That is the great awakening I am talking of.

Tags: awakening, green party, lithium picnic, snow, suicide girls
Posted in Personal | | No Comments »

So I’m writing this post today becuase I got a new phone. It’s touted to be one of the best of the market, and for the most part, it is. The problem I’m having is with something that (I admit) isn’t truly that important to me. Video and audio streaming. I really would like access to the 50 GB of music and 2 TB of videos that I have at home, no matter where I am. Having the unlimited data package that I do, combined with the 700 KB EVDO from Telus Canada, I thought, man I can’t loose! Who needs an 8 GB MicroSDHD card when I’ve got the internet!

Too bad.

So I’ve been reading a lot of blogs on people having the very same problem. Lots of people attribute it to application permissions, or cell towers not having enough bandwidth (bullshit). But the more I look around, the more I see that there are people who were early adopters to the technology who say it used to work…but no longer. As of Feb 2008 to be exact.

That’s shortly after Blackberry launched their video on demand demo service. Free. Also shortly after Youtube launched their mobile video application. Free.

Nothing in this world is free folks.

So say you’re running a telephone company. And you’re raking in the cash on data. $8 – $12 per MB. Wow you’re rich! But people start getting pissy about how expensive data is, because all they really want is email and the odd news feed. For this to cost them an extra $40 per month is retarded. Plus you know just over the horizon is new competition coming out with the sell off of wireless bandwidth. Google. That word scares the shit out of everyone.

You need people to sign contracts. But a lot of people are buying their new phones on ebay now, and somehow getting them activated (even though you don’t have SIM card technology like those other guys). So you decide to bundle up some great personal and business packages and set them off. Unlimited data / email for almost a quarter what it would cost before. You have a flurry of sales. You’re 4th quarter in 07 is great. Astonishing actually, you can’t believe you didn’t do this before.

Youtube launches their mobile video service. Then Blackberry. Oh shit…did we actually talk to any network engineers about this unlimited data thing?

The bills start to come in. And the reports of dropped voice calls on towers in toronto and vancouver. You need to do something fast.

It’s the end of January 08 and you decide to ‘break’ video on demand. But we are not going to actually tell anyone about it, nor will we admit it. It anyone presses the issue say something about the towers not being able to support live streaming yet.

Then we can ‘upgrade’ our towers and offer streaming ’services’ as a billable service. In addition to your unlimited internet service of course

Tags: blackberry
Posted in Personal | | No Comments »