As an authority on the analysis and interpretation
of middleware issues and opportunities, Spectrum
Reports - through MIDDLEWARESPECTRA - provides a
balanced perspective between user experiences, product
perspectives and implementation knowledge. These
insights cannot be found both reliably and collectively
through any other source.
Application
Integration: To invade... or not to invade?
MIDDLEWARESpectra
Reprint (PDF)
Martin Fincham, VP of marketing - MITEM Corporation.
A non-invasive integration approach is one which
does not require any modifications or additions
to existing applications. The basic premise is
simply to accept existing application interfaces
(every application must have an interface of some
kind - for example, a 3270 terminal data stream
- otherwise the system cannot be used by human
operators). A non-invasive approach accepts that
although this foundation is inherently sound for
its designed purpose, this may be limited - especially
when an existing application needs to be used
in ways, or combinations with other applications,
for which it was never designed (such as communicating
with other systems).
Why
Non-Determinism in Middleware Should not be Ignored
MIDDLEWARESpectra
Reprint (PDF)
Dr.
Aurel Kleinerman, chief executive officer - MITEM
Corporation
Non-determinism is a computer science concept,
with significant practical implications. Computer
science has ignored the practical implications
- because the theoretical solution is simply stated
(if unachievable in a commercial environment).
Academically, non-determinism lacks 'intellectual'
interest. Unfortunately, in the practical world
of IT, the theoretical solution does not apply.
Indeed the cost of resolving the difficulties
raised by non-determinism rapidly become prohibitive
as the number of 'components' which need to work
together rises. This is particularly applicable
to distributed systems connected by middleware,
with major implications for project management,
application maintainability and overall dependability.
Middleware
Makes Mainframe Applications More Productive at
APL
MIDDLEWARESpectra
Reprint (PDF)
Michael Woods, American President Lines and Allen
Cull (Principal), API
American President Lines (APL) is a US$3billion
global company providing container transportation
by ship, rail and truck. In this interview Michael
Woods of APL and Allen Cull, formerly of APL and
now a principal at consulting firm API, discuss
one method they used to integrate distributed
and legacy systems in a mission critical application
environment at APL.
Business
Goals + Pragmatism = Middleware Success
MIDDLEWARESpectra
Reprint (PDF)
Martin
Fincham, VP of marketing - MITEM Corporation.
Many analyses that attempt to provide a blueprint
for success are in fact little more than a cookbook
of the pitfalls to avoid, assuming that the act
of simply avoiding failure will automatically
translate into project success. To Mr. Fincham,
achieving success is meeting - and ideally exceeding
- business expectations. The wise know that the
most effective way consistently to meet and exceed
expectations is to set them correctly in the first
place. Therefore perhaps the most valuable information
he has to share in this analysis is how to set
expectations for a middleware project/implementation. |
