Sunrise today was at 8:17... full of Golden Reflections...
/ This post is bilingual: English (U.S.) and Portuguese (Portugal) /
O nascer do sol de hoje foi às 8:17... cheio de Reflexos de Oiro...
2008-06-24
2008-06-16
A new adventure starts...
No, I'm not talking about the latest Indiana Jones movie... I'm talking about my PhD! After the prologue, it's about to really begin! I've got so much work ahead, but I'm looking forward to it!
It wouldn't be possible without some very special persons... they know who they are ;-)
It wouldn't be possible without some very special persons... they know who they are ;-)
2008-06-14
Home and away / Em casa e fora
"May your home be a place where friends meet,
where family gathers, and where love grows."
When you travel to learn and be wiser,
may you return to see it all brighter.
/ This post is bilingual: English (U.S.) and Portuguese (Portugal) /
"Que a tua casa seja o sítio onde os amigos se encontram,
onde a família se reúne e onde o amor cresce."
Quando viajares para aprender e ser mais sábia,
que possas regressar e ver tudo com mais brilho.
where family gathers, and where love grows."
When you travel to learn and be wiser,
may you return to see it all brighter.
/ This post is bilingual: English (U.S.) and Portuguese (Portugal) /
"Que a tua casa seja o sítio onde os amigos se encontram,
onde a família se reúne e onde o amor cresce."
Quando viajares para aprender e ser mais sábia,
que possas regressar e ver tudo com mais brilho.
2008-05-07
STEPping up!
It's official! The STEP Framework is now available as an open-source project at SourceForge. It's a multi-layer Java enterprise application framework with support for Web Applications (Servlet/JSP) and Web Services. It's:
Simple, Extensible and
for Teaching Purposes!
The founding STEP team members are: Miguel Pardal (me), Sérgio Fernandes and Jorge Martins. The driver for this work was the combined laboratory project for Software Engineering and Distributed Systems courses at IST. A challenge for over 300 students each year!
There are MSc proposals open right now for students wishing to STEP up and improve the framework! We're planning Policy support, multi-transports beyond HTTP and integration with the latest generation Microsoft Dot Net. You can also contribute with your own ideas.
If you're a student still looking for a final project theme and a chance to improve your skills, contact me! :-)
/ This post is bilingual: English (U.S.) and Portuguese (Portugal) /
Já é oficial! A STEP Framework está disponível como um projecto open-source no SourceForge. É uma framework para aplicações empresariais multi-camada em Java, com suporte para aplicações e serviços Web.
Simple, Extensible and
for Teaching Purposes!
A equipa fundadora da STEP é constituída por: Miguel Pardal (eu), Sérgio Fernandes e Jorge Martins. A motivação para este trabalho foi o projecto conjunto de Engenharia de Software e Sistemas Distribuídos no IST. Um desafio todos os anos para mais de 300 alunos!
Neste momento existem propostas de TFCs (Teses Finais de Curso) em aberto para alunos que queiram melhorar a STEP! Está previsto suporte para políticas declarativas (Policy support), múltiplos transportes além de HTTP e integração com a última geração de Microsoft Dot Net. É possível também propor outras ideias.
Se és um aluno ainda à procura de tema para o trabalho final e de uma oportunidade de aprender mais e melhorar, entra em contacto comigo! :-)
Simple, Extensible and
for Teaching Purposes!
The founding STEP team members are: Miguel Pardal (me), Sérgio Fernandes and Jorge Martins. The driver for this work was the combined laboratory project for Software Engineering and Distributed Systems courses at IST. A challenge for over 300 students each year!
There are MSc proposals open right now for students wishing to STEP up and improve the framework! We're planning Policy support, multi-transports beyond HTTP and integration with the latest generation Microsoft Dot Net. You can also contribute with your own ideas.
If you're a student still looking for a final project theme and a chance to improve your skills, contact me! :-)
/ This post is bilingual: English (U.S.) and Portuguese (Portugal) /
Já é oficial! A STEP Framework está disponível como um projecto open-source no SourceForge. É uma framework para aplicações empresariais multi-camada em Java, com suporte para aplicações e serviços Web.
Simple, Extensible and
for Teaching Purposes!
A equipa fundadora da STEP é constituída por: Miguel Pardal (eu), Sérgio Fernandes e Jorge Martins. A motivação para este trabalho foi o projecto conjunto de Engenharia de Software e Sistemas Distribuídos no IST. Um desafio todos os anos para mais de 300 alunos!
Neste momento existem propostas de TFCs (Teses Finais de Curso) em aberto para alunos que queiram melhorar a STEP! Está previsto suporte para políticas declarativas (Policy support), múltiplos transportes além de HTTP e integração com a última geração de Microsoft Dot Net. É possível também propor outras ideias.
Se és um aluno ainda à procura de tema para o trabalho final e de uma oportunidade de aprender mais e melhorar, entra em contacto comigo! :-)
2008-04-25
2008-04-22
The way ahead / O caminho
The way ahead is harder because they are no longer with us (physically), but it's also easier because they were with us (and still are, in a different way).
/
O caminho que temos pela frente é mais difícil porque eles já não estão connosco (fisicamente), mas ao mesmo tempo é mais fácil porque eles estiveram connosco (e continuam, de uma forma diferente).
/
O caminho que temos pela frente é mais difícil porque eles já não estão connosco (fisicamente), mas ao mesmo tempo é mais fácil porque eles estiveram connosco (e continuam, de uma forma diferente).
2008-04-21
Launch applications by typing their name
A student of mine was running a nice utility for Windows to launch applications just by typing their name. It's called Launchy and it's free!
(It is very similar to QuickSilver and Namely for Mac).
(It is very similar to QuickSilver and Namely for Mac).
2008-04-14
BizTalk bug hunting
BizTalk is a daunting development environment. If everything works as expected, we're fine! If it doesn't, then you don't even know where to start looking!
Here are some tips on BizTalk bug hunting to help you get started:
1st - check service instance database
Go to BizTalk Administrator, BizTalk Group, Show suspended service instances (if you don't find it here, try the dehydrated section).
If your instance is listed here, you can look at the exception report. Read the message and try to interpret it from the server's perspective.
2nd - use Health and Activity Tracking (HAT) to look at messages and debug orchestration
BizTalk logs its steps for each process in a database, and HAT allows you to access the database. Use this if the exception message itself is not enough to find out what's happening. Beware, too much detail can confuse as well as help.
3rd - check Windows Event Viewer
If the problem is in the server the best place to find out something is the Windows Log. Use the Event Viewer (Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Event Viewer).
Happy hunting!
Feel free to post here about other tips on BizTalk bug hunting. Your input is welcome!
Here are some tips on BizTalk bug hunting to help you get started:
1st - check service instance database
Go to BizTalk Administrator, BizTalk Group, Show suspended service instances (if you don't find it here, try the dehydrated section).
If your instance is listed here, you can look at the exception report. Read the message and try to interpret it from the server's perspective.
2nd - use Health and Activity Tracking (HAT) to look at messages and debug orchestration
BizTalk logs its steps for each process in a database, and HAT allows you to access the database. Use this if the exception message itself is not enough to find out what's happening. Beware, too much detail can confuse as well as help.
3rd - check Windows Event Viewer
If the problem is in the server the best place to find out something is the Windows Log. Use the Event Viewer (Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Event Viewer).
Happy hunting!
Feel free to post here about other tips on BizTalk bug hunting. Your input is welcome!
BizTalk main concepts and best practices
This semester I'm teaching a course about Enterprise Applications' Integration. We're using Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006.
This is a brief concept map of BizTalk concepts:
Shapes
- Send
- Receive
- Construct Message
- ...
Message
- Schema
- Distinguished field
- Promoted field
- Map
-- Functoid
Correlation
Business rules
- Policy
- Vocabulary
You can find more information about this in the BizTalk Library.
I've also recommended my students the following best practices:
1 - Shapes first, connections next, bindings last
This helps to keep the development focus on one problem at a time.
2 - Follow a consistent naming convention
It can be prefix-based (Port_...) or suffix-based (..._Port) or something else. But do use one!
3 - Use small and simple orchestrations to try out components
Use small and simple projects to try out the features of BizTalk. Tutorials are good for the overall solution, but most of the times you need to solve a particular problem at hand, and testing it in the middle of a complex orchestration won't help. Create a test project, try what you want and then use what you learned in the main project.
This is a brief concept map of BizTalk concepts:
Shapes
- Send
- Receive
- Construct Message
- ...
Message
- Schema
- Distinguished field
- Promoted field
- Map
-- Functoid
Correlation
Business rules
- Policy
- Vocabulary
You can find more information about this in the BizTalk Library.
I've also recommended my students the following best practices:
1 - Shapes first, connections next, bindings last
This helps to keep the development focus on one problem at a time.
2 - Follow a consistent naming convention
It can be prefix-based (Port_...) or suffix-based (..._Port) or something else. But do use one!
3 - Use small and simple orchestrations to try out components
Use small and simple projects to try out the features of BizTalk. Tutorials are good for the overall solution, but most of the times you need to solve a particular problem at hand, and testing it in the middle of a complex orchestration won't help. Create a test project, try what you want and then use what you learned in the main project.
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