Monday, October 18, 2004 - Posts
MSDN Architecture Webcast: Patterns & Practices Live: Enterprise Library Sneak Preview aired September 30th. As I've stated before, Enterprise Library is an important step in the evolution of .NET enterprise architecture. I watched the recorded webcast and wrote down some highlights. I've provided the the time when a topic was presented so you can review the topics that interest you. Here are the links for PAG Homepage and Enterprise Library GotDotNet Workspace.
(23:48) Enterprise Library 1.0 application blocks are
- Consistent
- Extensible
- Easy to use
- Integrated yet componentized (only common dependency is configuration)
(34:41) Seven blocks in the first release
- Data Access
- Exception Handling
- Configuration
- Caching
- Logging & Instrumentation
- Security
- Cryptography
(36:22) Data Access
- Supports SQL Server, Oracle, DB2
- External connection string configuration
(39:46) Exception Handling
- Now integrated with the Logging Block
- Supports exception handling policies
(43:03) Caching
- Polishes in-process and in-memory object caching
- Adds backing stores to support persistence
- Supports multiple cache instances
(44:30) Logging and Instrumentation
- Replaces Enterprise Instrumentation Framework
- Eases configuration
- Providers for:
- Event Log
- Database
- Text File
- MSMQ
- E-mail
- WMI
- Windows Event Tracing
(47:50) Configuration
- Centerpiece of the library (all other blocks depend on it)
- Has design time (UI) components
- Standalone and Visual Studio integrated
(50:25) Security
- Authentication
- Authorization
- Roles
- Profile
- Security Caching (token management)
- Easy to add our own providers
(52:56) Cryptography
- Supports symmetric cryptography and hashing
- Supports all crypo providers in the .NET Library
- Simplifies interface
- Can use configuration manager rather than code
(54:53) Demo showing Configuration, Data Access, Caching and Logging
(01:14:00) Next
- Validation blocks
- Updater
- Offline-Disconnected
- Compile source code for 2.0
(01:16:07) Questions
- There are WMI and Performance Counters for EntLib
- Code is written in C# only, all samples are in both C# and VB
- No compact framework out of the box
If you look in the nooks and crannies where I work you can plenty of Web Portal servers lurking. WebSphere Portal is a standard for many groups. However a group working on an Oracle platform would naturally gravitate to the Oracle Application Server Portal, for example. Certainly groups that are targeting the .NET platform are gravitating to SharePoint Portal Server 2003. Moreover since SharePoint Services is “free”, it has the tendency to grow like a weed. Not your application portfolio manager's greatest friend.
But wait a minute! OASIS has solved the problem for us! They've defined the Web Services for Remote Portlets standard and all the major portal server vendors have vowed support (see WSRP link). Here is Microsoft's press release promising support. Now all the portal servers' Portlets and WebParts can seamlessly talk to each other. Problem solved! Or is it?...
That Microsoft's current WSRP Consumer and Provider are GotDotNet workspaces, does not exactly engender the greatest confidence in their commitment to the spec. Moreover, this Usenet thread comment by Dino “Gimmesomathat” Chiesa, the MSFT PM for developer tools, makes me doubt that WSRP will ever rise to the level of “Product”, at Microsoft. His message? Use Web Services.
Does anyone think WSRP will actually work?