Friday, 5 February 2010
Whitepaper - Driving adoption of Lotus Connections
Thanks to Stuart McIntyre for drawing my attention to this document: -
<snip>
Enterprise social software is gaining practical currency now as analysts' auspicious forecasts begin to be realized with the first wave of early adopters. This new class of software taps informal interactions and relationships among workers with complementary interests, skills, and knowledge, offering new ways to engage the collective intelligence of organizations towards achieving business ends. As such it represents an evolutionary advance in collaboration as a means to higher productivity and competitiveness.
The industry's first integrated suite of enterprise social software, IBM Lotus Connections, became available in June 2007. Featuring five Web 2.0-based components - Profiles, Blogs, Dogear (social bookmarking), Communities, and Activities — Lotus Connections provides a full palette of capabilities that help people find expertise and information and build new relationships based on business needs. Since coming onto the market, sales of this product have continued to be robust. And now there is a growing body of deployment tips and best practices new purchasers can employ to promote steady adoption and productive use of these tools in their own environments.
</snip>
Thursday, 4 February 2010
Resources for administrators and developers - WebSphere Portal 6.1.5
The Portal Wiki has a nice set of resources for administrators and developers, both of which are worth bookmarking, as useful sites to go visit when the need arises.
Creating External Facing Web Sites Using IBM WebSphere Portal
Whilst looking for something completely different ( a performance class for WebSphere Portal ), I found this recently published wiki article: -
This IBM Technote links to a wiki that addresses considerations for creating external facing Web sites by using IBM WebSphere Portal Version 6.1.5. The wiki focuses on areas related to external facing Web sites versus topics that might apply to only internal facing sites.
The wiki begins with a brief overview of the differences between internal and external facing Web sites. Then it provides an overview of the factors that contribute to successful Web sites. Next the wiki provides more technical content related to Web Content Management and Web 2.0 considerations. Next a discussion is presented about the various UI frameworks supported by WebSphere Portal and personalization for the user.
This wiki includes an extensive discussion related to search and the integration of search engines. In particular, Section 8 covers site analytics and optimization. The wiki concludes with information about mobile device support. In addition, this wiki includes examples, window captures, and code samples based on various scenarios.
The wiki begins with a brief overview of the differences between internal and external facing Web sites. Then it provides an overview of the factors that contribute to successful Web sites. Next the wiki provides more technical content related to Web Content Management and Web 2.0 considerations. Next a discussion is presented about the various UI frameworks supported by WebSphere Portal and personalization for the user.
This wiki includes an extensive discussion related to search and the integration of search engines. In particular, Section 8 covers site analytics and optimization. The wiki concludes with information about mobile device support. In addition, this wiki includes examples, window captures, and code samples based on various scenarios.
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Crazy Error: VMware Infrastructure Web Service at "http://localhost:8222/sdk" is not responding
A good tip from Kenny Smith that may well save your bacon - I have definitely had this problem in the past, but am not 100% sure that the suggested change to /etc/hosts fixed it for me but ...
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
IBM WebSphere eXtreme Scale 6 by Anthony Chaves, my closing comments
As per my previous posts here and here, I completed this book a few days ago, and would summarise my review as follows. This is an excellent book that really digs into the depths of In-Memory Data Grids (IMDGs), with specific focus on the WebSphere product.
The book is broken down into discrete and logical chapters: -
Chapter 1 What is a Data Grid
A good overview of the overall Data Grid approach, with an explanation of the architecture, and its benefits when compared to relational databases and In-Memory Data Bases (IMDBs).
Chapter 2 The ObjectMap API
A deep dive into the core API behind the IMDG concept, with relevant Java code samples
Chapter 3 Entities and Queries
Using the SQL-like Query API to interact with the Data Grid
Chapter 4 Database Integration
Comparing the Data Grid with relational databases, including the costs/benefits e.g. latency of memory access vs. disk access etc.
Chapter 5 Handling Increased Load
How an IMDG can scale up and out
Chapter 6 Keeping Data Available
How availability non-functional requirements can be met with replication
Chapter 7 The DataGrid API
How IMDG breaks the traditional mould of bringing the data to the application, by moving application code back out into the grid, in a manner similar to, but not the same as SQL Stored Procedures
Chapter 8 Data Grid Patterns
How Extreme Transaction Processing (XTP) requirements can be met using the IMDG concept
Chapter 9 Spring Integration
Using the Spring framework to interact with the IMDG, where Javabeans etc. are instantiated by Spring rather than within the Java code itself
Chapter 10 Putting It All Together
Taking a "real world" example application for bookmark storage, management and access, and moving it from a somewhat "kludged" pattern-light model to something a lot more formalised and structured
As per my previous comments, as one might expect, the book is heavy on the Java code, and is likely to be of more use to an enterprise application developer, especially one working with highly-performance transaction/compute-intensive data models, *BUT* the overall architecture, benefits and implementation best practices are clearly established within the book. As an infrastructure architect, I've learnt some important lessons that, although not specifically relevant to the projects on which I'm working right now, are of value now, and almost certainly, in the future.
In conclusion, I'd strongly recommend this book to anyone wishing to explore In-Memory Data Grids, whether they intend to utilise the WebSphere eXtreme Scale platform or not.
Mr Chaves, I thank you :-)
Monday, 1 February 2010
Using WebSphere Portal documentation offline
I've been trying to use the WP documentation off-line, in preparation for a client project later this week.
The WebSphere Portal 6.1.5 Information Centre is available offline, from this page: -
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/zones/portal/proddoc.html
specifically, via this link ( as a ZIP file ).
This ZIP file then references the "...the IBM User Interface Help System built on Eclipse...".
However, when I Google'd for this, I found: -
"...
http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/tech/iehs
That wasn't a whole lot of help ...
Thankfully, thanks to one of my colleagues ( thanks, Cali ! ) bookmarking this page: -
IBM User Interface Help System Built on Eclipse
https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/iwm/web/preLogin.do?source=AW-0M5&S_PKG=0M5〈=en_US&cp=UTF-8
from where one can download the 8 MB plugin.
In conclusion, I'm hoping that a combination of this: -
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/wpdoc/v6r1/topic/com.ibm.wp.ent.doc_v615/com.ibm.wp.ent.doc_v615.zip
and this: -
http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/
and this: -
https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/iwm/web/preLogin.do?source=AW-0M5&S_PKG=0M5〈=en_US&cp=UTF-8
will do the job.
More to follow ...
The WebSphere Portal 6.1.5 Information Centre is available offline, from this page: -
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/zones/portal/proddoc.html
specifically, via this link ( as a ZIP file ).
This ZIP file then references the "...the IBM User Interface Help System built on Eclipse...".
However, when I Google'd for this, I found: -
"...
This technology has graduated.
The IBM User Interface Help System Built on Eclipse framework can be found running help systems within many IBM products. Additionally, the framework is being used to provide information centers for most IBM products. These information centers are available on-line and frequently they are also made available with the product itself to be installed locally.
..."
http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/tech/iehs
That wasn't a whole lot of help ...
Thankfully, thanks to one of my colleagues ( thanks, Cali ! ) bookmarking this page: -
IBM User Interface Help System Built on Eclipse
https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/iwm/web/preLogin.do?source=AW-0M5&S_PKG=0M5〈=en_US&cp=UTF-8
from where one can download the 8 MB plugin.
In conclusion, I'm hoping that a combination of this: -
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/wpdoc/v6r1/topic/com.ibm.wp.ent.doc_v615/com.ibm.wp.ent.doc_v615.zip
and this: -
http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/
and this: -
https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/iwm/web/preLogin.do?source=AW-0M5&S_PKG=0M5〈=en_US&cp=UTF-8
will do the job.
More to follow ...
WebSphere Portlet Factory Designer 6.1.5 - The Icon ...
Whilst setting up my "new" Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 portlet development machine, I wanted to create a few desktop launchers for those occasional moments when I'm running X11.
For one of my launchers, for WebSphere Portlet Factory Designer, I was looking for, and failing to find, the appropriate "old skool" Bowstreet Portlet Factory Designer icon.
Thanks to my work colleague, and all round good bloke ( who does a LOT of good work for charity ), Mr Mike "@spradders" Spradbery, I found the icon path to be as follows: -
/opt/IBM/WebSphere/PortletFactory/Designer/eclipse/plugins/com.bowstreet.designer_6.1.5/Builder.gif
so my launcher looks as follows: -
[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=WebSphere Portlet Factory Designer
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Exec=/root/startWPF.sh
Name[en_US]=WebSphere Portlet Factory Designer
Icon=/opt/IBM/WebSphere/PortletFactory/Designer/eclipse/plugins/com.bowstreet.designer_6.1.5/Builder.gif
For one of my launchers, for WebSphere Portlet Factory Designer, I was looking for, and failing to find, the appropriate "old skool" Bowstreet Portlet Factory Designer icon.
Thanks to my work colleague, and all round good bloke ( who does a LOT of good work for charity ), Mr Mike "@spradders" Spradbery, I found the icon path to be as follows: -
/opt/IBM/WebSphere/PortletFactory/Designer/eclipse/plugins/com.bowstreet.designer_6.1.5/Builder.gif
so my launcher looks as follows: -
[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=WebSphere Portlet Factory Designer
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Exec=/root/startWPF.sh
Name[en_US]=WebSphere Portlet Factory Designer
Icon=/opt/IBM/WebSphere/PortletFactory/Designer/eclipse/plugins/com.bowstreet.designer_6.1.5/Builder.gif
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