Making & Saving Making & Saving Money with Open Money with Open SourceSource

Kevin Hock, CS/SAN 2002Kevin Hock, CS/SAN 2002

Jeremy Harning, CSA 2004Jeremy Harning, CSA 2004

What is Open Source?What is Open Source?

Code is freeCode is free Public collaborationPublic collaboration Licenses – not always free to useLicenses – not always free to use

Examples of Open Examples of Open SourceSource LinuxLinux ApacheApache MySQLMySQL PostegreSQLPostegreSQL PHPPHP

FirefoxFirefox OpenOfficeOpenOffice DOSBoxDOSBox AzureusAzureus wxWidgetswxWidgets

Making & Saving Making & Saving MoneyMoney Use open sourceUse open source Sell services based on open Sell services based on open

sourcesource Provide self-supportProvide self-support Provide support to othersProvide support to others Provide trainingProvide training Write books or articlesWrite books or articles

My experience with My experience with O.S.O.S. Web hosting: OxONetWeb hosting: OxONet Application development: BitWise Application development: BitWise

IMIM Written a book & article: Written a book & article:

wxWidgetswxWidgets

OxONet - OverviewOxONet - Overview

Web hosting & design since 1999Web hosting & design since 1999 LAMP and moreLAMP and more No cost for software (except…)No cost for software (except…) Low startup costLow startup cost

OxONet – Making OxONet – Making moneymoney Configure “off the shelf” free softwareConfigure “off the shelf” free software Provide bandwidth & space (not free!)Provide bandwidth & space (not free!) Sell to manySell to many Our costs:Our costs:

– KnowledgeKnowledge– TimeTime– HardwareHardware– BandwidthBandwidth

OxONet – O.S. UsedOxONet – O.S. Used

LinuxLinux ApacheApache MySQLMySQL PostgreSQLPostgreSQL phpphp PerlPerl RubyRuby

Redhat Linux ES Redhat Linux ES 4.04.0

SendmailSendmail WebalizerWebalizer ClamavClamav SpamAssassinSpamAssassin MailmanMailman SquirrelMailSquirrelMail

OxONet – CaveatsOxONet – Caveats

Providing supportProviding support Availability & reliabilityAvailability & reliability Maintaining hardware & softwareMaintaining hardware & software Support Support forfor us us Horror storyHorror story

BitWise IM - OverviewBitWise IM - Overview

Instant messaging serviceInstant messaging service Professional version for businessProfessional version for business Developed using mostly open Developed using mostly open

sourcesource

BitWise – Making BitWise – Making MoneyMoney Provide secure IM to businessProvide secure IM to business Provide premium IM to individualsProvide premium IM to individuals Software and service create valueSoftware and service create value

BitWise – O.S. UsedBitWise – O.S. Used

wxWidgetswxWidgets Crypto++Crypto++ SpeexSpeex PortAudioPortAudio zlibzlib tiff, jpg, pngtiff, jpg, png GTKGTK

gcc / gdbgcc / gdb KDevelopKDevelop cvscvs sshssh phpBBphpBB phpMyAdminphpMyAdmin MediaWikiMediaWiki

BitWise - ProblemsBitWise - Problems

Sub-optimal development Sub-optimal development conditionsconditions

Lack of documentation & supportLack of documentation & support Open source can be abandonedOpen source can be abandoned Waste time in source codeWaste time in source code

BitWise - CaveatsBitWise - Caveats

Support, availabilitySupport, availability Time costTime cost AdvertisingAdvertising ScrutinyScrutiny

wxWidgets - OverviewwxWidgets - Overview

Cross-platform GUI libraryCross-platform GUI library Open source, generous licenseOpen source, generous license Used to develop BitWiseUsed to develop BitWise

wxWidgets wxWidgets InvolvementInvolvement UserUser Bug reportsBug reports PatchesPatches Bug & patch managerBug & patch manager CVS accessCVS access BookBook GuruGuru

wxWidgets – Making $wxWidgets – Making $

Write programsWrite programs Write books & articlesWrite books & articles Future – paid support?Future – paid support? Future – advocate?Future – advocate?

wxWidgets – CaveatswxWidgets – Caveats

No official supportNo official support Meandering goals & directionsMeandering goals & directions Lack of financingLack of financing Sometimes incompleteSometimes incomplete

NHibernate - A Case NHibernate - A Case Study - OverviewStudy - Overview BackgroundBackground ImplementationImplementation Advantages/DisadvantagesAdvantages/Disadvantages QuestionsQuestions

Background – Tiered Background – Tiered architecture architecture

UI Layer

Business Layer

Data Layer

Entitie

s

Web Service Interfac

e

Background – Common Background – Common App Problem: Dynamic App Problem: Dynamic SQLSQL Older design patterns (solutions)Older design patterns (solutions)

– 1. Dynamically build SQL strings1. Dynamically build SQL strings ProblemsProblems

– SQL InjectionSQL Injection– UI Managing business rulesUI Managing business rules– Not parameterized SQL so does not get cached in Not parameterized SQL so does not get cached in

DBDB

– 2. Stored Procedures2. Stored Procedures ProblemsProblems

– Need different SP for virtually every use caseNeed different SP for virtually every use case– Most developers can model data but aren’t DBA’sMost developers can model data but aren’t DBA’s– Biz rules still being managed mostly in a different Biz rules still being managed mostly in a different

tiertier– NOT AGILE!!!NOT AGILE!!!

Implementation – Implementation – Common App Problem: Common App Problem: Dynamic SQLDynamic SQL The ORM solution (NHibernate)The ORM solution (NHibernate)

– Map business entities directly to database tables Map business entities directly to database tables using XML (Code Generation)using XML (Code Generation)

– Write a transaction manager class to manage Write a transaction manager class to manage NHibernate transactions that accepts an “Entity NHibernate transactions that accepts an “Entity Base” classBase” class

– FOCUS ON UI DEVELOPMENTFOCUS ON UI DEVELOPMENT Current project over 1000 use-casesCurrent project over 1000 use-cases

– FOCUS ON BUSSINESS RULESFOCUS ON BUSSINESS RULES Current project over 8,100 biz rulesCurrent project over 8,100 biz rules

– FOCUS ON SPEED TO VALUEFOCUS ON SPEED TO VALUE Iterative development – easy to leave selected Iterative development – easy to leave selected

functionality out in order to get something valuable for functionality out in order to get something valuable for the client quicklythe client quickly

Implementation – Implementation – Getting data out of the Getting data out of the DBDB Inherit all entities from a base classInherit all entities from a base class Code in terms of objects not tablesCode in terms of objects not tables Criteria classes provided for youCriteria classes provided for you

– Operators for >, <, !=, ==, etc.Operators for >, <, !=, ==, etc.– Specialized database operatorsSpecialized database operators– Mapped relationships implicitly filter based on Mapped relationships implicitly filter based on

criteriacriteria Transaction manager returns entities and Transaction manager returns entities and

lists of entities as opposed to data tables and lists of entities as opposed to data tables and data rows which are cumbersomedata rows which are cumbersome

HQL – rarely necessaryHQL – rarely necessary

Implementation – Implementation – Putting data in the DBPutting data in the DB Simply call Save(EntityBase) on the Simply call Save(EntityBase) on the

transaction manager object transaction manager object – Is designed to be smart enough to know Is designed to be smart enough to know

whether add or updatewhether add or update NHibernate uses XML files previously NHibernate uses XML files previously

generated to determine key properties generated to determine key properties on objecton object

One-To-Many, Many-To-One One-To-Many, Many-To-One relationships are supportedrelationships are supported

Many-To-Many (join tables) are Many-To-Many (join tables) are implemented as a separate entity implemented as a separate entity objectsobjects

Advantages and Advantages and DisadvantagesDisadvantages AdvantagesAdvantages

– FREE!!FREE!!– Super AgileSuper Agile– Transactional biz rules are managed Transactional biz rules are managed

in the proper layerin the proper layer DisadvantagesDisadvantages

– Lack of support/documentationLack of support/documentation

Issues in Open SourceIssues in Open Source

Is making a profit on open source “wrong?”Is making a profit on open source “wrong?” Will open source kill commercial software Will open source kill commercial software

development?development? Does open source produce better software?Does open source produce better software? Fast, Right, Cheap. Pick 2. Does this apply?Fast, Right, Cheap. Pick 2. Does this apply? Does lack of supervision / management hurt?Does lack of supervision / management hurt? Can open source provide support needed by Can open source provide support needed by

big business?big business? Will open source kill innovation by Will open source kill innovation by

eliminating R&D funding?eliminating R&D funding?