LitwareHR v2: from SaaS to S+S
Unless you have been abducted by aliens a few months ago and just returned to earth I am pretty sure you have heard of Software + Services or S+S (if you have been abducted and just returned, hence not heard about S+S, I suppose you have bigger issues to deal with than knowing what S+S is right now...). Anyway, for people not abducted by aliens and therefore looking for S+S guidance, I am pleased to announce LitwareHR v2.
This release extends LitwareHR, the reference SaaS application we released a few months back, and provides guidance on building S+S solutions taking advantage of the full spectrum of what S+S offers (Client, Server and Services) as shown in the picture below:
In a S+S world, solutions are not either pure SaaS (a.k.a. "in the cloud") or fully "on premise", rather they are a combination of local software and Internet services interacting with one another: local software making “cloud” services better and cloud services making local software better.
From a guidance perspective, LitwareHR v2, takes all the foundation we built around multi-tenant / try before you buy / meta data driven "online services" released in v1 and augments it with:
- a rich client WPF based front end showing guidance in disconnected/offline scenarios as well as allowing "power users" to tap into rich visualization and local resources
- a "cloud service", in this case Silverlight Streaming by Windows Live handling video resumes posted by applicants
As usual, we focused much more on the HOW than completeness of features; another way of saying this is that LitwareHR v2 is meant to be deep architecture guidance not a fully features HR solution.
Based on frequent requests, also included in the release is a new Multi-Tenant Database Performance Guide, which provides tests results and guidance to compare the performance and scalability of different extensibility patterns in multi-tenant SQL 2005 databases (extension tables vs. XML data types vs. fixed columns). Some screen shots to give you an idea of what you will get below:
Next step: download the release (bits and documentation) here: https://www.codeplex.com/LitwareHR/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx . There you will find both LitwareHR v2 and the performance guide.
FYI: the code is released under the permissive license so read the license (or have it read by your lawyer) but the license (as its name indicates) is very permissive; we expect to see a lot of people being "inspired" (copy/paste?) by it.
Feedback, comments, questions as usual very welcome. And make sure to check out Eugenio's blog I am sure he will publish some additional info soon.
Enjoy!!
P.S.
For those interested in bit more info before going to codeplex and downloading the bits, below some more info about the release.
Architecture Challenges Demonstrated
· Designing a “back-end as a service”:
o Multi-tenancy
o Application customization: metadata driven application for tenant extensions at the UI, business logic and data access layers.
o Performance and scalability of extensible, multi-tenant applications.
o Service Layer design: functional web services and meta-data web services to enable different consumption experiences (multi-head application)
o Claims based authorization
o Tenant resource provisioning
· Designing “front ends” for SaaS applications:
o Designing extensible web clients
o Smart Client with tenant customization, offline operations, claims based authorization and integration with local resources (Desktop search)
· Taking advantage of “Cloud Services”:
o Integration with Silverlight streaming from the UI (Web and Smart Client) and services layer (programmatic access).
· Performance assessment of database extensibility methods
o Using XML data types vs. fixed columns vs. extension tables with different loads, concurrent users and usage patterns (select vs. update vs. insert)
Some Release highlights
· LitwareHR enhancements highlights:
1. Platform upgrade. Updated LitwareHR v2.0 to run on Windows Sever 2008 and Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 (Beta 2) . This included leveraging new technologies like Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (ADSLDS) , new management APIs and IIS7.
2. Data access performance improvement. Based on the results of the Multi-Tenant Database Performance test (see below) updated LitwareHR data access code and tables design.
3. Services Enhancements. Created new services leveraging Windows Communication Foundation 3.5 features to enable RSS & REST interfaces.
4. Silverlight Streaming mash-up. Augmented LitwareHR services with Silverlight Streaming Services. Demonstrated in the “Submit Video Resume” feature.
5. Smart Client Application. Updated the original WPF based Smart Client showing consumption of LitwareHR functional and meta-data services even with offline support
6. Vista Gadget. Extended LitwareHR UX a Vista Gadgets consuming REST interfaces.
7. Improved guidance deployment. Moved from the old document + readme + bunch of scripts approach to a 100% automated one, including dependencies checking and configuration.
· Multi-tenant Database Performance Guide:
1. Database extensibility patterns comparison: performance test results for common database extension methods: XML data types vs. Fixed columns vs. Extension tables.
2. Test Tools, Scripts and Documentation. In addition to the results of our own testing, we are shipping the tools, scripts and instructions for anybody to repro this tests in their own environments and conditions.
Comments
Anonymous
November 22, 2007
Durante mi presentación en foro de Arquitectos de Octubre les hable del esquema que Microsoft esta definiendoAnonymous
November 22, 2007
Durante mi presentación en foro de Arquitectos de Octubre les hable del esquema que Microsoft esta definiendoAnonymous
November 25, 2007
Microsoft Architecture Strategy Team has just shipped a new version of their LitwareHR Sample Application.Anonymous
December 01, 2007
微软发布了架构师期刊阅读器，它是一个用来阅读架构师期刊的WPF阅读器。 架构师期刊是一份由微软发行的关注于IT架构的杂志。该杂志提供了纸制和在线版本，每个季度发行一份。拥有13份期刊和超过60,00...Anonymous
December 09, 2007
Ostatnio dużo piszę, bo i sam nadrabiam niusy. Z tego co pamiętam do na ostatnim ISV Roadshow, gdy TomekAnonymous
December 09, 2007
Ostatnio dużo piszę, bo i sam nadrabiam niusy. Z tego co pamiętam do na ostatnim ISV Roadshow, gdy TomekAnonymous
December 11, 2007
I just got back from a 2 weeks tour in Australia and New Zealand discussing with a lot of ISVs, HostersAnonymous
December 11, 2007
I just got back from a 2 weeks tour in Australia and New Zealand discussing with a lot of ISVs, HostersAnonymous
December 11, 2007
Check out Gianpaolo's blog on MSDN for the latest release of LitwareHR v2 which talks to S+S architectureAnonymous
December 11, 2007
Check out Gianpaolo's blog on MSDN for the latest release of LitwareHR v2 which talks to S+S architectureAnonymous
December 11, 2007
LitwareHR v2公開中(Software + Services sample application)Anonymous
December 31, 2007
In the next couple of days I might have fun again and offer my 10 or so 2008 predictions as I did inAnonymous
January 28, 2008
Below is an diagram I have been using for a while in my presentations on software + services (more aboutAnonymous
January 28, 2008
Below is an diagram I have been using for a while in my presentations on software + services (more aboutAnonymous
February 07, 2008
Yesterday I recorded a 25min. walk through of litwareHR v2 (recording available here ) Even though theAnonymous
February 07, 2008
Yesterday I recorded a 25min. walk through of litwareHR v2 (recording available here ) Even though theAnonymous
June 02, 2008
A number of the GISVs we work with have been listening to the ‘ Software + Services (S+S )’ strategyAnonymous
June 24, 2008
ISV Challenges with S+S GISVs that are embarking on creating a software plus services offering by building