Building a Solution? The Cloud Architecture Center has Blueprints

Cloud Architecture Center

Remember the days when a simple text client and a small database server were the core enterprise solution? These days data flows from various endpoints to data lakes or data reservoirs, data streams are analyzed in real time to trade stacks, prevent fraud, to react to sensor data. How are other companies building their solutions or what are best practices? What products or services can be used? Great that the new Cloud Architecture Center offers blueprints.


Right now the IBM developerWorks Cloud Architecture Center features an architecture gallery where you can filter the available blueprints by overall area like data & analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), Mobile or Web Application. Another filter criterias are by industry or capability, i.e., you could look for sample solution for the insurance industry or a use-case featuring a Hybrid Cloud scenario.

Partial view: Architecture for Cloud Solution

For the selected architecture and solution you are presented with the overall blueprint (as partially shown in the screenshot) and are offered information about the flow, the included components are deployed services and products, and get an overview of the functional and non-functional requirements. Depending on the solution there are links to sample applications, code repositories on GitHub, and more reading material. See the Personality Insights as a good example.

The Architecture Center offers great material for enterprise architects and solution designers and the linked samples and demos are also a good start for developers.

(Update 2016-02-21): There is a new and good overview article with focus on Big Data in the cloud and possible architecture.

IBM Commercial: Back in Mobile Computing

I came across this old commercial about IBM's first mobile computer. The compter is lightweight, works everywhere, and yes, it is mobile. But all this based on 1970er standards. Compare this to today, check your emails on your smartphone and enjoy the weekend...

(Updated) Special hybrid, object-capable, all purpose database

Recently I had to deal again with a special database. Let me share my observations.

This special database seems to have excellent compression capabilities as a ot of stuff can be cramped into it. From the outside the database looks small, but it seems to be able to store 10 times its advertised capacity.

This database can handle relational data, large objects, unstructured data, etc. and has several storage areas and storage types. For the experienced user data access is really fast and it seems index-only. For the infrequent user the only way of data access is through repeated table scans.

The database is equipped to deal with "situations" and act in "emergencies". Its capabilities include having candy up for distribution exactly when needed, a first aid kid with the right number and size of bandaids, chapstick, hand lotion, and some hand sanitizer.When fully loaded, the database can be used as a self-defense device, can be thrown as projectile even on longer distances.

I could go on with more features (you can in the comments), but do you know what database I described above...?

Update: My wife's handbag is one of the described special databases.

How the iPad changed our vacation

After moving to Germany in 2008, our family vacation this Summer was finally (see here why not sooner) in San Jose and San Francisco. The kids were able to use "their" playgrounds of the past, see their preschool and take a look at the school our older son was a student at. What was interesting for all of us was to watch how mobile technology, here the iPad, changes lifes. Note that I am a frequent traveler myself (and sometimes could be one of the cases described below...), but below is what stuck out to the rest of the family.

• While in the past, breakfast rooms were dominated by big screen TVs and the usual morning news, now many people are eating and "smartphoning" or "iPadding" at the same time, occasionally turning heads towards the TV.
• While walking in San Francisco (not much walking in San Jose) special care needs to be taken of people walking and talking. When someone is yelling next to you, the person on the other end of the phone is usually meant. At first this was irritating to the kids.
• iPads are the new "pocket cameras". People are taking pictures using "big screens"...
• Beware of people holding an iPad in front of them and trying to navigate the streets. It was kind of funny and disturbing to see that lamp poles are not on the maps... (and this was before iOS 6 ;-).
• On crowded buses (e.g. line 30) we noticed people trying to locate the position using an iPad to decide when and where to get off.

After noticing both lots of iPad adverts around Union Square where we stayed and then the iPads in use, the focus naturally was on them. This was fueled by the ongoing Apple vs. Samsung trial and the updates in the morning news. Thus, even without owning an iPad (only a Lenovo IdeaPad A1) our family vacation was changed by the iPad...