Microsoft Solutions

Try To Stop The Fire From The Latest Release of Mono 2.0!

Joe Pruitt — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:32:15 GMT

Developers rejoice! Today The Mono Project has released Mono 2.0 out into the wild which will enable you to build that dream application cross platform with the latest and greatest features in Microsoft's .NET runtime library.

Sponsored by Novell, the Mono open source project has an active and enthusiastic contributing community and is positioned to become the leading choice for development of Linux applications says the projects website.

The latest grand release of Mono v2.0 includes the following new Microsoft compatible features:

ADO.NET 2.0 API for access to databases.
ASP.NET 2.0 API for developing web-based applications.
Windows.Forms 2.0 API to create desktop applications.
System.XML 2.0 API for manipulating XML documents.
System.Core support for the Language Integrated Query (LINQ).
System.Xml.Linq support for a LINQ provider for XML.
System.Drawing 2.0 API for portable graphics rendering.

In addition to the .NET compatibility, the following Mono specific and third party APIs have been included as well:

Gtk 2.12 binding and GNOME libraries for creating desktop applications on Linux, Windows, and MacOS X.
Mono.Cecil for manipulating ECMA CLI files.
Mono.Cairo binding to the Cairo graphics library to produce 2D graphics and render them into a variety of forms.
Mono's SQLite support for creating/consuming databases created with SQLite.
Mono.Posix library to access Linux and Unix specific functionality from your managed application.
Extensive support for PostgreSQL, DB2, Oracle, Sybase, SQL Server, SQLite, and Firebird.
C5 Generics Library for integrating generics into your application.
C# 3.0 compiler implementation with full support for LINQ.
Visual Basic 8 compiler.
IL assembler and disassembler and the development toolchain required to create libraries and applications.
Tools including a debugger, code inspection tools, linker, tuner and documentation tools.

Congrats Mono team for another great release!

I've been away from the Mono world for a while but I think it's definitely time to jump back in and get my hands a little dirty porting some iControl apps to Linux.

With all the coding I see on my plate, I may have to invest in a fire extinguisher to put out the flames from my burning keyboard.

-Joe

Technorati Tags: F5, DevCentral, Mono, .NET, Microsoft, LINQ, Product Review, Joe Pruitt

The Networking ABC's - R is for RTSP

Joe Pruitt — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:21:32 GMT

Today's letter in the Networking ABC's is the letter "R". I could have went with redundancy, RADIUS, rate class, router, or round robin, but I opted for a term that has to do with optimizing media transmission across the network and that's really important for us here at DevCentral as we are all about media! The word for today is RTSP or Real Time Streaming Protocol

"R" is for RTSP

RTSP

Pronounced: Ahr-Tee-Es-Pee

RTSP, not to be confused with RSTP or SCTP, stands for Real Time Streaming Protocol. RTSP, developed by the IETF and defined in RFC 2326, is a protocol for use in streaming media systems which allows a client to remotely control a streaming media server, issuing VCR-like commands like "Play" and "Pause" as well as allowing time based access to files on a server. Unlike the HTTP protocol, RTSP is a stateful protocol. A session ID is used to keep track of sessions when needed reducing the need for a permanent TCP connection. RTSP commands include DESCRIBE, SETUP, PLAY, PAUSE, RECORD, and TEARDOWN. RTSP is supported in many popular streaming media servers including Apple's Quicktime Streaming Server, as well as Microsoft's Windows Media Services.

Technorati Tags: F5, DevCentral, Networking ABCs, ABCs, RTSP, Joe Pruitt

Show your Ninja-e-ness

Joe Pruitt — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:37:06 GMT

While some folks here at DevCentral like to think that they are all knowing with regards to folks in our community, the facts are that we only get a small glimpse into what challenges you face in your day to day lives while keeping your network and applications working like a well oiled machine.

A while back I posted about becoming an iRule Ninja. I'm assuming everyone has read that post and taken the challenge to heart and now it's your opportunity to share with the DevCentral team how you've been kicking butt with the programming support with your F5 gear (iControl and iRules) as well as unique and creative ways you have used the core features of our products to make you a "Hero" in your day job.

So, how do you do this? We've got a couple of ways that we've setup for you to get your info back to us:

Plain Old Email: You can always email the team directly at devcentraleditor -at- f5 -dot- com.

Voicemail: Let's face it, email is a great way to pass along information, but it's pretty informal. In line with pushing the possibilities, we've setup a voicemail box for folks to submit your testimonials to. If you are inspired to share your Ninja-e-ness (yes, I made up that word), pick up the phone and give 206-201-2258 a call. Be warned, the voice on there is a little bit scary B-). Sorry, there's no toll-free option right now.

Skype: For those who don't want to pay the toll and have a headset lying around, we've got a Skype account that goes into the voicemail system as well. Add "f5recorder" to your Skype contact list and initiate a voice call to leave us a testimonial as well.

The Grand Scheme

Ideally, I'd love to get to the caliber of Ravensmoon Replicas, where users like Bill W (above) are enthusiastic enough to post a pictures of themselves in Jedi costumes with quotes from their kids. Priceless.

We'll take these calls and build out a testimonial section on DevCentral that propel you to stardom as the closet tech Ninja that you know you are.

So what are you waiting for, get in touch and let us know how you've solved that tough problem and get your 15 minutes of stardom. And don't forget, the voicemail prompt is a bit scary, don't hang up B-) Oh, and for those with "real" testimonials (related to F5 gear - sorry Bill W), we might have some goodies (t-shirts, etc) to pass along in return for your time.

-Joe

Technorati Tags: F5, DevCentral, iRules, Ninja, iRule Ninja, Testimonials, iControl 101, Skype, Jedi, Ninja-e-ness

iControl SDK v9.6.0 is here

Joe Pruitt — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 22:52:33 GMT

It's been a while since the last version of the SDK has been released and it looks like it's that time again.

So, whip out your zip program, and head on over to the iControl downloads page and be the first one on your block to get your hands on the latest and greatest iControl SDK.

Version 9.6.0 is a roll up of all previous upgrades and supports all previous versions of BIG-IP. What goodies can you expect to find in the SDK? Well, for starters, ASM and WA have made their debuts. LTConfig is the place to go for our new single configuration initiative. Oh, and for those of you lucky enough to have had your own "unboxing of Viprion", you can now automate configuring your clusters.

Oh, one more thing. The iControl Assembly has been updated for 9.6.0 as well, so for those of you java or Microsoft developers out there, make sure you grab the latest version for inclusion in your projects.

Happy coding!

-Joe

Technorati Tags: iControl, SDK, Assembly, ASM, WA, Viprion, cluster, java, .Net, Web Services, SOAP

F5 folks in the wild

Joe Pruitt — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:34:06 GMT

In the last few weeks there have been a few interviews with F5 folks that I thought you might be interested in.

In case you don't frequent the Redmond Channel Partner Online website, Columnist Lee Pender posted a write-up of a phone interview he had with F5's VP of the North America Partner Organization, Steve Hale. F5 was lucky enough to snap Steve up from a 17 year tenure at Microsoft and he's now working on guidance for our Partners, of which there are about 300 now, to enable them to be prepared to provide services around application delivery, networking and infrastructure, and storage virtualization. Read more about it here.

Another F5'er has been active this last week as well. Chris Lynch, F5's Senior VP of Data Solutions that F5 was again lucky enough to snag up as part of our acquisition of Acopia Networks. Chris is a very sharp guy and in this eWeek IT Link podcast, hosted by Mike Vizard, Chris talks about the need for a redesign in current enterprise infrastructure and data architectures to enable the next generation virtualized data center.

BTW, Steve and Chris, anytime you all want to talk about Partners or data center virtualization, know that you are always welcome guests on the DevCentral Weekly Podcast!

Technorati Tags: F5,Redmond Channel Partner,Steve Hale,Chris Lynch,eWeek,IT Link,DevCentral,Partners,Data Center Virtualization

Will 2008 be the year for C++?

Joe Pruitt — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:38:59 GMT

I was trolling through my feeds this morning and saw the post "Developers Will Find C++ Applications Playing Surprisingly Strategic Role in 2008 with Multi-Core and SOA"

Oh Realy?

Not if Microsoft, Sun, IBM, BEA, Apache, or any other mainstream development platform vendor/org has anything to say about it.

We'll start with this:

While developers often think of developing new applications on Microsoft's .NET or a variety of Java platforms, C++ remains one of the most widely deployed development languages for mission critical applications.

Define "Mission Critical" here. If they mean, legacy systems then I wouldn't disagree. In my experiences with our large enterprise customers and partners, I have heard ZERO talk about development in C++ in current projects. Our customers are working on cutting edge automation and dynamic service environments and if C++ was the "most widely deployed development language", you would think it would come up at least once. The mix I see is roughly 60% Java, 30% .Net, and 10% other (php, ruby, python). Maybe C++ falls into that other 10% category, but even if it is, that's hardly the "most widely deployed".

The reason for this is simple; C++ continues to be better for many use cases, and software developers want to be able to use the 'right tool for the job.'

Totally agree. That's why I see .Net/Java accounting for 90% of all new development projects I see in the enterprise space.

In addition, C++ projects are the second most active projects on both Apache and SourceForge.

Hmmmm. Taking a look at Apache's list of projects organized by language, C++ shows only ONE project. That must be one heck of an active product to the 80+ java based projects listed there. I wonder where they got their data from on that one?

Well, look on the bright side, if you are an organization looking at either enhancing an existing system (or building a new one) in C++, you'll only have a 3-12% premium on your developer costs:

C++ developers, themselves, can look at 2008 as a breakout year for their own careers as well. According to PayScale, a global online compensation research provider, the median salary for C++ developers is three to twelve percent higher than those of Java or .NET developers.

It took me a second reading of this article to realize the motivation behind it. It's a press release for Rogue Wave. No, not the the band that is #1 and #2 on Google Search. It's the Rogue Wave that is "the leading provider of enterprise class C++ components and infrastructure". Now it makes some sense...

It's worth pointing out that Microsoft's Parallel Computing Developer Center and IBM's Distributed Parallel Programming Environment for Java are there to help out with those stuck in the world of .Net and Java and want to catch a ride on the multi-core SOA train.

What do you all think? Will 2008 really be the year for C++? I'm having a hard time seeing it. Who knows, maybe I should switch my focus and get that 12% pay increase B-).

-Joe

Technorati Tags: 2008, C++, .NET, Java, Apache, SourceForge, Rogue Wave, Microsoft, IBM, Parallel Computing

iControl Cmdlets

Joe Pruitt — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 23:58:33 GMT

When we shipped DC4, we started looking at Windows PowerShell and how we could build some integration points with our products. The first pass was a set of PowerShell script files that we introduced in the PowerShell Labs section of DevCentral. No soon after we posted them, the requests started pouring in on when we would provide some native PowerShell CmdLets in addition to the function scripts.

Well, I spent a little bit of time working some out and whipped out a good first rough draft. I've been holding on to these for a while now but figured they would do better out in the wild then trapped in a folder on my laptop.

So, last night I posted an installer for the first release of the iControl CmdLets for PowerShell. I also ran some screen captures on how to install and use the CmdLets but ended up with some technical difficulties with the screen capture software - Camtasia is now on order B-). So, once I can get a good capture, be on the lookout. In the mean time, here's a step by step on getting up and running with the new bits.

Download and install PowerShell from Microsoft
Go to the PowerShell Labs page on DevCentral and select the "Download Now" link. This will download the Cmdlet installer.
Run the iControlSnapInSetup.msi installer. This will install the SnapIn into the c:\program files\F5 Networks\iControlSnapIn directory.
Start PowerShell from the Windows Start menu.
Cd to c:\program files\F5 Networks\iControlSnapIn directory
Dot Source the setup script (only once after the install)
PS > . .\setupSnapIn.ps1)
Load the SnapIn into the Runtime
PS > Add-PSSnapIn iControlSnapIn
Initialize the iControl connection with the Initialize-F5.iControl CmdLet
PS > Initialize-F5.iControl -Hostname bigip_address -Credentials (Get-Credential)
Run the Get-F5.iControlCommands CmdLet to list out all the available Cmdlets.
PS > Get-F5.iControlCommands
Try out some of the CmdLets
PS > Get-F5.LTMPool

That should be about it. Hopefully I'll automate some of the setup procedures into the installer (if anyone knows how to get the Installer Project in VS.Net to include a shortcut to a non-project item, please let me know B-).

Enjoy!

-Joe

Technorati Tags: DevCentral, Microsoft Solutions, PowerShell, iControl, Joe Pruitt, Microsoft, SnapIn, CmdLet, Camtasia

Off to TechEd

Joe Pruitt — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:08:34 GMT

I'm finishing up the days work here and packing my bags for TechEd in Orlando. I'll be presenting at a Vendor Lunch so if any of you out there are going to be at the show, please stop by and say hi.

Session # LNC 17: Wednesday June 6, 2007: 12-1:45PM. Room N310 A

I'm at the tail end of the session, so grab a bite for lunch and then drop by. If you miss the presentation, or have other things scheduled during that time, I'll be twittering my location throughout Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday night I'll be at the VSIP party at the Kennedy Space Center, which should be a blast.

I've got a pretty wide-open schedule outside the presentation, so feel free to look me up via twitter or email (joe -at- f5 -dot- com) and we can get an impromptu DevCentral User Group meeting. Anything is game, Configuration, PowerShell, VS, Application Ready Networks,...

See you there!

-Joe

Technorati Tags: Joe, TechEd, PowerShell, Twitter, Kennedy Space Center, Orlando, VSIP

I'm still here...

Joe Pruitt — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 17:37:09 GMT

It's been a while since my last post. The last few months have been pretty busy including releasing the new version of DevCentral, fixing all the things we missed in the migration, taking some long overdue time off, helping out in the forums, and working on a couple of other internal projects.

One of my pet-projects is DevCentral Labs. I'm on the lookout for a new project or two to take on. Don has started the basis for one but I know there are other areas out there that could be covered. I've been contemplating a Windows Mobile app next (in fact, I already have a compact framework version of the iControl Assembly that I plan on posting to soon). Any ideas for that project, or any other project, would be highly appreciated! Who knows, if you are up to doing some of the work, we can make you a co-lead on the project.

On the horizon...

Next week on Wednesday the 18th and 19th, I'll be at a Windows PowerShell Developer Conference at the Microsoft campus in Redmond. Anyone else planning on being there? If so, give me a shout.

And April 30-Mar 2, I'll be at Mix down in Las Vegas (which is already sold out!). I know at least one of reading this will be there. I couldn't convince Jeff to go this year, so I'll be there solo. Anyone want to meetup and talk networking? If we get enough of you, we can plan a mini F5 User Meetup - that way I can expense the drinks B-)...

Technorati tags: MIX07, Conferences, Microsoft Solutions, DevCentral

[Listening to: Roxanne (Police Cover) by Fall Out Boy]

-Joe