Steve HustonRiverace Corporation
Steve's Networked Programming Newsletter
Making Nets Work
May 2008
Dear Steve,

Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter. This month I have an article about a C++ library I recently learned about called asio - check it out and let me know your thoughts.

I also have a quick note about HP's recent announcement of end-of-sale dates for HP 9000 series systems. If you are in an HP shop, you should be aware of this.

As always, be sure to forward this note to other people you work with to be sure they know what's happening in the world of networked application development.

In This Issue
A 'Modern' Replacement for ACE? Ummm, no...
HP Announces End-of-Sale Dates for HP 9000
Did Your Last Project Run Late? Want to Prevent That?
A 'Modern' Replacement for ACE? Ummm, no...

I read a blog posting this week (http://www.oneunified.net/blog/) recounting the author's experiences searching for C++ toolkit(s) with which to build a networked application. You can read the full entry (linked above) but one item that grabbed my attention (after a nice review of ACE and the ACE books) was a brief description of a library I hadn't heard of - asio (http://asio.sourceforge.net/). It was described as a "'modern' replacement for ACE" so I just had to check it out. Here's my take on it:
  • asio uses some modern C++ features such as template metaprogramming. These are cool, but you really have to be a C++ wiz to "get it".
  • asio has been ported to only a few platforms; it requires boost, which prohibits its use on many platforms that ACE runs on today
  • asio covers primarily what is, in ACE, the lower levels; no higher-level frameworks
  • There are probably some neat lessons to learn here and maybe apply
So, I wouldn't call asio a replacement for ACE in the large, but if you love boost and fancy C++, it may be an item you should look into. I'd really like to hear from you if you've tried asio out as well. Email me at shuston@riverace.com and let me know what you think.

Have you ever wished ACE had a replacement, or at least a renovation? Do you like boost? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!
HP Announces End-of-Sale Dates for HP 9000
If you are using HP-UX on the HP 9000 series hardware (PA-RISC), you should be aware that HP has announced the end-of-sale date for the HP 9000 series systems. You have until the end of this year to order any HP 9000 systems you'll need.

For complete information, see http://www.hp.com/products1/evolution/9000/eol_announcement.html.

Riverace is supporting ACE on HP-UX PA-RISC hardware as follows:
  • HP-UX 11.00 on PA-RISC: ACE 5.5 is the last ACE version to be supported. When ACE 5.7 is released later this year, ACE 5.5 will become unsupported and so will HP-UX 11.00
  • HP-UX 11iv2 on PA-RISC: Will remain supported as long as we have sufficient customer usage.
Do You Need Help Designing Your Next System?
Nobody has to tell you that designing a well-formed, efficient, maintainable networked application is hard. You've had to deal with it. The problem is that networking functionality is usually in a supporting role to your system's main purposes, and your skills and experience are much better used to focus on specific business and technology issues. It may make more sense to bring in seasoned expertise to help design a solid networking base in your next system.

I've helped many companies get great networked applications built - I may be able to help you as well. Let's talk and see if I can help take care of the networking, and let you focus on applying your expertise and experience to the business features that'll really help your system stand out.

Call me at 508-541-9180 or email me at shuston@riverace.com.
If you have any ideas for areas of networked programming you'd like to hear about in future issues, please email me with your suggestions. In the meantime, keep those nets working!
 
Sincerely,
 

Steve Huston
Riverace Corporation
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