RIA Technology Evaluation

Transcription

1 Flow of this Talk RIA myths RIA market overview Enterprise RIA challenges Jnan Dash The players & technologies Chief Strategy Officer A technology study scope & results The RIA Spectrum Summary RIA Technology Evaluation 1 RIA Myths RIA RIA RIA RIA RIA RIA RIA RIA RIA RIA RIA Definition = Ajax = = plug-in = a form of scripting language = Ruby on Rails Google Maps, Flickr, outube,.. <tagging + mashups + wikis + blogs> Enterprise 2. Web 2. = ƒ(desktop client-server UI) RIAs attempt to combine the strengths of desktop and Web applications without falling prey to their weaknesses. Martin Heller, InfoWorld, 8/27 The next generation of the Web is marked by dynamic, interactive, open and highly flexible applications that not only go beyond the capabilities of classic Web applications but also exceed the features of desktop applications. Jim Rapoza, eweek, 8/27 RIA Categories RIA Definition Rich Internet Application (RIA) platforms enable organizations and software vendors to build applications that provide: a richer, more-responsive user experience compared to older generation, "plain browser" Web platforms known as Ajax, leverages the capabilities that are already built into every modern browser JavaScript language engine & Document Object Model (DOM) support Vendors - Backbase, Jackbe and Tibco, and by open-source toolkits, such as Dojo and Kabuki Ray Valdes, Gartner Group, July 27 Enhanced Browser begins with a browser and extends it with a plug-in or other browserspecific machine-executable component (unlike the JavaScript-centric Ajax approach, which is mostly browser-independent). Vendors - RIA Platform, Adobe Flash (further enhanced by Adobe server-side technology), Google Gears, and Microsoft Silverlight RIA platforms and technologies span a range of approaches that, from a runtime perspective, fall into three basic categories: 1. browser-only 2. enhanced browser 3. outside-the-browser Browser-only Outside-the-Browser adding some large-footprint system software to the client operating environment, such as Java Virtual Machine (JVM) runtime, or the Microsoft.NET language environment) On top of this stack can be additional layers for client-side data persistence, automatic provisioning and versioning of platforms and applications, and migration of server-side component models. Vedors - RIA Platform, Adobe AIR, IBM Lotus Expeditor, Microsoft WPF, and Sun JavaFX.

2 An Example - The platform An Example - The platform Client Side Client Side Server Side Application Request Server Side Existing Web Server, Portal Server, Application Server, Content Server, Etc Application Request Application Source Files Existing Web Server, Portal Server, Application Server, Content Server, Etc Application Source Files plugin (App.curl) (App.curl) Runtime Environment Source Code JIT Compilation Application Language EE & JIT Compiler Why Consider Rich Internet Applications? An Example - The platform Client Side Server Side Application Request Visual UI Ease of use Application Source Files plugin Reduces TCO Increases application reach ields high ROI XML Data Exchange JIT Compilation Application (SOAP, HTTP, HTTPS) External J2EE Web.NET services Web services Reduces deployment cost Client side processing scales with less server cost (App.curl) Runtime Environment Source Code Improves user experience Performance Existing Web Server, Portal Server, Application Server, Content Server, Etc The Business Case for Rich Internet Applications Ron Rogowskii, Forrester, March %-443%* Language EE & JIT Compiler The RIA Landscape RIA Challenges Performance & Complexity With broad reach and low TCO Rich Complex Traditional fat Client 4 Rich Internet Apps Interface Simple Character Applications Limited Traditional Browser Client Reach Broad Today s RIA platforms do not meet the needs of complex clientserver applications Web 2. & SOA are disruptive forces SOA is focused on backend infrastructure service as the new abstraction Web 2. talks about web as a platform for highly interactive applications mostly consumer space (B2C) Enterprise-scale RIA has to focus on speed, scalability, security, etc. Are Ajax & answers for Enterprise RIA?

3 Enterprise RIA Applications attributes What This Means for Customers? Large datasets Complex UI Data visualization Large scale High performance 1, or more client side records to process? 1, users with high computational requirements? Rapid Prototyping Avoid throw away prototypes Quicker concept to deployment Productivity benefits Improved process Faster response Reduced cost Applications that perform Lower development and maintenance costs One language does it all Less code Easier to implement and debug Revenue benefits Competitive differentiation Broader reach The Product Set Language Designed specifically for use on the Web Rich text formatting and GUI layout (cf. HTML) Fast and easy presentation scripting (cf. JavaScript) Full-featured object-oriented programming (cf. C++, C#, Java) Run Time Environment Execution platform for the language, extensive collection of built-in APIs Invoked when loading a application into the browser Integrated Development Environment Interoperability SOA and Web Services XML, SOAP, WSDL, REST HTTP, HTTPS, TCP Adobe Integration Runtime (AIR) AIR is the Flash player supplemented by additional features to enable applications that are not browser-hosted, but installed as desktop applications ActionScript 3. has a JIT (justin-time) compiler for fast execution AIR apps will run on Windows XP and Vista, Mac OS X (PowerPC and Intel), Linux (though not in the beta) AIR applications have use of a fast local database (SQLite) Declarative programming via FLEX, ActionScript 3. combines the flexibility of JavaScript with grown-up object orientation Schizophrenic development model. AIR supports either development, or HTML applications which run in WebKit. The ugly side of this flexibility is that there are two SDKs, even two JavaScript virtual machines with different capabilities and characteristics. Security concerns. AIR is close to the worst of both worlds, being tightly sandboxed from a developer perspective, but not particularly safe from the user s perspective No threading support Ideal for media-heavy application (Macromedia pedigree) Platforms Windows Linux MAC Tools for developing and debugging applications Rapid application development Visual Layout Editor (VLE) for visual ( WSIWG ) development Support for all important standards and platforms Integration Open Source components like WSDK, CDK,.. Member OpenAjax Alliance Microsoft Microsoft s Silverlight Silverlight (previously "WPF/E") is a browser-based plug-in that effectively extends the browser's Document Object Model (DOM) by adding graphical, multimedia and presentation facilities that can be defined in extensible Application Markup Language (XAML). It can be scripted using JavaScript. cross-platform, crossbrowser web client runtime, easy web video solution (announced at NAB, Las Vegas in April, 27) Positioned to fight Adobe Flash for media-rich apps. Silverlight 1., supports only a JavaScript programming model. Common Language Runtime (CLR) coming in R1.1 ability to program using.net languages like C#, VisualBasic.NET and IronPython Only runs applications built using.net technologies, currently runs as a plug-in only rather than a desktop application

4 Sonata Sonata s RIA Technology Study Approach for Study Implement typical desktop client/server application Functionality Order Entry Re-designed Order entry app to include RIA features RIA features added Evaluate 3 RIA technologies platforms ASP.NET By measuring factors contributing to Ease of learning Ease of design Ease of development Runtime performance Done by Sonata, a leader in Outsourced Software Development Rich UI Smart UI Controls ( Tree, Data grid with filters & Sort, Charts) Concentric Pie Charts with tool tips Responsiveness Data caching and data processing at client side Dynamic content display on Mouse over Client/Server Balance Cache the data at client and data processed at client side Access to server only for consuming Web Services Team of 4 people in 2 months Results in a detailed 55-page report with code samples Network Efficient CRUD operations done on client side data Use of Web services Evaluation Criteria Ease of Learning Availability of Self learning tools Availability of Code Samples Availability of Sample Applications Vendor support for evaluation Online developer groups /Forums Reuse of Object Orientated Programming skills Time to learn the language Ease of Design Availability of IDE Library of Smart UI widgets Drag & Drop design capability Customer / User defined UI Widgets Declarative style design to reduce coding Runtime performance Ease of installation Small footprint / Application download size Initial application start up time Restart time Cross Browser Support Server Round trips Memory Utilization Ease of Development Availability of IDE for Rapid Prototyping and development IDE supports Intellisense Online feedback to developers Support for debugging Object Orientation Support for profiling the application Effort for development Lines of code for implementation Comparison Methodology Common Application Order Entry App Least Common Denominator Web service Evaluate RIA features Resources selection & Learning Plan Code review by experienced resources Metrics collection Time bound study REST (XML over HTTP) Resources with no prior experience Application View App Development Metrics Order report Bar chart Application development effort (person days) Lines of Code Tree View Data Grid Learning Effort (person-days) Tool tip with order report Concentric Pie Chart Since application was implemented in the familiar ASP.NET the learning time was significantly less. 2. Due to insufficient time some of the features such as filtering & sorting in the grid, minimizing/maximizing chart, grid & tabular report panes, displaying popup window were not implemented in. Other features such as tooltips with order reports were not implemented in due to insufficient information on the issue

5 App Development Metrics 1 2 Features Tree control to display all orders grouped by customer and order status Data grid to display order lines Filtering columns in grid 4 Sorting columns in grid 5 Bar Chart es - with 3rd party controls 6 Popup window pie chart [Concentric pie chart displayed] [Single Pie chart displayed] Insufficient time to implement 7 Concentric Pie Chart N es - with 3rd party controls Tool tip with Order report 9 Tabular Reports Possible using data grid only 1 Elasticity Insufficient time to implement 11 Enlargement/minimization of Charts, Tables and grids in Data tab Insufficient time to implement 12 Access REST web service Memory Utilization (MB) Time(seconds) Strengths Scripting, Declarative, Object oriented paradigms Achieving Data Aggregation, Summary easy Filtering & Sorting features are built into grid 15 Executable (preview-able) code samples UI Responsiveness is very good Quicker Edit-Debug cycles 5 1 Script is JIT-compiled and thus no compilation required while debugging 1 Challenges New language (syntax) to be learnt Documentation Viewer Memory Utilization of IE (Includes plug-in memory usage, if applicable) multi-word search not supported Experience - Adobe Strengths Experience - ASP.NET Good documentation for UpdatePanel object ActionScript similar to JavaScript MXML similar to XML Easily programmable Charts & Grids Sorting built into Grid Invoking Web services easily programmable UI Look & feel is very attractive Challenges Memory utilization is very high Need to learn 2 languages ActionScript & MXML No intuitive Data Structures to hold set of records ArrayCollection or XMLListCollection used in is not standard Strengths Easy to learn for ASP.NET developers Languages similar to existing languages One server roundtrip for each type of action add, delete, read, update Invoking Web services easily programmable Documentation Viewer Supports multiple programming paradigms One server roundtrip for each type of action add, delete, read, update Easily programmable Charts & Grid Experience # of Roundtrips One server roundtrip per order/orderline for each type of action add, delete, read, update Size in KB For no plug-in is required Installed plug-in size Technology Start-up time for various Data sizes(no. of records) Memory Utilization for various Data sizes(no. of records) 12 5 Plug-in installer size Application download size(kb) App Performance Metrics Restart time for various Data sizes (No. of records) Could not find 3rd party tools to implement. N Time(seconds) Sl. No. App Performance Metrics Supported by Invoking Web services easily programmable Challenges No in-built chart controls Required search for suitable 3rd party controls Required development iterations before using the 3rd party control Not all controls are provided with extenders Controls without extenders are required to be placed on a UpdatePanel object to achieve Partial updates The application could not download & cache 1, records The application could not be rendered properly in IE7, Firefox & Opera

6 Summary RIA Enterprise Spectrum ASP.NET CURL Ajax & Silverlight AIR & No Plug-ins Run time Plug-In required Run time Plug-In required B2C Open B2C Controlled B2B Closed Appropriate choice for B2C transaction applications as there is no Plug-in library to be installed in the client side. A person buying a book online is not likely to install plug-ins in order to make the transaction. Appropriate choice for solutions that require Media content delivery. e.g. Product Configurators The user can get simulated experience of the product through Rich media content. Appropriate choice for enriching Enterprise class desktop applications with RIA. Quick download and fast start up of the application Good performance on large volumes of data. Excellent built-in data analysis tools. Minimal Client Processing Simple UI Application profiles B2B Extended enterprise B2E Employee tools B2C SaaS, Consumer tools Heavy Client Processing Complex UI Data visualization For full study report, check Summary Enterprise RIA is emerging, Japan is ahead of the US in deployment Packaged application providers (e.g. SAP, Oracle) are behind in deploying RIA New-gen ISV s are leaders Consumer market is way ahead, specially in banking/finance Enterprise RIA demands high degree of scalability, security, speed, and reliability Adobe s and Ajax platforms inadequate addresses this well (3 active customers in Asia)