U-X | Architecting Portal Solutions: Applications Development

< Day Day Up >

UNIX

An open-standard operating system developed by Bell Labs in 1969. Systems running under UNIX (and UNIX variants such as Linux) can more easily be integrated with other resources in the enterprise to create an on demand computing environment.

Usage-based pricing

One of the characteristics of utility computing, usage-based pricing allows on demand businesses to pay for computing power as they need it, and only for as long as they need it, thus increasing business flexibility and resilience.

Utility computing

One of the features of the on demand environment, utility computing delivers computing power to companies as they need it, and only for as long as they need it-making it as reliable, affordable and easy to use as common utilities.

Variable

One of the four characteristics of an on demand business. This business will use variable cost structures and adapt processes flexibly. This flexibility will enable it to reduce risk and to do business at high levels of productivity, cost control, capital efficiency and financial predictability.

Virtualized

One of the four characteristics of the on demand operating environment. The entire data center of an on demand business can be virtualized with an emerging technology called grid computing. Like the Internet, Grid is based on open technical standards and protocols. When implemented, grid allows a collection of distributed computing resources to be shared and managed as if they were one large, virtual computer.

Web Intermediaries

A framework and set of programming tools from IBM for the uniform creation and control of intermediary programs such as proxy servers, transcoding processors, and any kind of program that sits somewhere between two end points in a network. Some other kinds of intermediary programs that can be built using WebSphere Business Integration include personalization of Web content; transcoding HTML for formatting to a handheld device; interactivity with other Web users and data; the filtering of content; and, more controversially, the monitoring of individual usage.

A WebSphere Business Integration application consists of a request editor, a (response) generator, a response editor, and a monitor. A collection of such a monitor, editors, and generator is known as a MEG, and a MEG constitutes an installable plugin. Plugins are registered in a computer and made usable whenever they are needed or wanted.

The (Java-based) WebSphere Business Integration Development Kit comes with some ready-made plugins, including the same plugin APIs as IBM's WebSphere Transcoding Publisher.

Web services

A way of providing computational capabilities using standard Internet protocols and architectural elements. For example, a database Web service would use Web browser interactions to retrieve and update data located remotely.

Wireless

Pertaining to communication that typically occurs over radio frequencies.