I am tickled pink 🙂 I just found out, in a very round-about way, that the Java CAPS Book is now available in a Kindle Edition. Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Java-CAPS-Basics-Implementing-ebook/dp/B0015DYM3M.
May 08
Just now I had an occasion to work with an integration solution intended to process lots of records. By lots I mean over 1 million smallish records. My customary platform to experiment on is Windows XP. Lots of reasons for that, most of them historical – I have tools I know and like and so on. While trying to work with such a volume of data I noticed a number of “interesting” things, which I thought I should share. These things are related to both the platforms (Windows vs. Linux), the tools and the architectural decisions.
I needed lots off data to test the solution I was contemplating, which involved XML processing, to see how constructing and parsing XML affects solution performance. To make it easier to compare timing differences I though I should use lots of records.
The discoveries are discussed in Right tools for the job.pdf.
May 07
Occasionally one needs to pick up and process a large number of files, on the order of hundreds or thousands. With the Batch Inbound eWay/JCA Adapter it is not possible to pick up more then one file per poll. The Batch Local File, if triggered by some event other then an appearance of a file in a directory, perhaps a Scheduler trigger or a manual trigger, with correctly designed logic, can process many files in a single invocation.
The document, ProcessingHundredsOfFileWithBatchAdapter.pdf, discusses how Batch Local File-based solution can be constructed to effectively process hundreds of files in a single pass.
This article references a ZIP archive “ProcessingHundredsOfFileWithBatchAdapter.zip“.
May 04
Every now and then one needs to secure communications between parties. Some would say it is necessary to do that all the time and perhaps it is. The issues are the complexity and expense. The complexity comes from having to configure a bunch of tools to support things like encryption and digital signatures for more then a single party. The expense comes from typically having to purchase cryptographic instruments from well known Certification Authorities, and keep on purchasing them all over again every 1 or 2 years. This discussion introduces a class library that offers a set of simple methods for constructing and sending secure electronic mail using the Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME), the Bounce Castle Cryptographic Libraries and the Java programming language. The intent is to allow a Java CAPS developer, or a Java developer, to add Secure Electronic Mail functionality quickly and easily, and without having to make too much of a time investment learning about PKI-based security and related matters. This addresses the complexity issue. The expense issue is addressed in my Blog Entry, “Producing Free, Private X.509 Certificates for use with PKI-based Solutions”, at http://blogs.sun.com/javacapsfieldtech/entry/producing_free_private_x_509. That blog discusses how to roll out a private Certification Authority and obtain X.509 Certificates., and other cryptographic objects, for free.
This document discusses the use of cryptographic software and manipulation of cryptographic objects. Using or discussing cryptography software is illegal in some parts of the world. It is you responsibility to ensure that you comply with any import/export and use laws that apply to you.
SendingSecureEMailUsingJavaCAPS.pdf
The ZIP archive, referenced in the document, is SecMail_and_extra_libs.zip
Reference is also made to the article “Producing Free, Private X.509 Certificates for use with PKI-based Solutions”.
May 03
When working with PKI-based security solutions one typically requires one or more X.509 Certificates and related private keys. X.509 Certificates are typically purchased from well known Certification Authorities, such Verisign, for a fair amount of money and are valid for 1 or 2 years. It is not perhaps widely known that one can create a perfectly functional X.509 Certificate and use it in PKI-based solutions by oneself, free of charge and valid for an arbitrary amount of time. While tools are available to both generate key pairs and create X.509 Certificates, the how of it is somewhat obscure. This document discusses the use of the OpenSSL software in creation of private PKI objects such as Key Pairs and X.509 Certificates and PKCS#12 Keystores. It discusses the use of Windows-based scripts, developed by the author, that make the process painless and quick.
This document discusses the use of cryptographic software and manipulation of cryptographic objects. Using or discussing cryptography software is illegal in some parts of the world. It is you responsibility to ensure that you comply with any import/export and use laws that apply to you.
SettingUpCryptoToolsAndObjects.pdf
The document references the artifact archive, “PKI_Scripts_Windows“.
