It's proven: CPU and memory aren't limitations! Not any more!

Last week I read a superb article in an August issue of Communications of the ACM titled "The Singularity System".

The article talks about Microsoft's effort to create an experimental operation system written in a high-level garbage collected language (the language is called Sing# a dialect of C#).

Microsoft rethink the trade-offs of traditional architecture where resources (CPU, memory) were limited (it dates back to early days of computers in 1960s). Now with multiple cores, X GB of memory we are freed from such limitations. At least Microsoft researches did so, and decided to write an OS from the scratch using the latest technologies and achievements.

This experiment and the advance of cloud computing tells us one thing...

If an OS can be written in a high-level language, servers/boxes can be dynamically added with a single click, we (architects/application developers) should also rethink our approach to designing systems. We should be a little bit more braver and not afraid of using modern frameworks and technologies like queues, integration engines, computing engines, new dynamic languages like Scala/Groovy atop of Java, or features-loaded ultra-rich web frameworks.

And even if you hit a theoretical "performance issue" (which I seriously doubt you will), then who cares? In today's "clouded world"? Just scale it up!

What are your opinions? I'm more than happy to see your comments.

cheers,
Łukasz

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VisualVM - the first Java profiler that I really like!

I'm a Java developer for 7 years now, but only last month I encountered a Java Profiler that I really liked. (Note that this does not mean that I haven't used Java Profilers at all!)

I'm talking about VisualVM. It's a very easy and intuitive to use tool. And the UI is just superb (I really hate the command line tools)!

I will refrain from copying and pasting all its features as they are listed on the project's web site.

Simply visit https://visualvm.dev.java.net for more information, screencast and screenshots.

cheers,
Łukasz

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Blogger loves spam comments

I read some time ago that Google introduced a spam filter to Blogger. The oficial blog post is here: http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2010/08/blogger-adds-spam-filter-for-comments.html.

A beautiful idea, but just an idea.

I keep getting tons of comments on my most read posts from Viagra Online and Generic Viagra Blogger users. The person writing the comments uses keywords from posts (and I have to admit those comments are logical, and surely not generated automatically).

I don't mind positive comments saying what a great post I wrote :) but I mind false positive comments with a link to online shop with viagra pils!

I'm sick and tired of removing all those comments. Maybe Viagra Online and Generic Viagra will read this post and stop? Hope so!

I plan to get back to posting in 2 weeks time, my PhD thesis is looking better every day. I plan to schedule a meeting with my Professor and present him first 4 Chapters in late November. Then I will get back to posting!

cheers,
Lukasz

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