Dude, Wasn't That Native Coding?

C++ Programming Interviews: What Interviewers Want You To Show

2010-11-27T08:13:18Z

I recently passed a test on C/C++ and I like to share what I was challenged to to, what (and how) I responded. This post will seem like a lost chapter of the book Programming Interviews Exposed-Secrets to Landing Your Next Job, 2nd Edition [Mongan, Soujanen, Giguère; Wrox 2007]. I was asked to pseudo-code a function that returns the decimal equivalent to a roman numeral received as input. It seems like a trivial challenge but what the aspiring candidate must keep in mind, first of all, is...(read more)

Recent Quotes from C++ Inventor Bjarne Stroustrup

2010-11-10T23:31:00Z

A selection of a few quotes recently told by C++ father to Wired magazine , in occasion of the 25 years of its creation. My aim for C++ was always to go beyond the narrow definitions of OOP. Sometimes, it is more important to have the right problem than the best solution. Ada, Smalltalk, Eiffel, Objective C, the forerunners of CLOS, and other languages were vigorously competing for mind share. In that context, C++ was the only “advanced language” without a marketing organization. If I had thought...(read more)

Coffee Break: Swapping Two Values Without Involving a Third One

2010-10-05T22:02:00Z

Everybody knows the XOR bitwise operator. It returns 1 for every couple of bits that don’t match, 0 otherwise. What not everybody may be aware is a curious feature of it: it may serve to swap integer values ( char , short , int , long long or their unsigned versions). Let’s see: // shemp contains 01000001 and curly 01011010 respectively char shemp = ' A ' , curly = ' Z ' ; shemp ^= curly; // shemp ends with 00011011 curly ^= shemp; // curly ends with 01000001 // that's shemp initial...(read more)

The Architecture Newsletter, June 2009

2009-06-18T00:46:00Z

Issue 20
June 2009

Architecture in Turbulent Times

Letter from the Editor

Dear Architect,

Let's start with the basics: the goal of our Architect role is to align IT with the course of business. So far, so good, eh? So, being that almost every business has been challenged as a consequence of the current economic slowdown, we-as architects-are challenged to make our architectures follow the pace of business that these days is particularly changeable and unstable.

We thought that we had a clear understanding of the rules corresponding to the latest scenario. Having made a plan to face it, and being in the middle of the execution, we're told that the organization must now implement further changes to keep business going. The results of the last quarter were known, and growth expectations were revised to lower-perhaps negative-numbers.

This issue of The Architecture Journal won't tell you when this meltdown will end or whether we'll have kept our jobs. It will, however, share architecture strategies, IT behaviors, and-for sure-success stories. I counted on the invaluable collaboration of Mike Walker as guest editor for this issue. Mike wrote the opening article, which details how architects can add value back to the business during climates as particular as the current one. He and the other authors are architects like you and me: they didn't live during the Great Depression and, even if they had, technology in general and IT architecture as a discipline were slightly different from what they are today. They were suddenly challenged, and they responded to those challenges. Now, they tell us how they are succeeding. I hope you'll find both inspiration and courage in these pages.

By the way, as announced in the last issue, we keep adding features to the Journal to take advantage of its now mainstream digital format. We've introduced a "Follow Up" section at the end of any article that has references for going further with implementation.

This issue, we're introducing the "guest columnist" concept. You'll find that an article comes with one, two, or even three guest columnists. We intend to widen coverage on a given topic by offering different perspectives and voices. We're not yet done with these new features. Also, for those of you who are interested in receiving a printed version, we're still working on a print on-demand model.

By chance, are you interested in writing an article for the Journal? We just finished a call for papers on "SOA at the end of the decade," and we thank all of you who participated in that call. You can learn about a future call for papers by subscribing to The Architecture Journal newsletter, which you can do by visiting The Architecture Journal Web site.

As always, you can let us know your opinions directly by e-mailing us.

Diego Dagum
Editor-in-Chief

Contents

Architecture in Turbulent Times

By Mike Walker (Microsoft).
A review of how the crisis is changing the business agenda, how architectural priorities are altered as a consequence, and a method for maximizing architecture decisions.

Reuse, Buy, or Build: Components and Services

By Simon Thurman (Microsoft) and Phil Rowland (Capgemini UK).
An exploration of the attributes that drive a decision, high-order considerations, forces that may influence the process, and how to extract a conclusion after a balanced analysis.

"Live Long and Prosper": Customer and Employee Retention with an Agile Process

By Rodney Guzman (InterKnowlogy).
Lessons learned from a concrete case study on how a real software shop delivers on time, even with changing definitions (for instance, those taken under pressure these days), and keeping customers and employees so satisfied that they don't think about leaving you.

Surviving Turbulent Times: Prioritizing IT Initiatives Using Business Architecture

By Martin Sykes (Microsoft) and Brad Clayton (Microsoft).
How Microsoft prioritizes its project portfolio to maximize return on investment (ROI), determining the projects that should receive budget and resource allocation.

Practical Architecture in Impractical Times

By Matt Valentine (Microsoft).
Mindsets, practices, and an invaluable set of illustrative real-world case studies to help understand that progress isn't but the consequence of a former stagnation.

Reducing Infrastructure Costs Through Virtualization

By Leandro Sgallari (TI Sistemas).
A review of the multiple virtualization techniques that allow you to get more for less. This article quantifies the margins to be saved, as no other articles on virtualization have done.

Engineering in the Cloud: An Engineering Software + Services Architecture Forged in Turbulent Times

By Peter Williams (dezineforce) and Simon Cox (dezineforce).
A real-world story of a company that switched from manufacturing and delivering a solution hosted entirely by its customers on an expensive infrastructure, to offering the application as a service, with the consequent cost reduction for its customers.

Download This Issue as a PDF

Find more architecture resources

MSDN Mag, June

TechNet Mag, June

p&p Summit, 2009

If you are a software architect or developer who is passionate about mastering your craft, you should register now to attend the next patterns & practices Summit, October 12-16th at the Microsoft Conference Center in Redmond, Washington.

Infrastructure Planning and Design

Considering an online solution for your organization's collaboration services? The SharePoint Online-Evaluating Software-plus-Services guide presents a clear comparison of SharePoint collaboration technologies across on-premises, standard hosting, and dedicated hosting scenarios.

To cancel your subscription to this newsletter, reply to this message with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the Subject line. You can also unsubscribe at the Architecture Journal web site. You can manage all your Microsoft.com communication preferences at this site.

Legal Information.

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Redmond, Washington, USA
98052

The Architecture Newsletter, May 2009

2009-05-22T02:21:00Z

SOA Call for Papers

May 2009

SOA Keys for Success

Call for Papers

The 21st issue of the Architecture Journal will be devoted to SOA Keys for Success.

While Cloud, Utility, and Green Computing trends emerge as probable candidates for the top of the enterprise IT agenda for the next decade, SOA undoubtedly has been the priority during this decade, and particularly during these five last years.

The initial appeal of SOA came when the industry acknowledged how standards such as XML Web Services easily achieved decoupled levels of integration that were unseen on previous, complex attempts such as CORBA or COM.

Then came the SOA rush, and a growing number of companies embarked on SOA projects while Web Services standards continued to evolve in order to close the gap in security, reliable messaging, and transactional integrity.

Some years later, we can confirm that SOA has accomplished its promise of interoperability. But where SOA practitioners probably will disagree is on the total cost of ownership of this kind of project. We might find as many successful stories (on time, on budget, and straightforward) as not-so-successful stories (more expensive than projected, unforeseeable complexity, and so on).

What are the factors that make the difference? We are calling for articles on:

. SOA practices. Which ones determine the success-or failure-of a project?
. SOA governance. Running, monitoring, versioning: How better to serve services?
. To ESB or not to ESB. Angel or demon? When to consider it a fundamental piece? What about it should you get rid of?
. From object to services. Considerations to guarantee separation of concerns after shifting paradigms.
. Enhanced SOA. How alternative, complementary approaches such as Event-Driven Architecture (EDA), REST protocols, service virtualization, and others are helping SOA traverse the last mile of integration.
. SOA and The Cloud. What SaaS, S+S, and related emerging delivery models have to offer to an in-house SOA investment.

If you have ideas on these topics that you would like to share with the architecture community, this is your chance! To submit an idea for an article, please send the following before June 11, 2009:

. An abstract of between two and four paragraphs that explains what the reader will get from your article with regard to the "SOA Keys for Success" theme of the issue. If you like, you may submit on an alternative topic; we have published out-of-theme articles in the past. However, your chances of being selected might be lower.
. A bio of between one and two paragraphs.
. A list of your previously published articles, if any.

Submissions should be made via e-mail to archjrnl@microsoft.com (we receive many submissions for each issue, so we encourage you to put time and thought into your submission).

After the call for articles has ended, everyone who has submitted an idea will be notified via e-mail as to whether their submission was successful or not. If it is accepted, your article must follow this schedule:

. June 17. Acceptance notified.
. July 8. First draft (possibly unfinished) is due.
. July 22. Final draft is due.*
. September 5. Your article and the Journal are ready and published.

* We recommend that articles be between 2,500 and 3,500 words in length. We will ask you to sign a release form that gives Microsoft permission to reprint the article, although ownership of the article will remain with you.

For more information, check out this link or contact us at archjrnl@microsoft.com. Good luck!

Architecture Resources: Editor's Choice

ALM: Download the Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Beta

VSTS 2010 Architecture supports both Unified Modeling Language and Domain Specific Language, core part of the larger Microsoft modeling platform, which will also include the "Oslo" repository, tools and language.

[SOA World] The Five Pillars of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing requires a dynamic computing infrastructure - there are four other pillars, too.

Federated Identity: "Geneva" Beta 2 Released

"Geneva" is Microsoft's open platform for user access that helps companies simplify access to applications and other systems with an interoperable claims-based model.

[Visual Studio Magazine] Reaching for the Cloud?

It seems developers are either quite immersed in the technical underpinnings of Redmond's next-generation platform (Azure cloud services) or they're ambivalent about it.

Rich Internet Applications: .NET RIA Services

A framework that provides a pattern to write application logic that runs on the mid-tier and controls access to data for queries, changes and custom operations.

[infoQ] Virtual Service Oriented Grids

This article discusses virtualization, service orientation, and grid computing, and then shows how they are combining to create new design and deployment options.

SOA and BPM: BizTalk Server 2009 Ready

Enhancements and new features were introduced in four main areas: latest MS platforms, developer productivity and application life cycle management, agile SOA and end-to-end supply chain management.

[Java Developer's Journal] Application Grids

Doing more with less infrastructure.

Remote Server Administration for Windows 7

IT administrators can now manage roles and features that are installed on computers that are running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2003, from a remote computer that is running Windows 7 RC.
Extra: Will Windows 7 run in your desktops?

[Enterprise Systems] Outsourcing Status

Although outsourcing revenues increased by nearly 50 percent last year, experts predict slowing demand for outsourcing services in the first half of this year.

Get more resources at MSDN Architecture Center.

From Ideas to Real Implementation

Online Only: Earth Day TechNet Special Issue

Framework for Building a "Hyper-Green" Virtual Server System
Planning Your Power Management and Virtualization Strategies
Essential Tools for Planning Your Virtual Infrastructure
Build a Green Datacenter
... and more!!

TechNet Magazine June: Application Compatibility

Providing Scalability for ASP.NET Applications
Inside the Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.5
Planning Your Application Compatibility Project
Automating Group Policy Management with Windows PowerShell
... and more!!

To cancel your subscription to this newsletter, unsubscribe at the Architecture Journal web site. You can manage all your Microsoft.com communication preferences at this site.

Legal Information.

This newsletter was sent by the Microsoft Corporation
1 Microsoft Way
Redmond, Washington, USA
98052

Speaking on Mission-Critical Apps at SATURN 2009 (SEI's Architecture Conference) – May 7, Pittsburgh, PA

2009-04-10T22:39:00Z

Dear Architect,

I'll be delivering a session on "Architecting for Highly Available, Scalable, and Reliable Mission-Critical Applications" in the 5th edition of SEI Architecture Technology User Network Conference

Hope to see you there

Sincerely,

Diegum

Microsoft Architecture Journal Issue 20 - Call For Papers

2009-02-26T02:31:00Z

The 20th issue of The Architecture Journal will provide insights into how turbulent times affect architects and the new and challenging solutions they will need to create. This issue will examine how Software and Infrastructure Architects can add value back to their business units through business alignment, IT optimization, externalization of services, and consolidation of redundant or obsolete solutions.

How can the IT architects help keep business alignment and efficiency in such scenario? We are looking for real world ideas such as:

Optimizing software development and delivery (i.e. via enterprise agile process implementation or any other strategy)
Optimized deployment to low-cost desktop infrastructure (thru virtualization or any other technique)
What IT Operations consolidation strategies Infrastructure Architects should know about
Efficient communication between distributed teams (IT, users, etc)
Any other original idea based on past, local crisis contexts

If you have ideas that you would like to share with the architect community on this topic, here is your chance! Follow the instructions below to send an abstract before the cut-off date and you could see your thoughts and ideas shared with over 62,000 readers, translated in several languages, and distributed at multiple conferences around the world!

The cut-off date for abstracts for the next issue is March 18th 2009. If you are interested in making a submission, here are the details:

How do I make a submission?

To submit an idea for a paper, please send the following:

A 2 – 4 paragraph abstract explaining how your paper fits the "Architecture in Uncertain Times" theme of the magazine
A 1 – 2 paragraph bio
A list of previously published articles

Submissions should be made via Email to archjrnl@microsoft.com

We receive many submissions for each issue, so we encourage you to put time and thought into the submission.

When will I know whether my submission is accepted?

After the call for papers has ended, you will be notified via Email as to whether your submission was successful or not.

What happens if my submission is accepted?

If accepted, you’ll have between 6 weeks to submit two drafts and a final version of your paper. These dates will be clearly communicated. Your first draft will be reviewed by an editorial board to ensure it is on message for the magazine. Your second draft and final version will be subject to both technical and copy editing.

The magazine is generally available in print and online 4 weeks after final drafts are submitted.

What are the guidelines for papers printed in the Architecture Journal?

We recommend that papers are between 3,500 and 4,500 words in length – although we have accepted shorter and longer papers in the past. The article should be submitted using Microsoft Word. Diagrams should be submitted in either Microsoft Visio or Microsoft PowerPoint, and will be reformatted for the magazine.

Do I still own the work?

Yes. We ask you to sign a release form that gives Microsoft permission to reprint the article, but ownership of the paper remains with you, the author.

Will I get paid for writing?

We do not currently reimburse authors for contributing to the Architecture Journal.

Will I get copies of the magazine as an author?

After printing you’ll be sent 10 copies of the Journal for your own use.

Where can I get more information?

Check out this link

Computer Sciences and Consciousness: Journal on Sustainable Computing Just Released

2008-12-19T05:01:00Z

The theme of this issue, “Green Computing,” is especially important and timely: As computing becomes increasingly pervasive, the energy consumption attributable to computing is climbing, despite the clarion call to action to reduce consumption and reverse greenhouse effects. At the same time, the rising cost of energy — due to regulatory measures enforcing a “true cost” of energy coupled with scarcity as finite natural resources are rapidly being diminished — is refocusing IT leaders on efficiency and total cost of ownership, particularly in the context of the world-wide financial crisis.

We are pleased to have Lewis Curtis, Principal Architect on the Microsoft Platform Architecture Team, as our subject matter expert on this topic and co-editor for this issue. In the first article (page 2), Lewis provides a holistic approach to greener architectures, and he also helped us subdivide the topic in five perspectives:

• Physical. The Genome research project, described in “Wireless Sensor Network for Data Center Monitoring” (page 28), uses heat distribution data from a wireless sensor network to optimize data center design and server provisioning in order to avoid overcooling the entire data center.
• Operating Platform. Hardware resources are often allocated based on a worst-case scenario that may happen with a low frequency. As a result, complete farms may be as much as 90 percent underutilized. Read Mark Pohto’s article on SQL Server consolidation (page 35) to learn more about virtualization and other consolidation tactics.
• Sustainable Intelligence. An Energy Usage Profile (EUP) is an essential tool for measuring energy consumption in various domains such as hardware, operating systems, users, and applications, as the Software Architect of the Future explains in the article by Steve Stevanovich and coauthors (page 24).
• Application Development. Solution architects also have an opportunity here, as coauthors Dan Rogers and Ulrich Homann point out in “Application Patterns for Green IT” (page 16). Green computing discussions today tend to focus on the platform, hardware, and data centers. However, application inefficiencies, such as suboptimal algorithms and inefficient usage of shared resources causing contentions, are originators of higher CPU usage and, therefore, energy consumption.
• The Cloud. In their article on virtualization maturity model (page 9), Kevin Francis and Peter Richardson also cover utility computing-based delivery models. Insofar as this these models consolidate organizations, consumption has the potential to be remarkably reduced as the Internet scale data centers in which services are hosted can make efficient use of shared resources (servers, storage, cooling mechanisms, and so forth).

Now and in the future, green computing will be a key challenge for businesses and presents a leadership opportunity for all architects. It is an exciting time to
be an architect. Celebrating the relaunch of the Architect MVP (Most Valuable Professional) program, we interviewed Udi Dahan (Architect MVP for four years
now) in our Architecture Journal Profile (page 22).

We hope you enjoy these thoughtful articles on green computing. We invite you to visit the Microsoft Environmental Sustainability portal at http://www.microsoft.com/environment/, and as always, we welcome your feedback at editors@architecturejournal.net.

Diego Dagum
Editor-in-chief

Tech•Ed 2009 North America: Architecture Track Call for Papers

2008-12-05T23:56:00Z

You are cordially invited to submit a title and abstract for a Breakout Session, Hands-on Lab, Interactive Theater Session, Tech•Ed Online Tech Talk, or Tech•Ed Online Panel Discussion for the Architecture track at Tech•Ed North America 2009.

The Architecture [ARC] track has become a key contributor at Tech•Ed and we plan to continue leading the sessions by providing relevant content. This is your opportunity to propose sessions for delivery.
The Architecture track will offer sessions that target Architecture (of technology) and Architects (as part of a job description). Elements include the architectural process of translating business vision, intent, and strategy into effective technological change in the Enterprise; addressing the skills of creating, communicating, and improving the key tenets, principles, and models that describe the Enterprise's future state and enable its transformation, evolution, or migration.

ACTION:

Go to: https://2009.msteched.com/cft/default.aspx
Enter RSVP Access Code: RSVP09-ARC
Complete all the fields and submit your entry.

NOTE: You will use the email alias and password you entered when creating your Call for Content profile to return to this site to review or edit your submission or to submit another topic.

Deadline for Submissions: January 5, 2009

What is Tech•Ed?

Tech•Ed is Microsoft’s premier global conference designed to provide Developers and IT Professionals with the technical education, product evaluation and community resources they need to design, develop, manage, secure, and mobilize state-of-the-art software solutions for a connected enterprise.

Tech•Ed North America 2009 Returns to a Single Week Event!

To better serve the needs of Developers and IT Professionals, Microsoft constantly looks for the best, most efficient channels to educate both communities on the latest technology developments. Based on our recent findings, Tech•Ed North America will once again be focused into a single week for both communities.

The return to a combined event is the result of feedback from both the Developer and IT Professional communities. We remain excited to provide the best technical education event in the industry, and we are confident the combined-week model will continue to deliver the great content, education, and connection opportunities it has delivered for more than 16 years.

The following information will be helpful as you think about the session ideas that you would like to submit and present at Tech•Ed.

Audience Segments

Approximately 40% of those who attend Tech•Ed are developers, solution architects, designers and testers who seek to engage with Microsoft and take a deep dive into the latest enterprise development solutions using Microsoft’s developer tools, frameworks, and platforms. The remaining 60% are IT Professionals seeking to collaborate and network with Microsoft staff and other IT professionals, and who also want to learn how to design, plan, deploy, manage, and secure a connected enterprise.

Content directed at these audience segments focuses on current and soon-to-release (available in CTP) Microsoft products, technologies and services.

Tech•Ed 2009 kicks off in North America and is followed by international Tech•Ed events that leverage much of the same content reaching 50,000 customers in-person and over 100,000 online.

Breakout Sessions

Breakout Sessions are the main content delivery modality at Tech•Ed. These sessions are lecture-style presentations located in rooms seating anywhere from 200-1,200 people and are 75 minutes in length. They typically include slides, demos, and a Question & Answer period, and they are recorded and distributed in the Global TechEd content library.

Next steps…

We will review session submissions to determine which ones best meet the needs of the Tech•Ed audience, adhere to the content guidelines, and fulfill the messaging requirements of the product group.
We will relay the final status of all submissions by March 2009. Please be sure to contact your track owner for any questions you have about the status of your submission,

Tech•Ed is a strategic event for Architecture as a discipline and as a profession. Thank you taking the time to begin planning for this important customer event. Please feel free to contact me and send any additional questions that you have regarding the Architecture track.

Warmest regards,

Tech Ed 2008 ARC Core Team

Microsoft Generation 4.0 Data Center Vision

2008-12-05T23:48:00Z

[Extracted from InfoWorld]:

"Microsoft has come up with a faster, cheaper way to build its datacenters over the next five years, and it says other companies could use its methods too.
Microsoft's approach, described by General Manager Michael Manos in a blog post Tuesday, uses a modular design in which standard units of computing, cooling, and electrical equipment are delivered to a facility on the back of a truck and assembled on site. The system, which Microsoft calls its "Generation 4" design, will allow its datacenters to become operational more quickly and cut the cost of building traditional, brick and mortar facilities."

"This is our vision and will be the foundation of our cloud data center infrastructure in the next five years. A highly modular, scalable, efficient, just-in-time data center capacity program that can be delivered anywhere in the world very quickly and cheaply, while allowing for continued growth as required. We believe it is one of the most revolutionary changes to happen to data centers in the last 30 years." (Michael Manos, General Manager responsible for global data center design, construction and ongoing operations for Microsoft’s online services)