Mission-Critical Java(TM) Project Management: Business Strategies, Applications, and Development [Paperback]

Gregory Dennis (Author), James R. Rubin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 1998 | Series: Addison-Wesley Information Technology

The advent of the Java programming language has made the corporate computing world take notice. Java offers businesses many benefits, including the secure deployment of distributed business applications. Yet for all of its strengths, Java is still largely a mystery to professionals charged with mapping corporate computing strategy. Mission-Critical Java Project Management provides information technology professionals with the foundation they need to decide what role Java should play in their corporate IT strategy. Rather than hyping the use of Java for every application, this book documents the advantages and challenges of building Java-based business systems. The authors--experts in deploying large-scale Java business systems--provide invaluable information for those confronting the challenges and opportunities that Java presents to the corporate computing architecture. Case studies throughout the book offer real-world examples and lessons learned from the authors' personal experience using Java in business applications. The approach is candid and unbiased, and this objective view helps you learn when using Java is the best solution and when it is not.In short Mission-Critical Java Project Management will show you how Java should fit in your organization's current and future enterprise computing plans. Highlights include: *A discussion of the risks and rewards of an enterprise-wide Java implementation using multiple case studies *An explanation of building Java-based systems from experienced consultants who have developed a complex, real-world Java business application with over one million lines of code *A case study focusing on the development of a large-scale Java business application for via World Network, an Andersen Consulting Enterprise that delivers e-commerce technologies to the travel industry 020132573XB04062001

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

This book reflects the authors' personal experiences in building the technology infrastructure for via World Network, an Andersen Consulting Enterprise. via World Network is permanently removing cost and complexity from travel product distribution by connecting corporations and their travelers directly to their preferred suppliers.

Andersen Consulting Enterprises are companies wholly or majority-owned by Andersen Consulting that deliver unique network-centric solutions to changing industries. They exploit advances in network computing to allow companies and industries to acquire or distribute information-based, digital products and services through virtual channels.

As part of Andersen Consulting's Enterprise Group, we have had the opportunity to leverage the knowledge gained in via World Network to support additional ventures. Some of these experiences are explored in the other cases presented in this book.

For an overview and outline of the book's purpose and scope, see Chapter 1, which presents a summary of the book and a synopsis of each chapter. Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express our thanks for the outstanding contributions of all those people who have helped make this book possible. Most importantly, we appreciate the patient and important contributions of our wives, Victoria Dennis and Laura Rubin. The following people were instrumental in reviewing or providing input to the book: Elmer Baldwin, via World Network
Ann Cloos, Andersen Consulting
Michael Dickoff, Andersen Consulting
Richard Erickson, Sun Microsystems
Christopher Gardner, Andersen Consulting
Hal Ghering, Andersen Consulting
Mark Goodyear, Andersen Consulting
Thomas Grudnowski, Andersen Consulting
Mike Hendrickson, Addison Wesley Longman
Regina Hoffman, Andersen Consulting
Capers Jones, author and consultant
Cliff Jury, Andersen Consulting
Phyllis Kennedy, Andersen Consulting
Cynthia Monroe, Andersen Consulting
Mary O'Brien, Addison Wesley Longman
Dr. Judith Simon, University of Memphis
Mike Swenson, Andersen Consulting
Shari Wenker, Andersen Consulting

020132573XP04062001

From the Back Cover

The advent of the Java programming language has made the corporate computing world take notice. Java offers businesses many benefits, including the secure deployment of distributed business applications. Yet for all of its strengths, Java is still largely a mystery to professionals charged with mapping corporate computing strategy.

Mission-Critical Java™ Project Management provides information technology professionals with the foundation they need to decide what role Java should play in their corporate IT strategy. Rather than hyping the use of Java for every application, this book documents the advantages and challenges of building Java-based business systems. The authors--experts in deploying large-scale Java business systems--provide invaluable information for those confronting the challenges and opportunities that Java presents to the corporate computing architecture.

Case studies throughout the book offer real-world examples and lessons learned from the authors' personal experience using Java in business applications. The approach is candid and unbiased, and this objective view helps you learn when using Java is the best solution and when it is not. In short Mission-Critical Java™ Project Management will show you how Java should fit in your organization's current and future enterprise computing plans.

Highlights include:

* A discussion of the risks and rewards of an enterprise-wide Java implementation using multiple case studies
* An explanation of building Java-based systems from experienced consultants who have developed a complex, real-world Java business application with over one million lines of code
* A case study focusing on the development of a large-scale Java business application for via World Network, an Andersen Consulting Enterprise that delivers e-commerce technologies to the travel industry
020132573XB04062001

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Addison Wesley Publishing Company; 1st edition (September 9, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 020132573X
• ISBN-13: 978-0201325737
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,716,125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great resource for IT executives and managers, September 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Mission-Critical Java(TM) Project Management: Business Strategies, Applications, and Development (Paperback)

I picked up a copy of this book this morning, and it has already answered a number of my questions. It's a good tool for showing how your budget, tools and developers can/should impact your decisions about using Java to build applications. Also discusses potential pitfalls and how to avoid them, as well as analysis of time/cost benefits of using Java as opposed to other languages.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Find THE answers to your management-related Java questions, September 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Mission-Critical Java(TM) Project Management: Business Strategies, Applications, and Development (Paperback)

If you are looking at moving to Java and need answers to your business-related questions, check this book out. You won't be disappointed. From the pitfalls and drawbacks of using Java to developer motivation issues and more, you'll find lots of help here. And, all of which does not say to JAVA-cise NOW, no matter what. Includes several Case Studies, too, if you like that kind of thing.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dated and fluffy..., July 1, 2000

By 

J Brown (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mission-Critical Java(TM) Project Management: Business Strategies, Applications, and Development (Paperback)

When I first started reading this book, I was impressed, until I got to Chapter 3. This is where the book trickles off to a generalized Java advertisement peppered with good management practices which can be applied to any given development language or integrated development environment (IDE) out there, such as C++, Powerbuilder, VB, Delphi, and newer IDEs such as Visual Interdev, C++ builder and JBuilder, none of which are adequately treated in this book.

What bothered me in particular was that the copyright is 1999 but the authors elaborate on Java projects managed in 1995-1997. Thus, for the less technologically savvy companies out there giving Java a first look, this book may be useful, but for the rest of us who have, essentially, tackled or are preparing to tackle similar problems, this book serves as a general guide to good Anderson-ish management practice. From this book one may glean tidbits of useful development ideas, such as how to embark on the installation of 3-tier or n-tier Java systems, but there remains a curious, more likely intentional, omission of project management details that matter.

I expect managers out there to have already addressed similar issues with respect to large-scale development initiatives, specifically, staffing requirements, cross-training of existing personnel, capacity planning (not mentioned), performance metrics (glossed over) and hardware considerations (again glossed over) which seriously determine the success or failure of a Java-based development initiative. None of these are discussed in detail enough to warrant a study of this book.

The strongest case study found in this book is the largest, albeit dated, system which the authors seemed to have managed first-hand, and which you'll find in Chapter 2. Extensive treatment of Java deficiencies and tackling the learning curve are covered, but may be less applicable to the JDK 1.2 (now officially JDK 2) since many developers have since brought

themselves up to speed in Java and have engaged in at least minimal cross-training.

Pros:

1. Chapter 2 (the project on which the authors apparently worked, thus relevant) 2. Chapter 8 (a noble intro to conversion) 3. Chapter 9 (risk management, developing with an evolving standard - bad idea, but mentioned) 3. Chapter 14 (a good summary of Java performance problems encountered) 4. Good general management advice 5. One of the few books to tackle the subject 6. Specifically mentions Powerbuilder/C++ implementation (surprised to see it) 7. Useful project post-mortems 8. Treatment of cross-training.

Cons:

1. The ...but-we-got-it-to-work tone of items 1, 2, 3 above 2. Chapter 3,4,5 (fluffy references to other Java projects lacking sufficient detail) 3. Chapter 6, 7 (Browser compatibility and "Java isn't a fad" pep talk) 4. PR-rich e.g. no pointers, easier than C++, portable, multiplatform, secure, robust 5. Copyright 1999, Case studies: 1995-1997 (using pre JDK 1.1), thus nearly making the book obsolete 6. Utter lack of useful detail or omission such as: a. Analysis of the competition e.g. Microsoft and their implementation of COM/DCOM architecture b. Transaction servers/hardware and scalability of three-tier systems c. Project performance metrics, concurrency testing, bandwidth d. Distributed implementations and related problems e. The reporing deficiencies of Java (after finding a third-party, success!) f. Casting Java's third-party vendor and widgets in such a favorable light g. The emerging CORBA dialects and "factions" which may dilute Java's strength as the preferred distributed language h. The muddling of language vs. and integrated development environment (IDE). VB and PB were meant to remove C++ complexity for developers, but Java, by itself, is still a low-level language NOT a 4GL, thus one might expect at least a brief discussion of vendor selections in this area such as Visual Cafe, Jbuilder, J++, Sun's IDE, but there are few except mention of Unix-based or proprietary, home-grown tools.