I have invented the most wonderful system that will solve the world's
Enterprise Application Integration problems in one fell swoop. The
system is called XPak. Here is how it works.
An XPak unit is a hardware device that sits on your network, exposing
an HTTP interface. If you send it an XML message with details of a
destination, it will:
1. Burn the XML data onto a CD
2. Print the destination address details onto a hard-backed envelope
3. Lick a stamp and stick it onto the envelope
4. Drop the sealed envelope into the mail ready for posting
Conversely, when someone sends you an XPak envelope it will:
1. Read the XML data from the CD
2. Make the XML available via HTTP, providing both the XML and the
details of the sender
Thanks to XPak, organizations can seamlessly interchange arbitrary XML.
Obviously, we need to standardize how the addressing information is
printed onto the XPak sleeve and made available to applications. I have
taken care of this with Simple pOstal Access Protocol, or SOAP for
short. (Note to self: see if that acronym is already used.)
I think you will agree that the XPak technology's potential is
unbounded. Obviously you can use it for RPC type distributed computing -
- think of it as what CORBA should have been. At a more advanced level,
you can use it for loosely coupled messaging applications. You can even
build event-driven apps on top of it. The list is endless!
I'd love to explain XPak in greater depth here, but I need to cut this
article short. I really need to go and clear out my diary for the next
few months. As XPak and the postal access protocol takes over the
world, I'm sure to be the recipient of a bunch of awards. I'd better
also clear a wall in my house to mount all the silverware and crystal
that goes with the territory for us IT Pioneers. (Note to vendors
eyeing XPak for commercial products: I refuse, on a point of principle,
to work for anyone commercially exploiting XPak. I did this purely as a
service to humanity you know.)
Having said that, everybody has to eat right? Somebody better cough up
a lifetime achievement award (in dollars) so that I can concentrate on
the definitive XPak book and chairing the working group. So much to
do....
Sorry, what did you say? XPak doesn't solve the problem? It leaves most
of the hard problems in EAI unsolved?
Look guys, I know what is best for you. I have figured it all out so
you don't have to. Just write the browser and server plug-ins for XPak
okay? Leave the big picture thinking to us experts.
Sheesh! You guys need to stop nay-saying and get with the programme!
There is lots to do and you can help now that I have solved the hard
problem. We need a standard way of describing the purpose of an XPak --
a Service Description Language of some sort. Oh, and we will need a
universal repository of these things so that users can discover what
services exist on their Intranet or on the Internet.
Remember, it's all in XML. Therefore it is intrinsically good. This
stuff is deep man, very deep. Some developers won't get XPak -- that
just shows the limitations in there thinking. Some developers will
claim it won't work or is half baked. -- these guys all have hidden
agendas, ignore them.
You and I though, we get it right? We see how deeply cool all this is.
I'll work on the stock quote app and you work on the weather report
app. Together, we will change the world!
