For enterprise use, the product now sports more corporate-class features such as integration with revision control systems. Out-of-the-box support for Visual Source Safe, Perforce and PVCS is provided, with plans to integrate ClearCase and CVS in the near future.
The administrative console has been upgraded to include the ability to deploy projects via the Web GUI as well as via the established MS-Windows console. The deployment model has also been modified since we last looked at Business Works (http://www.networkcomputing.com/1415/1415f2.html) and is now modeled after the J2EE architecture--and I mean modeled: Tibco's EAR (Enterprise ARchive) files can be deployed only to a Business Works server and not within a J2EE container.
The new file-project system is based on XML and is more flexible than previous iterations, especially in regard to organization. I was able to organize and group business processes together and then further organize them by specific functionality--for example, Customer Management could be broken down by Order Management, Profile Management and the like. Access to this function is password-protected. Passwords are stored in the XML files, but are 3DES (Triple Data Encryption Standard)-encrypted to secure them from prying eyes.
The visual editor included with Business Works 5 makes painless the creation of all X* (Xpath, Xquery, XSLT) functions executed during design time. XSLT is easily created via a mapping wizard, replete with easy-to-use interface in which to map input to output. Tibco has expanded the available XSLT functions as well, now providing support for almost all XSLT functions, including conditions/literals (for example, "for each," "if") and numeric conversion and manipulation (for example, "ceiling," "floor," "translate"), rather than the paltry few supported by previous versions.
Database-adapter support is twofold. JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) is provided within Business Works; or, for a more scalable solution, Tibco offers optimized adapters for virtually every RDBMS--for a price. Additional adapters range from $35,000 to $50,000. Although this may sound pricey, the ability to add as you go makes it more feasible to grow your integration framework on a project-by-project basis and spread the cost of acquiring additional adapters across business units.
With the move to the cloud, CISOs must shift priorities from operating security programs to overseeing (monitoring and auditing) outsourced cybersecurity programs.
2022 was a boon year for IT salaries. 2023 came in like a beast with layoffs, raise freezes, and ChatGPT, but that beast has few teeth.
Age is only a number. Don't let a high number cancel your career.
