Jason Lenhart

I recently completed reading JavaSpaces Principles, Patterns, and Practice and found it to be a quality book on the subject.  This was a great introduction to the concepts and implementation of Space Based Architectures. 

Coupled with the introduction are plenty of great examples, applicable to the Web 2.0 architecture being evangelized these days.

One thing that was really neat about this book was the foreword by David Gelernter, the father of Space Based Architectures.

Yesterday I gave a presentation on JavaSpaces within my organization - mainly to share some different approaches to implementing distributed systems around data.  Literally around the data, as JavaSpaces is all about processing units that associate (via a Template Pattern) into a network accessible object store.  The processing units can also be notified of data/state changes enabling a type of Event Driven Architecture.

One thing I keep coming back to in my mind is this concept of the internet working for people rather than people engaging the net.  For example, while not an exclusive Space Based Architecture; what was presented as Google Wave within the Google I/O conference fits the bill of data being shared by processing units looking for state changes.  The example they gave was set around email — mainly how email should be more of a collaboration of people acting on a virtual document.  This sounds a lot like an object in a tuple space ‘event-driving’ changes in state.  Reviewing the Google Wave architectural diagrams it is interesting to see how they are making concessions to deal with Partial Failures much the same way a Space Based Architecture would perform.

Overall, is it safe to assume that the “Next Big Thing” is to have the internet work for each of us in a personalized way?

For example, I would like to setup my own processing units around the web notifying me of health records changes, better insurance rates, and local restaurant deals, short-sellers killing my portfolio, etc…  — but to not go through umpteen different services (Geico, Fodors, and Fidelity).  Shouldn’t the web really just act as my own personal-grid (queue Depeche Mode here) that I can independently process to my hearts content (for free) in an event driven manner — who wants to pay for these services? — Certainly Not Me.  While social aspects on the internet are wonderful, perhaps it is time for all of us to use the internet much the same way that an Investment Bank determines Value at Risk.  Instead of risk - we can attempt to only determine Value.

The Google Grid???