Integrating CFML and .NET Using BlueDragon

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Integrating CFML and .NET Using BlueDragon
Charlie Arehart, CTO
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Overview

• Who is New Atlanta?
• What is the Microsoft .NET Framework?
• What is BlueDragon/.NET?
• Integrating CFML applications with the .NET
  Framework and ASP.NET using BlueDragon/.NET

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Who is New Atlanta?

• An 8-year old Technology Product Company
• Based in Alpharetta, Georgia (30 miles north of
  Atlanta)
• Web Application Server Technology Experts
• BlueDragon is our 3rd generation web-scripting
  technology
• New Atlanta has over 12,000 customers in 70
  countries!
• New Atlanta has 3 products
• BlueDragon comes in 4 editions

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New Atlanta Product Line

• New Atlantas flagship product is a light weight
  web application server that implements the Java
  Servlet API and JavaServer Pages (JSP) standards
  for Microsoft, Netscape, iPlanet/Sun ONE and
  Apache web servers
• First released in December 1997, developed
  entirely by New Atlanta the current version,
  ServletExec 5.0, was released in October 2003
• Supports Java Servlet 2.4, JSP 2.0, Java WSDP
  1.3, and JSTL 1.1
• J2EE-Certified Type 4 (pure Java) JDBC driver for
  Microsoft SQL Server
• First released in December 1998, acquired by New
  Atlanta in August 2001, supports JDBC 1.2, 2.1
  3.0 specifications
• CFML on .NET and J2EE
• Redeploy, natively integrate extend CFML on
  .NET or J2EE
• Technology first used in production in 1998
  acquired by New Atlanta in November 2001

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Developers face a decision

• to choose a future direction
• Microsoft .NET or Java/J2EE
• Windows, UNIX/Linux, or Mac OS X
• IIS or Apache web servers
• and preserve existing investments in people,
  architectures and applications
• Minimized Retooling/Training (if any)
• Minimized Interruptions to Business
• Maximized Return on Investment in CFML
• Maximized Reuse of Deployed Applications and
  Architectures

BlueDragon Freedom of Choice
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What is the .NET Framework?

• The Microsoft .NET Framework is a modern
  virtual-machine based programming environment
• Automatic garbage collection
• Object-oriented
• Robust, secure, reliable
• Comprised of programming languages, virtual
  machine, class libraries
• .NET supports multiple programming languages
• C, Visual Basic.NET, Managed C, J (Java
  syntax)
• Virtual machine provides the runtime execution
  environment
• Class libraries (APIs) provide rich functionality
  used by programmers
• All new Windows-based programming will be done
  using the .NET Framework

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.NET versus Java

• .NET is developed by Microsoft
• Tightly integrated with Windows
• Currently built-in to Windows 2003 Server
• Built-in to Longhorn (next generation Windows)
• Add-on to Windows 2000, Windows XP
• Our opinions
• .NET, particularly ASP.NET, is easier to use than
  Java/J2EE
• If youre targeting Windows, .NET makes more
  sense than Java
• The only advantage of Java is portability to
  Linux/UNIX the cost of portability is
  performance and platform integration on Windows

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CFML on Java/J2EE Architecture
CFML Runtime
IIS
ISAPI Filter
JDBC Driver
SQL Server
J2EE Server
Java VM
Windows Server 2003

• Multiple vendors providing major system
  components
• Increased complexity, reduced integration
• Complexity can be increased by using a
  third-party J2EE server (such as IBM WebSphere or
  BEA WebLogic), or database (such as Oracle)

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BlueDragon/.NET Architecture
CFML Runtime
ADO .NET
IIS
ISAPI Filter
SQL Server
ASP.NET
.NET Framework
Windows Server 2003

• Most major system components provided by a single
  vendor (Microsoft)
• Reduced complexity, increased integration

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What is BlueDragon/.NET?

• BlueDragon/.NET is a CFML runtime environment
  that is integrated with ASP.NET and Microsoft IIS
• BlueDragon/.NET enables ASP.NET and IIS to
  process CFML pages
• BlueDragon/.NET is not a separate server or
  service
• After installing BlueDragon/.NET, simply place
  CFML pages in the IIS wwwroot directory (or other
  docroots)
• BlueDragon/.NET is implemented as an HttpHandler
• Page processing done via same pipeline as ASP.NET
  pages
• BlueDragon/.NET is based on the Java editions of
  BlueDragon
• Implemented primarily by recompiling Java to .NET
  using J
• Some custom code in C for .NET-specific features

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Integrating CFML and ASP.NET

• Share variables between CFML and ASP.NET pages
  within the same web application
• Including session, application, and more
• Can enable single sign-on, for instance
• Integrate CFML and ASP.NET pages
• Includes (CFINCLUDE) of CFML from ASP.NET and
  vice-versa
• Redirect from CFML to ASP.NET and vice-versa
• Forward from CFML to ASP.NET
• Invoke CFML reusable components from ASP.NET
• CFML custom tags
• ColdFusion Components (CFCs)
• Create and invoke .NET Framework objects using
  CFOBJECT
• And still more

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CFML and the .NET Framework

• CFML code can be executed in-line within ASP.NET
• All these features support both code-behind and
  in-page scripting
• Can call CFX tags, if compiled in any .NET
  programming language
• C, Visual Basic.NET, Managed C, J (Java
  syntax)
• Existing Java and C CFX tags can be recompiled
  for .NET
• CFQUERY processing implements ADO.Net
• Improved performance over JDBC, adds some
  features
• CFC returning query can populate grid in ASP.NET
  page
• Lets take a look

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Leverage .NET Features

• CFML pages, even unmodified, can leverage .NET
  features usually applied only to ASP.NET pages
• Session persistence over restart
• Replication of sessions across a cluster
• Declarative security
• Resource throttling and auto restart/recovery
• Performance monitoring and management
• Page and output caching
• Internationalization
• Mobile device support
• SQL Server Reporting Services
• Tracing, debugging
• And more

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Additional Unique Benefits

• Each web site and virtual directory is isolated
• Has own BD Admin console
• Unique BlueDragon and .NET configuration per web
  app possible
• Yet all inherit from a single central
  configuration file, as well
• Application scope (and therefore sessions scope)
  is isolated
• Different web apps are protected from each other
• IIS offers optional process isolation
• In IIS 6, called application pools
• If one crashes, the others are not affected

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BlueDragon Other Advantages

• Many other advantages on all BlueDragon editions
• Sourceless deployment
• Precompiled, encrypted templates
• Can even set an expiration date, after which code
  no longer runs
• Better error reporting
• Each entire error page is written to a log file
• Stronger whitespace suppression
• Reduce bandwidth by compressing whitespace in
  generated HTML output
• Extensions to some tags
• Better CFQUERY caching, CFINCLUDE JSPs/ASP.NET,
  and more
• New tags
• CFIMAGE, CFIMAP, CFPAUSE, CFFORWARD, CFASSERT,
  CFDEBUGGER, and more
• 6.2 adds still more CFZIP, CFTHROTTLE, CFXMLRPC,
  and more
• Other
• Serializable CFCs and sessions
• Application.cfm processed even when file not
  found
• Standard WAR file/Web app deployment on J2EE
• And more

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BlueDragon Key Differentiators

• Packaging Your CFML as an application
• Only BlueDragon offers dramatically reduced
  pricing to deploy your CFML and BlueDragon as a
  single product/bundle
• BlueDragon price can be a royalty, percentage of
  your product price
• Applies to any edition of BlueDragon
• Indeed, you can offer your product to those who
  prefer J2EE, or .NET, or use Server JX for those
  who dont care
• One CFML code base supports each client
  preference
• Can entirely hide that BlueDragon underlies your
  product
• Remove technology debate. Youre just selling
  your product
• Can even hide CFML by creating new file type
  (instead of .cfm)
• Any BlueDragon user can do this see technote
• http//www.newatlanta.com/products/bluedragon/self
  _help/tech_notes/hiding_cfml.cfm
• Of course, can protect your source code using our
  sourceless deployment

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A Microsoft Certified Solution

• BlueDragon/.NET Microsoft Certified Solution
• .NET Connected
• Windows 2003 Certified
• New Atlanta now a Microsoft Gold Partner
• One of only approx. 150 worldwide
• Microsoft has written case study on BD/.NET
• http//www.microsoft.com/resources/casestudies/Cas
  eStudy.asp?CaseStudyID15864

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Whos Using BlueDragon/.Net?

• Following are just some recognizable names
• MySpace
• 5th Highest trafficked site on the internet,
  switching to BD/.NET
• US Senate
• Disney
• Interstate Hotels
• Carlson Hospitality
• VitaCost
• Hundreds of other BlueDragon customers, across
  editions
• Including Credit Suisse First Boston, ColdFusion
  Dev Journal, RecruitMax, eAutoClaims, Irish
  Times, several government and educational
  institutions, and many more

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Learning More About .NET Features

• Explanations, code samples, and live running
  examples
• http//samples.gotdotnet.com/quickstart/aspplus/
• http//www.gotdotnet.com/team/vsrapideval/
• More coming in .NET 2.0 (BlueDragon will support)
• Web Parts (portal solution)
• Master Pages (inheritable page design)
• New GridView (much better datagrid)
• Membership/Login/Personalization
• Themes and skins
• Site navigation controls and management
• And more
• Explanations, code samples, and live running
  examples
• http//beta.asp.net/quickstart/aspnet/

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How Can I Get Started?

• BlueDragon for the Microsoft .NET Framework is
  available in production now
• Trial freely available now on our web site
• After 30 days, reverts to free single IP Dev
  edition
• Easy installation 30 seconds
• Can install alongside CF 4/5/MX
• using different web sites or virtual directories
• Many organizations already running in production
• Performance, reliability has been excellent
• Prices start at 2499 per CPU
• same as our J2EE solution
• http//www.newatlanta.com/bluedragon/
• Downloads, docs, tech notes, FAQs, interest list,
  etc.
• Available BD/.NET hosting http//www.alurium.com/
  
• Happy to help in any way (on-site or web demos,
  deployment/testing assistance, etc.)

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Common Questions

• Doesnt this tie me to Windows and/or .NET?
• How does it perform?
• Hows the compatibility?
• What about CFMX7 compatibility?
• Can it co-exist with CF?
• What about Flex/Flash?
• What editors do I use?
• Why should I use BlueDragon? Advantages?
• We have positive answers to all these common
  questions, and more
• If we havent answered them today, feel free to
  contact us
• or search our web site for FAQs, technotes, docs,
  etc.
• Or ask on our free interest list (BD community
  mailing list)
• Staffed by our engineers

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Summary

• Hope youve come to appreciate the value of
  CFML/.NET integration
• Something you can get only with BlueDragon
• BlueDragon exists to solve problems for CFML
  folks
• New Atlanta is an established, successful company
• With over 12,000 customers across 3 product lines
• BlueDragon continues to evolve and serve an
  ever-widening audience of satisfied customers
• Were here to help
• If you have any questions or hit any problems,
  let us know
• My contact info is on next (final) slide
• Can put you in touch with sales, engineering,
  partner program, etc.
• Thank you for your time and attention

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Contact Information

• Charlie Arehart
• CTO, New Atlanta Communications
• charlie_at_newatlanta.com
• newatlanta.com/bluedragon/
• [phone]