Re: CGI/Perl vs. Middleware

> Glad we are talking again.
> 
> I'd like to see some discussion about the pros and cons of the use
> of middleware products (Nomad WEBDBC, the Oracle and Sybase products,
> Cold Fusion, Spyder, MS IDC, Live Wire) vs applications specific CGI and Pearl solutions.
> 
> I've heard alot about the advantages of products that work "in process" and talk directly to NSAPI and ISAPI vs "out of process i.e.: CGI 
> scripts"
> 
> My opinion is that CGI/Perl is "old school" and that the future of client/server www functionality is clearly based on in-process middleware 
> solutions.
> 
> Hope this sparks some discussion.

OK, I'll bite.  I agree that in the future, people won't be writing CGI
programs, or Perl directly.  What web developers want is
value-added middleware.  This can be things like:
1) easy/automatic database access,
2) scripting language integration,
3) HTML extensions (probably part of above)
4) other extension "objects," such as modules to
deal with state across sessions, user registration,
authentication, or any other piece of function that
can be easily abstracted from common web applications

This puts the burden of in-process vs out-of-process (execution
environment) on the suppliers of the middleware.  That is, a web
developer should be able to choose the middleware they like, develop
to that environment, and then be able to decide if they want the
application in-process or not, with the same interfaces, if at all
possible. 

There a pros and cons to in-process, though.  For example, for most
web servers, if you put your application in-process, it must be
thread-safe.  In addition, application bugs have a significant effect
on other users (if any) of the web server.  The  separation
you get from keeping your application in a different process gives
you a bit more flexibility.

You can also turn this around, and, instead of inserting your
middleware (and application) into an HTTP server, you can "bolt" an HTTP server on
the side of your middleware, making it its own server.  This application
model (lots of application-specific HTTP servers) also has its appeal
and promoters (people who sell them, at least).

I think, in the end, web developers need to make their choices based
on the middleware that serves their needs, and push the supplier of
that middleware to provide flexibility in execution environments.

George

(speaking for myself, not my company)
---
George M. Feinberg                       Phone:  617-674-5359
Object Design, Inc.			 FAX:    617-674-5459
25 Mall Rd.	 	                 gmf@odi.com
Burlington, MA 01803-4194

> 
> Steve
> 
> 
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> Technology Briefings            Client/Server Solutions 
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>

Received on Wednesday, 18 September 1996 12:08:46 UTC