From: Seth Kurtzberg <seth@...>
Date: 2003-03-10T11:21:56+09:00
Subject: Re: Protocols

On Sunday 09 March 2003 06:02 pm, Ray Capozzi wrote:
> Is there a preferred set of ruby libraries for client/server solutions?  As
> an example, RPC.  The protocol needs to exist for Ruby and Perl, so druby
> wont work.  XML-RPC seems to be the leading candidate, despite my
> objectives to XML.  I cannot find a Ruby/Corba implementation.  Perl, of
> course, has lots of options, but none obviously better than the next.  The
> limitation seems to be with Ruby supported protocols.  I need something
> which supports complex data structures.  A simple line-terminated packet
> will not do.

I'm also interested in this area.  A few comments, first.

After dealing with CORBA for a very large project and getting intimately 
familiar with it, I _seriously_ dislike it.

Ruby does have some support for marshalling of objects.  If Perl support is a 
requirement, I would lean towards a bridge implementation which converts 
to/from a format that Perl can deal with.

Disclaimer:  I haven't checked out every package in RAA, so there may be 
existing libraries that I am unaware of.

I've done quite a bit of work setting up some functionality in this area for 
Ruby for a project that I am working on.  The project is in an alpha state at 
the moment, and there is no documentation at all what I have done, but I see 
the beginnings of a general purpose framework there.  If you decide to 
proceed with Ruby, and don't find an existing library that suits your needs, 
let me know.

>
> I've currently have a working Perl-based program.  The program monitors
> various logfiles and processes.  It correlates errors between processes on
> the same machine.  The relationships are stored in dbm files using tied
> hashes.  I'd like to move the data to a server process in the interest of
> having all the clients using a central data source rather than their own,
> local copy.  This should reduce the maintence level-of-effort since only
> one data source would need updating rather than a dozen.  (Nevermind that
> updaing could easily be done via rcp).  I'm sure I could use 5.8 thread
> features, but why should I try something I know would work?
>
> The point is, I'd like to make a Ruby server.  I've got a gserver derived
> process with dynamic, reloadable methods via a control port.  I cannot
> figure out a good way for it to swap spit with the perl clients.
> Suggestions?

-- 
Seth Kurtzberg
M. I. S. Corp.
480-661-1849
seth@cql.com