| The Distributed Application Development Process is the result of a commitment to continuous learning, refinement of experience and improvement of process as new ideas have been developed and new technologies have been employed. It is a collection of experiences and best practices that have been taken from real-world development engagements, providing development teams with access to shared experiences and a proven, repeatable process. The Distributed Application Development Process encompasses modern design principles and proven practices to facilitate the development task and provide developers with a blueprint for building robust and correct distributed applications.
Technically, distributed application development is based on multi-tiered development architecture. In its simplest form, with two tiers, a distributed application is synonymous with a client/server protocol in which you use a set of rules that specify a behavior for two collaborating processes. In a client/server relationship, one process (the client) initiates the interaction by issuing a request to a second process (the server). The server process must await a request from the client and, on receipt of that request, performs a service and returns a response (or result) to the client. The server is capable of handling requests from multiple clients and is responsible for coordinating and synchronizing responses.
Distributed software technology has much in common with and is often served by object technology and software components. There are many points of synergy between these technologies, including a focus on real world modeling, as well as a focus on simplicity, reusability, extensibility, and productivity.
Distributed development is based on several key elements:
- Concurrent development of packages and components
- Reuse of software components (either built in-house or purchased)
- Cyclical and incremental development
- Release strategy
Distributed application development takes a concurrent rather than sequential development approach, effectively using iteration to show progress and manage risk. This provides a basis for more rapid development, with smooth transitioning from one stage of a project to the next as well as continuous delivery of staged results that are of value in the total solution. The use of this approach implies iteration with a checkpoint at the conclusion of each stage to validate the quality of stage results, as well as the scope of the next stage. In addition to concurrency across stages, a release-based strategy ensures that there are short intervals between incremental releases of tangible results. This ensures that the direction of the project can be adjusted dynamically to accommodate critical events and needs. Each of these elements supports the basic philosophy of distributed component development which is to have small teams (ideally 4 to 6 people) and deliver results quickly (4 to 6 months).
Strengths of distributed technology include:
- Graphical presentation to the users
- Network distribution of applications
- Integration of legacy or heritage applications
- Integration of purchased packages and components
- Robust application based on real-world business objects
- Frameworks and patterns availability to reduce development time
- Access to shared business data
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