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Name
of Project: Investigating Microsoft's .NET Architecture
Description:
To become familiar with the new distributing computing
architecture introduced by Microsoft.
| Goals: |
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To
learn enough about this architecture so that applications can
be written using it |
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To
compare this architecture with competing approaches (Java, CORBA)
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To
offer seminars to the computer science faculty about this architecture |
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To
eventually teach a course(s) about this architecture |
Outcomes:
A
number of books and articles were read. The software was installed
and some simple programs were written. However, I severely miscalculated
the scope of this project.
| Lessons
Learned: |
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The
scope of .NET is too vast to be really understood in one summer. |
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The
installation of the software on stand-alone computers was time
consuming but straightforward. This was not the case for batch
loading of the software across multiple computers. Numerous
attempts were tired and eventually calls to Microsoft finally
yielded some progress. |
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Installation of this software on the department's server has
not been successful. The specific problems focus on permission
configuration - .NET permissions are substantially different
from Win 2K. What permission literature is available only explains
"simple" situations and is not appropriate for multiple
(student) account management. |
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Installation
problems coupled with the scope of this architecture (as well
as teaching a new course in security) have delayed any meaningful
investigation of developing software exercises using this software.
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Although
I have had disappointing experiences with .NET, the .NET architecture
has had positive reports from the industry and as a teaching
center we need to continue to pursue this software. |
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Further
complicating the situation is the every growing interest in
Linux. La Salle needs to move forward in the teaching of both
.NET and Linux. Additional resources will be necessary for La
Salle to keep up with the rapid pace of computing. |
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