Cloud attached GDS2

The new GDS2 architecture allows a distributed setup and an master/master replication between several locations.

Small companies might consider a cloud attached setup to get a certain level of redundancy of their data. Another reason might be to get better access performance and a higher security level via a centralized data center. The centralized instance might work as distribution hub for several distributed site. Deutsche Wolke offers this kind of services in the bunker data center of COMback.

UPDATE: After some brainstorming in Stuttgart last week, we are planning to shrink the footprint of the GDS2 core to fit into an ARM based appliance. The result will be a Data Space in a Box. The replication feature helps us to attach this box to the cloud or to other branch offices. Please contact me if you are interested in bundling the GDS2 with your hardware.

Open Data Space is comming...

In my last post I gave an introduction to the joint development of a filesharing platform for the enterprise powered by SSP Europe and GRAU DATA AG. Today I would like to announce that the core technology will be available under an open source license.

We will start with the mobile clients. The first client which will be available under the Apache License v2 is the brand new client for BB10, which is developed by Ekkehard Gentz. The repository at github was already created by RIM: opendataspace. Ekke will checkin some code soon. Please follow him on twitter.

The other clients for iOS and Android will follow under the same lincense (ASLv2). Developers will have the possibility to integrate parts of the Open Data Space (ODS) client into their software or improve the existing ones.

For the server side we made the decision that we will license a core version under the APGv3. This will allow open source and proprietary extensions to the core framework. The architecture of the ODS will look like:

The architecure will be modular and extensible on the backend and on the frontend through plugins. The sever side is written in Java, the clients are written in Objevtive-C (iOS), Java (Android) and QML/C++ (BB10).

You can follow the development on twitter or discuss your wishes and give some feedback in our Facebook group.

The JSON API for mobile devices is already fully documented. You can download the documentation in our Facebook group.

UPDATE: agorum joint the open data space project. We will get a lot of open source based functionality like:

• versioning
• transactional database backends
• fulltext search
• CMIS (atom pub)
• WebDAV
• master/master replication
• JSON API for all backend functionality

We plan to include a interoperability gateway based on WebDAV for connecting other clients like owncloud. So you will have freedom of choice. Further partners are welcome!

FreeRDP becomes cloudy

As I mentioned in some of my former posts, the FreeRDP project makes progress in becomming a platform for cloud based desktop services.

Fritz Elfert started a project called FreeRDP WebConnect. The project provides a gateway which allows a JavaScript based browser client to connect to a RDP server. The connection between the client and the gateway is based on websockets.

The JavaScript client implements a virtual keyboard for the RIM playbook.

Click here, to connect your browser to a Windows 2008 server.

UPDATE: The FreeRDP project (powered by ThinStuff) published a Android and an iOS version in the app stores. Here you get the details.

JavaScript, the Lingua Franca of the Internet

The performance of JavaScript is getting better and better. I think this will help to get rid of traditional operating systems in the near future.

There are several demos available where you can see the power of JavaScript:

• Linux running in a x86 emulator 
• PDF viewer
• H.264 decoder
• MP3 decode
• SIP client 
• UNIX shell

Fritz Elfert will try to develop a RemoteFX decoder in JavaScript for the Open Thin Client Alliance together with the FreeRDP project, sponsored by BaWue goes mobile. The goal is an Open Source RDP client, which implements as many features as possible in a browser.

UPDATE: Telefonica announced a new device which focuses totaly on HTML5, called OpenWebDevice. Qualcomm will deliver the silicon, Mozilla delivers the boot2gecko enginge. Is this the first real Andoid killer?

UPDATE: Scripting languages are getting nearly as fast as C++. A canadian company called Fabric Engine provides a ultrafast JavaScript and Python implementation. The engine can be licensed under AGPL and a commerical license. It supports multithreading an can be used for Python and JavaScript. Here are some benchmarks.

UPDATE: Here is the first screencast of a JavaScript webgateway for FreeRDP: http://goo.gl/hFaib. The source code will be released on LinuxTag 2012.

UPDATE: Here it comes: a audio and video SIP client written in JavaScript. I think the time of a classic Windows PC is finally over.

UPDATE: Here you find a UNIX shell written in JavaScript.

The Cloud Desktop

Today I had a short chat with Michael Jumper. He is the developer behind Guacamole. Guacamole implements a simple HTTP based protocol to implement a remote desktop solution. The client is written in JavaScript, running in any modern browser. The server component works like a proxy/gateway. Currently it implements the VNC protocol only. SSH and RDP backends are under development.


Refering to my older post about cairo remoting. I would love to see a cairo backend for the Guacamole gateway. The window management should be implemented in the browser.