XML Project Specification and Design

XML Project Specification and Design Document Project Specification and Design Report Specification XML has emerged as the globally adopted standard for Internet-based integration of systems and processes and has made the development of knowledge-sharing networks possible (Choi, Wong, 2009)(Ives, Halevy, Weld, 2009). As the amount of transactions, both commercial and knowledge-based continues to exponentially increase, XML performance is hitting a plateau however.

Governed by Web browsers and applications that in effect throttle back the bandwidth potential of XML, page-based browser technologies including HTML and its many variants are significantly reducing the performance of XML (Yang, Liao, Fang, 2007). The AJAX programming standard however has shown significantly potential for increasing the performance of applications delivered via XML integration (Yang, Liao, Fang, 2007) due to XML's ability to selectively replicate content based on user requests within applications (Smullen, Smullen, 2009).

Optimizing XML network performance through the use of structural recursion of query languages (Robertson, Saxton, Van Gucht, Vansummeren, 2009), the development of AJAX server optimization predominantly of open source Web Application Servers (Smullen, Smullen, 2009) and the development of data harmonization (Wusteman, O'hlceadha, 2006) and advanced data query models (Niemi, Nappila, Jarvelin, 2009) show the wide spectrum of approaches being investigated to increase application performance.

Optimizing XML network performance specifically for AJAX application optimization is in its nascent stages (Yang, Liao, Fang, 2007) and more robust research is required to better define XML optimization for data- and query intensive AJAX applications (Wusteman, O'hlceadha, 2006). The performance variations between XML-based integration and TCP/IP-configured networks specifically using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) and static IP address definitions to measure the performance of AJAX applications is the focus on this research project. Performance increases or degradation based on the configuration of TCP/IP vs.

XML networks attributable to AJAX programming constraints including the use of XSLT style sheets, database queries using SQL-based command launched within an AJAX application, and the selective refresh of data elements in the browser need to be measured to define with greater precision how XML can be optimized to increase AJAX application performance. Variations in programming interpretations of AJAX through the use of Ruby on Rails development has been treated as a standardized variable in AJAX performance analysis (Bachle, Kirchberg, 2007).

That assumption will also be used in this analysis as well. Optimizing XML performance will also be predicated on AJAX application development incorporating search optimization (Wusteman, O'hlceadha, 2006) and AJAX framework validation (Serrano, Aroztegi, 2007). The following are the deliverables for this research project. Development and execution of test methodology to evaluate cached vs. non-cached performance of the XMLHTTPObject over TCP/IP and XML-based networks. This methodology will define the series of constraints and then seek to measure performance of the XMLHTTPObject as a metric of cached vs.

non-cached SQL-based transaction traffic over a range of resource loads on the network. Creation and testing of XML-based network of four Web Application Servers replicating traffic comparable to a distributed order management system running SQL queries over a randomized set of load conditions. The intent of this step in the analysis is to replicate the randomized constraints SQL-based queries running on XML networks would encounter in a typical distributed order management system configuration.

AJAX constraint-based programming using Ruby on Rails Rapid Application Development (RAD) will be used for standardizing the AJAX smaller applications or Widgets produced (Viswanathan, 2008). Prototype of the AJAX Application Widgets. The development of an AJAX-based application widget that has sufficient levels of functionality to replicate database queries is in the evaluation stages and will be an objective of the study. These Widgets will specifically designed to replicate the performance of distributed order management, order capture and order entry applications found in multichannel management environments. XSLT Normalization.

As XSLT Style Sheets are predominantly used for the customization of XML-based applications. They can significantly reduce the performance of XML-based queries over networks. Normalization of XSLT effects on XML application performance is required to evaluate the effects of XML network and AJAX application optimization. Constraint-based modeling of XML network performance varying configuration options. The use of a constraint-based logic configurator to define XML network performance options will be attempted, relying on rules-based configuration logic to attain constraint-based optimization outcomes which will be used as recommendations.

Literature survey XML is now the de facto communications protocol used globally for integrating Web-based applications and in conjunction with the AJAX programming language, been credited with the adoption of Web 2.0 design principles (O'Reilly, 2006). Optimization strategies for XML have centered on network performance, specifically in managing search and queries (Niemi, Nappila, Jarvelin, 2009) and the development of optimized tree structures to support heuristic and simulation modeling of optimal XML network branding and performance (Robertson, Saxton, Van Gucht, Vansummeren, 2009).

All of these factors however have not specifically addressed the issue of network-bound data optimization (Ives, Halevy, Weld, 2009) and more importantly the quantification of AJAX performance over XML relative to HTML and DHTML-based query platforms and applications (Yang, Liao, Fang, 2007).

Give the performance gains to this point with AJAX programming over XML networks (Ives, Halevy, Weld, 2009) and the combining of Web 2.0 design criteria being integrated into applications (O'Reilly, 2006) there has been a resulting groundswell of interest in social networking applications and the rapid global adoption of social networks including Facebook, Friendfeed, LinkedIn, Twitter, MySpace and others.

This dynamic of Web 2.0-based application growth most visible in social networks is being fueled by the combination of increasing AJAX programming framework stability and extensibility and optimization of XML and XSLT style sheets for rapid development and customization. Where Web 1.0 applications were created in HTML and often treated the page as the programming construct, AJAX isolates specific attributes and components on a page, only refreshing or updating the changed elements.

The use of caching has become pervasive in AJAX-based applications as this approach to programming concentrates on anticipating data the user will need and delivering it to the browsing session in the background. The most prevalent form of caching used in AJAX programming is the XMLHTTPObject which is often used in image-based and data rich applications including graphics and imagery.

Caching has also been used in the context of anticipating search engine results, a technique Google uses often to anticipate search queries by users who have logged in and have history captured for their accounts. This approach to caching is also used in push-based AJAX-based programming models to further increase efficiency and performance. AJAX's continual improvements in caching, transport performance over XML when compared to HTML in search-based and push-based application models has not included transaction-based analysis.

The intent of this proposal is to address this area of AJAX performance over XML not discussed in previous research. Inherent in collaborative, workflow-based applications is also the need for managing structural recursion of data sets and the ability to navigate open source libraries, ontologies and databases as well. In short, XML has enabled the developed of enterprise-wide collaborative, workflow-based applications that need to replicate the use of SQL-derived data to fully model order capture systems online.

Extrapolating the results of this study also has implications for how e-commerce systems' performance will be impacted by the performance of AJAX-based applications on XML networks. The scalability aspects of XML and the role of XSLT style styles as enabler or detractors of overall application performance is also evaluated from the standpoint of advanced query management in terms of nested, more complex queries that traverse ontologies through the use of XSLT style sheet front-ends. A significant gap exists in this area of research however.

While structural recursion of query languages has yielded insights into how to optimized XML performance in distributed application scenarios (Robertson, Saxton, Van Gucht, Vansummeren, 2009) there is a dearth of research on how the combined optimization of XML network performance and AJAX application development can significantly streamline performance of the latter. As AJAX applications are still considered a bottleneck even when open source Web Application Servers are optimized (Smullen, Smullen, 2009) there still exists significant opportunity for improvement of the results obtained thus far on optimization.

A second approach of seeking to optimize data harmonization (Wusteman, O'hlceadha, 2006) provides statistically significant results over queries launched in randomized sizes and time frames, yet does not provide a basis for evaluating the development of optimized XML and AJAX programming and configuration standards. This study and others like it that focus on query optimization (Niemi, Nappila, Jarvelin, 2009) fails to provide insights into the broader aspects of XML optimization for AJAX applications.

The field of study regarding XML network optimization for AJAX performance, and the reciprocal research of AJAX optimization in conjunction with XML performance evaluations and improvement is nascent. There have been studies comparing HTML vs. AJAX optimization over XML (Yang, Liao, Fang, 2007) and more robust research is required to better define XML optimization for data- and query intensive AJAX applications. It is the intent of this study to make significant contributions to this area of knowledge regarding XML network optimization for AJAX performance increases.

Conduct of the project The researchers who to this point have addressed XML network performance optimization will be contacted and interviewed base on their preliminary test results and published analysis. These are the researchers who completed the HTML, DHTML vs. AJAX application performance on XML (Yang, Liao, Fang, 2007) and the XML network optimization research completed across a replicated server and transaction-based methodology (Smullen, Smullen, 2009).

Efforts will be made to collaborate with these researchers to learn from their expertise that has not been published in their analyses and also to collaborate on how to capture XML network optimization concepts and AJAX programming best practices that can further accentuate and strengthen the results of this analysis. During the project the following data will be gathered: XML network performance measures and analysis across a randomized set of load factors using four-square network configuration of open source Web Application Servers running on the Linux operating system.

AJAX Widget performance using SQL queries randomized to replicate the activity of a distributed order management system. Use of network analyzers to evaluate packet traffic efficiency from XML optimization for non-optimized AJAX Widget performance. AJAX Widgets optimized for XML will also be charted against these specific results and variance analysis completed. XSLT as a control variable will be introduced into the second phase of XML performance and performance degradation will be measured over the randomized pattern of XML network traffic.

A separate methodology will be used to capture the performance of HTML vs. AJAX-based Widget (*small application) performance over TCP/IP vs. XML-based networks TCP/IP XML HTML Application Performance Page-based refresh using IP address Page-based using XML Link AJAX-based Application Component-based refresh using IP Address Component-based refresh using XML Link Skills required for completing the analysis including XML programming expertise with skills in JAVA, XLST style sheets and C# programming languages. For the creation of the AJAX Widgets, AJAX programming language expertise is required.

Knowledge of open source Web Application Servers and their configuration for XML integration across a closed-loop network is required as is expertise of software and hardware-based network analyzers which can evaluate the performance of the Widgets during the extended evaluation. Finally expertise in randomizing resource loads on networks to ensure that randomized of results is achieved is also required.

Software required to complete this analysis include the following: Linux-based Server Operating Systems (Server PC) Linux-based Desktop operating system (Client PC) Ruby of Rails AJAX Programming Language and Kit Java Development Kit Java Enterprise Edition Visual Web JavaServer Faces; Oracle Open Source Application Server Native XML Database 1.3.

MySQL Enterprise database server Cisco Network Analyzer and configuration of packets Cisco Randomized and Packet Evaluation Analysis Tools Design The design of the test will be based on a four-square-based testing structure to replicate in a closed-loop network environment the effects of XML performance and AJAX application optimization. The following design provides a structural model of the proposed network topology to be used.

The basis of the testing environment will focus on the randomization of network traffic and resource loads across the test region to replicate the resource constraints of enterprise applications. The primary focus of the study will be on replicating what a distributed order management system will experience over XML networks with randomized traffic and resource loads.

The specific attributes of this model include the following: SQL Server Consolidation Layer -- To fully replicate what occurs in a distributed network environment with an enterprise this layer will be a centralized Oracle open source Database running in conjunction with a MySQL Open Source database to evaluate ht effects of XML optimization across a closed-loop network. Variations in network performance will be evaluated across the network based on these database performance metrics.

Analytics Layer -- using the analytics and performance measurement applications available via Open Source in Linux-based operating systems the development of scorecards and benchmarks will be completed. This will enable greater levels of performing monitoring and prediction based on the results of randomized resourcing loading of the XML network. Cisco Network Analyzer -- This device will be used to initiate the resource loads across the network and the randomized of packets to replicate what network traffic is like in large-scale enterprises.

This is critically important so that a performance analysis can be completed of the AJAX-based Widgets over time. This is also critically important for evaluating how the XML configuration options respond to overall network performance loads. Standardization on open source operating systems -- By definition open source operating systems standardize on byte ordering consistency which will ensure this aspect of the testing stay constant and therefore do not introduce variation into the results over time.

Ruby on Rails Development of AJAX Applications -- The use of Ruby on Rails as the development platform will be standard across all four server used in the testing to also alleviate programming language as a source of potential variation in results. Standardization of hardware configurations -- All four of the servers included in this configuration will be based on the Intel architecture and will also have identical memory, disk, and processor configurations to alleviate this as a potential source of variation in performance results.

XLST Style Sheets -- Each of the AJAX Widgets will also specifically be defined using XSLT style sheets that are identical to each other and have minimal levels of graphics and Java-based builds on them so that any potential variation in performance as a result of them will be minimized. Deliverables Performance Analysis of AJAX-based applications running on a closed-loop XML network. Yield curves of AJAX application performance based on randomization of XML network resource loads initiated by a Cisco network Analyzer.

Best practices in XML network configuration as a result of determining the level of performance attainable through the use of AJAX code optimization given the constraints of this study. Constraint-based analysis of XML network configurations and the resulting impact on performance over the duration of the study. SQL performance of XML-based Widgets over time based on the development of performance benchmarks using analytics as defined in the testing diagram. Definition of XML network optimization for AJAX applications based on analysis.

Plan Project Plan and Timing The total duration of this project is anticipated to be seven months. Phase one of the project plan is to define a test region across a secured Intranet where XML integration links could be made, and the AJAX-based applications tested. This phase is expected to take approximately a month to gain access to a lab, get the systems configured with the Linux operating system, set up TCP/IP connections and completes the XML integration points.

Phase 2 is the development of the XML integration links and the programming of the AJAX query applications and databases. Again, public domain programming tools and databases will be used to save on costs. This phase is.