4 Easy Steps for Migrating Projects to OpenShift Container Platform

This article is a walk through how to take an existing project, in this case I'm using a business automation project, and migrating from running locally on an application server to deploying in a container on OpenShift.

The idea is to share four easy steps taking you on a journey from local to cloud native container based application deployments. The base project was an old demo project I had running on JBoss BPM Suite a few years back, polished up and now running on Red Hat Process Automation Manager using Red Hat Enterprise Application Server (EAP).

The project will be outlined, followed by installing it locally on your developer machine. After that, you'll need to install the OpenShift Container Platform and I'll show you how using CodeReady Containers. This puts a container platform running on your developer machine, at which point it's a matter of installing the provided business automation operator and pushing the existing project without any changes into the container. You can observe it deploying right on your OpenShift web console or explore the details with the command line client.

Ready to get started?

KieLive: The ultimate beginners guide to rules and processes (episode 14)

 I've been invited to join the KieLives series online for episode 14 of live streaming around how to get started with rules and processes on Tuesday, November 10th 2002.

What is KieLives? 

The KIE Live Series is composed of live streamings that bring technical information and updates about business automation delivered by the projects under the KIE umbrella: Drools, jBPM, OptaPlanner, and Kogito.

Problems like process automation, decision automation, resource planning solution are the main topics, and of course, we always have in mind recent technology concepts like cloud-native application target for any type of cloud (private/public/hybrid/edge). You can expect to hear from business automation experts who code or/and deliver business automation within big enterprises across the world.

It's one thing to dive into rules and another to dive into process automation, but what about bringing them both together in a getting started learning path?

Join me and the hosts for an hour session online, free of charge, for a learning tour de force.

2019 in review - Open career and portfolio architecture

As 2019 winds down to its end, I find it a good time to slow down and reflect on what as transpired.

We've shared time together in articles, on flights, on stages, at the coffee machine, on video channels, and in many a Red Hat office around the globe. 

I've spent the year with a fun team where we've been creating architectural blueprints based on customer solutions leveraging the open technology portfolio at Red Hat. Watch for more of this from me in 2020 as we push on ahead.

I passed the ten year mark at Red Hat and we're living in interesting times. With that in mind, here's my review activities from 2019.

How To Setup Process Automation Tooling for CodeReady Studio 12

The release of the latest Red Hat developer suite version 12 brings with it a name change from Red Hat JBoss Developer Studio to Red Hat CodeReady Studio.

The focus here is not on the Red Hat CodeReady Workspaces, a cloud and container development experience, but on the locally installed developers studio.

The new release brings with it the questions around how to get started with the various Red Hat integration, data, and process automation product tool sets that are not installed out of the box.

This series of articles continues to showcase how to install each set of tools and explains the products they are supporting. The hope is that an easy getting started experience helps you make informed decisions about the tooling you might want to use on your next development project.

There are three different software packs that offer tooling for various Red Hat middleware technologies:

1. Red Hat Integration Development
2. Red Hat Process Automation Development
3. Red Hat Data Virtualization Development

This article will outline how to get started with the Red Hat Process Automation tooling with any of the CodeReady Studio version 12 releases.

Integration Key to Customer Experience - Example Mobile Integration

Part 8 - Example mobile integration

In my previous article from this series we looked in to details that determine how your integration becomes the key to transforming your customer experience.

It started with laying out the process of how I've approached the use case by researching successful customer portfolio solutions as the basis for a generic architecture.

Let's continue looking at more specific examples of how these architectures solve specific integration use cases.

This article walks you through an example integration scenario showing how expanding the previously discussed details provides guidance for your own integration scenarios.

Integration Key to Customer Experience - Example Process Integration

Part 7 - Example process integration

In my previous article from this series we looked in to details that determine how your integration becomes the key to transforming your customer experience.

It started with laying out the process of how I've approached the use case by researching successful customer portfolio solutions as the basis for a generic architecture.

Having completed our discussions on the architectural details, it's now time to look at a few specific examples.

This article walks you through an example integration scenario showing how expanding the previously discussed details provides guidance for your own integration scenarios.

2018 in review - Portfolio Architecture and storytelling

Every year ends and every year it's always good to look back on the times we have shared, the trips taken and what's been accomplished.

This year I transitioned into a new team focused on the entire Portfolio, specifically generating solution architecture blueprints.

While I continue to function as a Global Technology Evangelist, I've also been tasked with creating generic architectural blueprints of real customer based solutions that make use of the open technology portfolio at Red Hat. Watch for more of this in my publishing, social media, and talks in 2019.

I am now approaching ten years at Red Hat and we're living in interesting times. With that in mind, here's my review activities from 2018.

Integration Key to Customer Experience - Storage Services

Part 6 - storage services

In my previous article from this series we looked in to details that determine how your integration becomes the key to transforming your customer experience.

It started with laying out the process of how I've approached the use case by researching successful customer portfolio solutions as the basis for a generic architecture.

Now it's time to cover various architectural details.

This article covers the final elements in the architecture storage services, which are fundamental to the generic architectural overview.

Integration Key to Customer Experience - Container Platform Essentials

Part 5 - container platform details

In my previous article from this series we looked in to details that determine how your integration becomes the key to transforming your customer experience.

It started with laying out the process of how I've approached the use case by researching successful customer portfolio solutions as the basis for a generic architecture. Now it's time to cover various architecture details.

This article has reached the core elements in the architecture (container platform and microservices), which are crucial to the generic architectural overview.

Integration Key to Customer Experience - API Management Details

Part 4 - API gateway details

In my previous article from this series we started diving into the details that determine how your integration becomes the key to transforming your customer experience.

It started with laying out the process of how I've approached the use case by researching successful customer portfolio solutions as the basis for a generic architecture. Now it's time to cover various architectural details.

This article takes you deeper in to specific elements (API management and reverse proxy) from the generic architectural overview.

Integration Key to Customer Experience - External Application Details

Part 3 - External Application Details

In my previous article from this series we took a high level view at the common architectural elements that determine how your integration becomes the key to transforming your customer experience.

The process was laid out how I've approached the use case and how I've used successful customer portfolio solutions as the basis for researching a generic architecture. The only thing left to cover was the order in which you'll be led through the architecture details.

This article takes you deeper to cover details pertaining to the specific elements (mobile and web application deployments) from the generic architectural overview.

AppDev in Cloud: How to put Red Hat Process Automation Manager in your Cloud

Red Hat Process Automation Manager easy installation on
OpenShift Container Platform

It's been some time since we talked about putting JBoss BPM Suite into your cloud and with the new product release it's time to talk AppDev in the Cloud again.

It's time to update the story and show you how to put Red Hat Process Automation Manager in your cloud.

With this easy installation demo project you're able to leverage process automation tooling through the business central web console running containerized on any OpenShift Container Platform (OCP).

Let's take a closer look at how this works.

Integration Key to Customer Experience - Common Architectural Elements

Part 2 - Common architectural elements.

In my previous article from this series we introduced a use case around integration being the key to transforming your customer experience.

The process was laid out how I've approached the use case and how I've used successful customer portfolio solutions as the basis for researching a generic architecture. The only thing left to cover was the order in which you'll be led through the architectural details.

This article starts the real journey at the very top, with a generic architecture from which we'll discuss the common architectural elements one by one.

Integration Key to Customer Experience - An Introduction

Part 1 - An introduction

For the past few months I've been digging in to my new role with a group of Portfolio Architects, looking specifically at integration as the key to omnichannel customer experience.

It's an interesting challenge in that we've been given the mission of creating of architectural content based on common customer adoption patterns. That's very different from most of the traditional marketing activities usually associated with generating content for the sole purpose of positioning products for solutions. When you're basing the content on actual execution in solution delivery, you're cutting out the chuff. 

What's that mean?

It means that it's going to provide you with a way to implement a solution using open source technologies by focusing on the integrations, structures and interactions that actually have been proven to work.

What's not included are any vendor promises that you'll find in normal marketing content. Those promised that when it gets down to implementation crunch time, might not fully deliver on their promises.

Enter the term Portfolio Architecture. 

Let's look at these architectures, how they're created and what value they provide for your solution designs.

Evangelist traveller tales - Retiring my old friend

I've been on the road for a long time now for my employer, going on 10 years believe it or not, but it's finally time to retire my old friend.

It's been an amazing ride so far, with trips to almost all corners of this planet. I've met incredible people, spoken to fantastic groups, ate weird to amazing foods, and shopped in the strangest of cultures. 

My old friend has been with me most of the way, keeping me company through the rough and tumble life it's been forces to endure. I can't even count the number of miles my old friend has covered, but it's really time to retire.

My old friend has started to limp a bit which makes the long treks from parking lots to terminals painful. Not only that, she's having trouble keeping up with me as we navigate hotel lobbies, airport hallways and rental car parking lots.

It's gotten worse over the last few months.

Get a Signed Copy of Effective Business Process Management with JBoss BPM

As mentioned previously, a few weeks ago in San Francisco, CA I spent some time signing copies of my book Effective Business Process Management with JBoss BPM for attendees of the Red Hat Summit.

Since the book was launched as a free ebook download on Red Hat Developers, it was not really possible to get your hands on a real paper copy of the book.

Until now.

With over 200 put in print for Red Hat Summit, it was amazing to see the lines of people wanting to meet, greet and obtain their signed copies.

If you would like to receive a copy, possibly signed by me, read further.

Book Signing: Effective Business Process Management with JBoss BPM

Early this year the book Effective Business Process Management with JBoss BPM launched a free ebook on Red Hat Developers that you can download.

Next week I'll be at the Red Hat Summit 2018 conference in San Francisco, CA, at the Moscone Center speaking and presenting a hands-on lab.

The surprise event is that Red Hat authors will be spending time at the booth where we'll be signing copies of our respective books.

Look for me at the following times at the section labeled DevZone ready to give you and sign a copy of Effective Business Process Management with JBoss BPM:

• Tuesday, 8 May: 12:00 - 13:00
• Thursday, 10 May: 13:00 - 13:45

Portland Java User Group (PJUG) Session and Slides

As I mentioned previously, I was going to be on the west coast for a few weeks and was invited to speak for the Portland Java User Group (PJUG).

The eventing was hosted by a recruitment company with pizza and drinks for all. We had 29 registered for the event an about 20 in the room when I kicked of the talk.

There was a lot of active discussions at the end and several attendees approached afterward about getting started on their own laptops with the workshop that was showcased.

Here is the abstract again and the slides:

Portland Java User Group (PJUG) - 10 Steps to Cloud Happiness

In a few weeks, on 24 April 2018, I'm going to be on the west coast of the US. I reached out to the local user groups some time ago and we've completed the planning to drop by for an evening of fun in the cloud.

It's very exciting to be presenting in my home town, something I don't think I have ever done before believe it or not.

The Portland, Oregon Java User Group, known as PJUG, will be hosting my talk. Register and let them know you're coming in the Meetup group.

My talk abstract is all about having fun on your own laptop:

DevConf.us 2018 - Process driven development, cloud, containers and more...

DevConf.us 2018 is the 1st annual, free, Red Hat sponsored technology conference for community project and professional contributors to Free and Open Source technologies at the Boston University in the historic city of Boston, USA.

As a big fan of this type of grass roots conference, I'm supporting by putting in a few talks and a workshop hoping to foster some of that exchange that's open source fundamentals.

Here are the details around when and where you can find me.

When: Friday, August 17 to Sunday, August 19, 2018

Venue: Boston University, George Sherman Union Building

You should consider attending this DevConf event if you are:

• A developer
• A technology architect
• An IT consultant
• An IT student or a teacher from an IT university/faculty
• Or simply an IT enthusiast interested in the latest trends in open source and emerging digital technologies

Talks, presentations, and workshops will all be in English. I submitted the following sessions: