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.

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.

AppDev in Cloud - How to put Red Hat Decision Manager in your Cloud

Red Hat Decision Manager easy installation on
OpenShift Container Platform

It's been some time since I last talked with you about business logic engines and using them in your application development cloud architecture.

At that time, I showcased running JBoss BRMS in a container on OpenShift Container Platform (OCP). This gives you the cloud experience, one that's portable across private and public clouds, but on your own local laptop.


The world continues to move forward, releasing new products that replaced JBoss BRMS with the Red Hat Decision Manager, so now I want to provide a way for you to install this on OCP, in the same easy to use demo format.

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.

Scotland JBug - AppDev in the Cloud Workshop (slides)

As I mentioned last time around, I was heading back to my friends in Scotland to speak at the JBug Scotland.

Last week it was game on in Edinburgh, where I spent the evening with a fun group of people that really seem to enjoy working with open source, containers and developing in the cloud.

It was a full hands-on workshop showcasing application development in the cloud using containers, JBoss middleware, services, business logic and APIs.

To change it up a bit I thought it might be fun to present not from my pre-configured, tested and working installation on my laptop, but to use an attendees laptop to kick off the first installation of our OpenShift Container Platform.

Imagine the powerful storyline, when a presenter borrows your laptop for the first 30 minutes of the workshop and showcases kicking off installation so easy it works on ANY laptop?

Scotland JBug - AppDev in the Cloud Workshop

I'm heading back to my friends in Scotland to speak at the JBug Scotland next month.

It's a fun group of people that really seem to enjoy working with open source and JBoss software stacks.

This time around I'm bringing a full hands-on workshop showcasing application development in the cloud using containers, JBoss middleware, services, business logic and APIs.

The event is on June 6th, 2018 from 16:15 to 19:30 or so... be sure to register online so they can order the right amount of food.

The abstract for the workshop and talk:

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:

10 Steps to Cloud Happiness: Step 10 - Agile Cloud Service Integration

This is the tenth step on our journey introducing a path to cloud happiness, one that started four months ago and it's been a vast array of content to help you discover the joys of cloud development.

It's the pinnacle of your climb to the top where you find cloud happiness, having led you from the basics to the more advance solutions as you learn how to leverage development, containers, a container platform and more.

As previously discussed in the introduction, it's possible to find cloud happiness through a journey focused on the storyline of digital transformation and the need to deliver applications in to a cloud service.

Application delivery and all it's moving parts such as containers, cloud, platform as a service (PaaS) and a digital journey requires some planning to get started. There's nothing like hands-on steps to quickly leverage real experiences as you prepare.

In earlier steps you covered how to get a cloud, the use of a service catalog, how to add cloud operations functionality, centralizing business logic, process improvement, the human aspect, a retail web shop, curing travel woes, and explored financial solutions, so what's next?

AppDev in the Cloud - Data Virtualization Solves Acquisition Use Case

In a past role I helped put together a rather expansive travel agency booking project to show some of the more interesting feature of JBoss BPM Suite.

The project continued to expand over time, adding on not just a bookings process, but also a payment process that included advanced features like compensation (rolling back bookings), integration of traditional web services in service tasks and a credit card fraud detection system.

An interesting use case came to light that required the use of a data virtualization tool and this travel booking example project was a perfect fit. It's a use case where a sister travel agency is acquired mid-booking season and we don't want to have to re-deploy new applications to account for maintaining data in two disparate location.

Before we get into the solution, let's look closer at the use case shall we?

10 Steps to Cloud Happiness: Step 9 - Exploring Financial Services

Step 9 - Exploring Financial Services

Every journey starts at the beginning and this journey's no exception, a journey of 10 steps to cloud happiness

As previously presented in the introduction, it's possible to find cloud happiness through a journey focused on the storyline of digital transformation and the need to deliver applications in to a cloud service.

Application delivery and all it's moving parts such as containers, cloud, platform as a service (PaaS) and a digital journey requires some planning to get started. There's nothing like hands-on steps to quickly leverage real experiences as you prepare.

Previously we covered how to get a cloud, the use of a service catalog, how to add cloud operations functionality, centralizing business logic, process improvement, the human aspect, a retail web shop, and curing travel woes, so what's next?

2017 in review - Global Technology Evangelist Director and more

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 started off with a promotion to Global Technology Evangelist Director in March, after over five years in various technical marketing roles throughout Red Hat.

I am now approaching nine years at Red Hat and it's never been more fun than now.

This year saw a transition from supporting integration portfolio solutions like Red Hat Cloud Infrastructure and Red Hat Cloud Suite, to focusing the coming year on hybrid cloud stories.

With that in mind, here is my review of my activities in 2017.

Blockchain Powers Travel to New Hybrid Cloud Heights

There has been a lot said about the distributed ledger technology known as blockchain, mostly in the realm of financial services and Bitcoins.

It goes beyond the normal usages you might think of with blockchain technologies, such as ICO's where tokens are sold as initial offerings to purchase services from the companies making the offerings.

There are others jumping into the fray, such as large logistics companies attempting to gain better control of shipping standards.

The basis is about trust, being absolutely sure that the thing you are receiving is actually what it's supposed to be. With that in mind, there are many other interesting opportunities for using blockchain technologies to ensure your applications and customers are interacting through a cryptographically secure, decentralized, tamper-proof network.

Let's take a look at how this can be implemented using open technologies and watch the recording of this live demo as presented on stage in Sydney, shall we?

Free Online Self-Paced Workshop Updated to OpenShift Container Platform 3.7

Last summer it was announced that a series of free online workshops were available for your enjoyment.

One of these is an AppDev in the Cloud workshop, focusing on real application deployment using six containers and agile integration on OpenShift Container Platform 3.6.

Not wanting to stand still with the latest release of OpenShift Container Platform 3.7, the entire workshop has been updated.  There is now a track for using version 3.6 or version 3.7, your choice!

Let's look a little closer at what the workshop has in store for you, shall we?

10 Steps to Cloud Happiness: Step 8 - Curing Travel Woes

Step 8 - Curing travel woes

Every journey starts at the beginning and this journey's no exception, a journey of 10 steps to cloud happiness

As previously presented in the introduction, it's possible to find cloud happiness through a journey focused on the storyline of digital transformation and the need to deliver applications in to a cloud service.

Application delivery and all it's moving parts such as containers, cloud, platform as a service (PaaS) and a digital journey requires some planning to get started. There's nothing like hands-on steps to quickly leverage real experiences as you prepare.

Previously we covered how to get a cloud, the use of a service catalog, how to add cloud operations functionality, centralizing business logic, process improvement, the human aspect, and a retail web shop, so what's next?