A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers

1. A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers Cameron Barrett

2. Introduction Cameron Barrett • 6+ years in the New Media industry • 2 years developing Borders.com • 2 years at CollabNet • Graphic design background http://www.camworld.com A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers

3. Introduction Cameron Barrett • Tech-editing the Mozilla Applications book for O’Reilly • Working on a book proposal to write the Web Accessibility book for O’Reilly (Section 508, W3C WAI Guidelines) A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers

4. Overview • How Open Source technologies can help you solve your Web technology problems • What Open Source means • Finding an Open Source technology • Things to look out for A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers

5. Open Source • code is open • code is available at no cost (free) • bugs are rapidly fixed by the dev community Closed Source • code is closed • must pay for a license • must wait for the vendor to release patches A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers Open Source vs. Closed Source

6. “Open source promotes software reliability and quality by supporting independent peer review and rapid evolution of source code. To be OSI certified, the software must be distributed under a license that guarantees the right to read, redistribute, modify, and use the software freely.” - opensource.org A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers What is Open Source?

7. Closed source development is typically any software development done where the source code is not available to anyone but the original authors. Only the compiled binaries are distributed, whereas with the open source, the underlying source code is also available. A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers What is Closed Source?

8. As the Project Manager for a start-up e-commerce Web site, you are responsible for choosing what Web server technology to build your site on top of. You have a choice of Microsoft’s IIS solution or the open source Web server, Apache. A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers An Example: Web Servers

9. Apache • cost: free, can install on as many servers as you’d like, no per-user fee • patches are consistent and free to download • support: free online developer community Microsoft IIS • cost: free, but must have an NT license ($600, plus $30-35 per additional user) • must wait for the vendor to release patches • MSDN subscription ($199-$2499), and/or $195 per phone call A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers An Example: Web Servers: Cost

10. “Maintaining IIS servers is a cumbersome, tedious process. Any time you bring a new server online, you have to apply 40 or 50 patches.” - IIS Admin “Microsoft has issued 21 security bulletins for IIS 5.0 alone, a number that is increasing at the rate of about one every three weeks.” - July 23, 2001 A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers An Example: Web Servers: Security

11. “The last serious security hole in the Apache webserver was reported and fixed in January 1997.” - July 23, 2001 “There is a problem with IIS. We've just had too many vulnerabilities affecting IIS, especially this year. We recognize the need to do a better job of making it secure.” Scott Culp, Security Program Manager, Microsoft A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers An Example: Web Servers: Security

12. Apache • PHP, JSP, ASP, Perl, Python • Free modules, supported by the Apache Software Foundation Microsoft IIS • ASP, Cold Fusion, Perl (ActiveState) • Dependent on Microsoft or third-party frameworks and technologies A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers An Example: Web Servers: Scripting

13. Strong developer community • Are docs & tutorials available online? Setup and configuration • Is the default installation secure? Maintenance • In-house or contracted out? Knowledgeable administrators • Are security patches being applied on regular basis? A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers Short-term Considerations

14. If you choose to go with a closed (proprietary) solution, what happens if the vendor goes out of business or its technologies are killed due to acquisition? • NetObjects • Allaire (acquired by Macromedia) A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers Long-term Considerations

15. Does the solution you’ve chosen have an open-ended architecture? • Does it meet your application architecture needs? • Can you plug in alternate technology components? • Are you “locked in” to a third-party or single company’s pre-determined technology constraints? • How flexible is the technology you have chosen? • What kinds of licenses and restrictions may come with your choice? A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers Long-term Considerations

16. • Does the Open Source technology you are considering using have a strong Project Leader? • Are there any Intellectual Property (IP) issues associated with the Open Source technology you want to use? • Is the Project Lead committed to receiving constructive feedback on the direction the technology needs to go to meet your needs? A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers Long-term Considerations

17. Search across SourceForge, Freshmeat, and Advogato for open source projects that may meet your functional specs and project requirements. • SourceForge.net: open source project repository, more than 25,000 projects and over 200,000 users • Freshmeat.net: open source software directory • Advogato: open source software developer community, developer diaries, project hosting A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers Finding an Open Source Technology

18. Chances are that you will not have to allocate developer resources to create a new technology. Most of your problems have likely already been solved. It’s just a matter of locating the right OSS project/technology and tasking your developers to integrate it within your overall solution. A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers Finding an Open Source Technology

19. • Check the Open Source license that comes with whatever technology you are integrating. Some licenses carry restrictions on how you can distribute the technology, modify it, or charge money for it. • If you are developing an Open Source technology from scratch, be sure to consult with your legal department about what Open Source license you should attach to your software. • Beware of forks A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers Restrictions of Open Source

20. • Evaluate your technology needs • Prepare a competitive analysis for each Open Source (or closed) technology you are considering using • Map your functional specs and requirements to the technology offerings (is anything missing that may need custom development?) • Search OSS repositories for existing technology solutions • Choose your development/implementation path A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers Review

21. • Questions and Answers • Open Discussion http://www.camworld.com/ A Guide to Open Source Technologies for Project Managers Thanks!!