Open source programming languages such as Perl and Python have the highest instance of open source use in an organization at 57% according to a recent Forrester Research survey conducted with Dr. Dobb's readers. As dynamic languages presence and importance increases, organizations will rely more on enterprise-ready dynamic languages to create higher quality products, to take products to market quicker and to conserve development time and costs for core competencies.

1. Taking Quality Products
to Market Faster with
Enterprise-Ready
Dynamic Languages
March 10, 2010

2. Larry Backman
VP Quality Assurance
Computer Associates
Jeff Hobbs
Director of Engineering
ActiveState

3. Agenda
1) Introductions
2) CA’s story with Perl
3) Open source licensing considerations
4) Growth of dynamic languages
5) Value of dynamic languages
6) Overview of ActiveState’s dynamic languages
solutions
7) Q&A

4. Who is Computer Associates (CA)
• One of the largest
software vendors
• Founded in 1976
• Over $4 billion in
revenues
• 13,000 + Employees
• 99% of Fortune 1000
use CA products

5. SiteMinder Web Access Manager

6. • Component of CA’s Secure Web Business
Enablement Solution.
• Enterprise-scale Internet access control
system.
• Enables secure access to web applications
and websites for employees, customers
and business partners.
• Fulfills compliance standards for security
of web applications and resources.

7. Selecting Perl

8. • Great parsing qualities.
• Able to manipulate large amounts of
data.
• Simple and familiar programming
language for:
 CA QA
 CA Services
 CA Customer base

9. • Solid interoperability.
• Accelerates cross-platform
development, key for SiteMinder
running on many platforms.

10. Challenges with Perl

11. • Perl itself was not stable enough to meet CA's
needs.
• Legal risk concerns with Perl were too great
for a security product like SiteMinder.
• Open source Perl had some multithreading
and multiprocessor issues as well as
scalability problems.
• Needed a solid, trusted version of Perl –
enterprise and redistribution-ready.

12. Choosing Enterprise-Ready Perl

13. • Required commercially supported Perl to
mitigate legal risks
• Needed a trusted, tested Perl distribution to
complement enterprise-class software like
SiteMinder
• Quality assured code and quick
implementation a must

14. • Cross platform and scalability requirements
• Turn-key maintenance and Perl expertise
• Turn-key redistribution licensing
• Swift technical support if issues arose

15. Perl Driven Automation Portal
STI Test Harness
Object
Store
Web HTTP Driver
Agent Test
Policy Scripts
Server
Web
User Server
Directory
Log
s
Siteminder Web Access Manager Perl Base Automated Test
Harness
•Complex n-tier •Ant/Perl Automation
enterprise security and deployment
product C++ API to Framework
subsystems and object •Perl automated
layer harness
•Perl -> C++ Wrapper •Nightly Build ->
•Perl Script Interface harness interface
•Perl Modules
•Perl test scripts

16. Central Dashboard

17. Benefits and Value of ActivePerl

18. The ActivePerl framework helps CA:
•Find and address a regression in
SiteMinder within 24 hours
•Improve the quality of SiteMinder by
identifying defects early in the
development cycle

19. •Maintain an efficient and
streamlined test cycle
•Deliver fixes faster and resolve
problems swiftly
•Cut costs for expanding CA’s product
matrix

20. Benefits
Save time.
Save effort.
Save development $.

21. Focus on enhancing SiteMinder
Maintaining, updating, reinstalling, configuring and
porting Perl is not required with ActivePerl so
developers can focus on core competencies with
SiteMinder.

22. Faster development of new features,
faster to drive revenue and
marketability.
ActivePerl infrastructure is maintained by
ActiveState, so precious development cycles are
spent on CA’s products.

23. Clean, reliable code.
Platform independence.
Scalability.
Reliable Perl expertise on demand.

24. Licensing Considerations

25. Open source licensing is inherently complex…
• For security or enterprise products, always
use commercially supported open source to
reduce legal risks.
• Always use a safe redistribution package
(OEM) when embedding open source in
marketable products

26. • Don’t leave money on the table with
customers who require assurance for
proper licensing of open source.
• Consider implications of potential copyright
infringement lawsuits - $$$
 Harmful for company reputation
 Very costly and time consuming

27. About ActiveState
• Founded 1997
• 2 million developers
• 97% of Fortune 1000
• Products & services for end-to-end
development, management and
distribution of applications with
dynamic languages
• Open source projects to mission-
critical applications
• Dynamic Languages:
 Core: Perl, Python, Tcl
 Secondary: PHP, Ruby,
Javascript

28. Drivers & Trends For Dynamic Languages
IT Business & Government
Faster time to market
Paradigm shift, open source
acceptance in business
Increased use in
mainstream IT
Compliance with corporate
policy for commercial support
Pressure to increase
of open source
development staff
productivity
Legal risk mitigation
Lower development &
Intellectual property security
maintenance costs
IT investment protection
Uptime of critical
applications

29. Dynamic
Languages
Popularity
57% of enterprises
are using Perl, Python,
PHP & other
dynamic
languages

30. Why the Growth?
Dynamic Languages
Deliver Value
• Flexible and extensible to
generate clean, reliable and
reusable code
• Excellent for data processing,
and web apps development
Faster time to market. • Large libraries of turnkey
Quality applications. modules ready for deployment
Increased productivity.

31. ActiveState Solutions

32. Our Product Stack for Dynamic Languages

33. Support from Open Source to Enterprise
Applications
ActiveState Community Business Edition Enterprise OEM
Language Edition Edition Edition
Market/Use Free & Open Business-critical Mission-critical Distributed
source applications applications applications
projects
OS: Windows, Linux,
Mac
OS: Solaris, HP-UX,
AIX
Older versions
Commercial Email Email/Phone Email/Phone
support 2 days 2 hours 2 hours
Indemnification
Royalty-free
Distribution

34. Customers & Partners
Software & Hardware
Finance
Aerospace & Defense

35. Thank you.
Enjoy your complimentary
whitepaper at
www.activestate.com/
webinars

36. Contact Us
Larry Backman
Lawrence.Backman@ca.com
Jeff Hobbs
jeffh@activestate.com
ActiveState Business Solutions
Business-solutions@activestate.com
Follow @activestate on Twitter.
1.866.510.2914

37. Q&A