Jade Networks provides custom web application integration design, implementation, consulting, and hosting services. Application integration involves unifying several separate web applications under a common site, with transparent access to the selected applications. Web application integration solves the following problems:
- Unification of application session management
- Provides for a common authentication framework
- Consistency of the user interface between applications
- Integration of custom features or 'glue' to bind applications
Part of the application integration process involves design for both scalability and performance.
Case Study: PinoyTalk.COM
Jade Networks designed and built the PinoyTalk site [1] in 2005 as a proof of concept project (social networking). Certain aspects of this site are showing their age, in particular the heavy use of frames and choice of web mail client. If the same site was to be designed today, the frames based approach would be replaced by a CSS driven template system, and the SquirrelMail and Chat Room software replaced by more modern alternatives. However, the backend architecture of this design has proven the test of time, making use of several customized network services to realize a transparent and unified site.
The diagram below shows the basic system architecture:
Site registration is fully automated, with email account generation and access (via web, pop3, and IMAP) being automatically configured through the Jade Directory Services. Integrated applications include Web email (SquirrelMail), Community Forums (phpBB), Chat Rooms, and several custom applications including the PinoyTalk profile system, Meeting Point, and game access.
The site has been streamlined for performance, especially in the areas of session management. At the same time, all session related data is stored in the backend database system, allowing for eventual web server clustering, should the load ever grow beyond the capacity of a single server.