Windows Archives

We are building a server for a security company who would prefer to remain nameless. The server will manage communication for networks of tens of thousands of smart alarm panels using The Server Framework. In addition to the M2M communication aspect, the server also manages the management control connections that are used to send data to and from the devices.

Once again the new year has started with us very busy with work for our Industrial Control Client but since they needed to get us SC level security clearance for this project if we told you any more we'd have to kill you...

We're also looking forward to doing lots more work with our secretive Online Gaming Company. Their cloud-based SAS gaming server is doing well for them and their clients and we're continuing to be closely involved with the ongoing development.

These clients are great for driving changes into The Server Framework and we have a big new release due this year with lots of performance enhancing changes so that The Server Framework works even better on large multi-processor systems; this release brings together lots of small optimisations which, when put together, massively reduce context switches, contention and CPU usage within the framework.

Of course, we're still very interested in getting involved with new client projects and building even more high performance server systems.

Watch this space and Happy New Year!

We've been retained by HTI Labs to provide ongoing technical consultancy, mentoring, and assistance for their consultants.

The year has kicked off to a very busy start for us with lots of work from our secretive Online Gaming Company. They're doing a lot of work to enhance the product that we've helped them build so that it can run well in cloud environments for their clients and also form the core of their cloud-based service. Much of our current work for them is to do with server to server communications so that they can build a scalable system that can use resources in the cloud to grow on demand. We've been working with them on aspects of this for some time now and it's all starting to come together nicely. Additionally we've recently added WebSockets support to their server so that they can easily support a new breed of browser based clients.

We're also excited about working more closely with our Industrial Control Client who are sponsoring us for SC level security clearance so that we can get more involved with their systems; if we told you any more we'd have to kill you...

We've had more fixed price work for our Custom Electronics Manufacturer, adding SChannel based SSL support to their server. This server allows thousands of embedded devices to connect to their central servers to upload logs and download firmware.

We've still been too busy to do much work on the LockExplorer website but there's an update to the tools scheduled for the end of the month to include all of the recent changes and fixes that have been applied whilst we've been 'dog fooding' them with our clients and on The Server Framework's build machines.

Finally, we already have several releases planned for The Server Framework this year; watch this space!

September already...

We've spent much of the time since the last Company News update working with our super secretive Online Gaming company to make their product even better.

We've also been updating The Server Framework's WebSocket support for a couple of new Server Framework clients and generally improving performance for the 6.5 release of The Server Framework which is due real soon now.

In addition we've launched the LockExplorer website, but, to be honest, we've been too busy with The Server Framework to do all the writing and evangelising that we have planned for the existing LockExplorer tools, let alone finish the more advanced tools. Still, things are starting to calm down a little, so watch this space!

We are building a server for a custom electronics manufacturer who would prefer to remain nameless. The server will manage communication and firmware updates for networks of thousands of smart devices using The Server Framework.

Our Industrial Control Client has engaged us to continue with several pieces of work for them on an ongoing basis.

Once again, our Online Gaming Client has engaged us to continue developing the C++ side of their server system for them on an ongoing basis.

This is to support new functionality and to aggressively improve existing performance.

We're working with VEXIS Systems Inc. again to extend the high performance pluggable server platform that we built for them back in 2008 using The Server Framework.

PayPoint has engaged us to update the ISO8583 transaction servers that we have built for them over the years to the latest version of The Server Framework.

They're keen to take advantage of the free updates that you get with The Server Framework but don't have anyone in house to apply the diffs and adjust the code.

We've been engaged to build the initial version of a smart valve monitoring server for Eltav using The Server Framework.

Len will kick start their team's development by putting together a custom server shell which deals with the basics of their requirements and will introduce their developers to The Server Framework's code.

Our Online Gaming Client has engaged us to continue developing the C++ side of their server system for them on an ongoing basis.

This is to support new functionality and to aggressively improve existing performance.

We're working with VEXIS Systems Inc. to build a high performance TCP/IP server system using The Server Framework. The server provides a vendor neutral, scalable, high performance client/server framework for event monitoring, data aggregation, and backend system integration for the telephony industry.

The server provides a pluggable framework allowing each "plugin" DLL to manage its own resources with respect to various backend systems and call center equipment.

We're building an Excel Addin (XLL) for Lloyds TSB which allows further addin functionality to be written as managed code (e.g. in C#).

This project is being run on a "time and materials" basis from our Guildford office and we've negotiated to keep the IP rights of the underlying managed XLL shell for possible later resale or use in a product.

We've been engaged by an Online Gaming Company that is using The Server Framework to refactor and redesign their reliable UDP implementation, based on ENet, so that it's more efficient and performs better with the asynchronous design of The Server Framework.

In addition they want us to build them a custom CLR Hosting solution within their server so that their games can be written in managed code but the networking layer can leverage the power of C++ for their reliable UDP layer.

We're engaged in ongoing work with our Industrial Control Client.

Refactoring and redesigning the TCP connectivity layer of their industrial device control system and refactoring and multi-threading a DDE connectivity component.

Len is also designing and developing a high performance data acquisition system that connects as a client to their monitoring server and streams data to a SQL Server database for later analysis.

Len is back working with the Commerzbank Bonds and Money Markets teams in London with their Excel addins, C++ CORBA system and Java servers.

Len originally created much of this for them back in 2001 and is back to help guide the team in adding some new functionality.

We've been engaged to extend The Server Framework so that it fully supports UDP and to provide example servers for this International VOIP Company.

We're happy to be helping Commerzbank in London with their FX trading system again.

Due to staff turnover Len's back, part time, to help mentor the new team members and help with bug fixing and testing.

Len is working with CSFB's HYDRA team to design and develop a trade events server for them in C++ on Windows.

The whole development is being developed in a Test Driven Development style and the server will reduce load on downstream systems by caching results from market data servers, perfoming trade enrichment only when data changes.

We're working with BS&A Software again to extend the SSL gateway server that we developed for them back in 2003.

We've been engaged by PayPoint to look into refactoring and improving some of their existing C++ systems.

We're also developing a new ISO-8583 transaction server for them using The Server Framework