Rob Sullivan's Weblog

The 12 Days of Configuration Management

Rob Sullivan — 2006-12-21T10:15:05-05:00

I’m dreaming of an open-source repository
Just like the one’s I used to know. (only better)
May your files be compact and properly tagged
And may all your repositories be free. (as in beer)

Java Stored Procedures in a LIMS Environment

Rob Sullivan — 2005-05-19T13:25:24-05:00

In this blog, we will discuss the benefits of using Java Stored Procedures in a LIMS environment. When Oracle 8i was released (yes, the rigors of validation dictate that many modern LIMS systems still use Oracle 8), one of its significant new features it offered over previous versions was the ability to embed and execute Java in the database. This gave the LIMS developer opportunities to write object-oriented code that provided both reusability and performance increases.

My Mac is Like a Temperature Gauge

Rob Sullivan — 2005-05-02T21:49:23-05:00

A few years back I owned a 1998 Ford Mustang Cobra. Like all modern automobiles, it had a temperature gauge. But instead of reporting the engine’s temperature in a quantifiable value, the labels on the temperature gauge simply indicated Cold and Hot. And to make it worse, after a few minutes of running the engine, the needle would move to a certain point on the gauge and stay put until the Cobra was shut down. It didn’t matter if I was driving like Jen's granny or like the Little Old Lady from Pasadena - the needle on the gauge was always fixed a little to the right of center. I began to suspect that the gauge was defective and started distrusting it.

Thoughts on Scientific Troubleshooting

Rob Sullivan — 2005-04-18T08:42:31-05:00

I recently had a revealing experience that shed some light (in my psyche) on what troubleshooting really means.

Extending Subversion with Properties (Part 2)

Rob Sullivan — 2005-03-28T09:30:36-05:00

Last time, we looked at several questions that might be asked about the history of a deliverable. This time, we will explore how subversion parameters can be used to extend the functionality of a repository into a more robust lifecycle tracking tool.

Land of the Free Software

Rob Sullivan — 2005-03-04T19:05:35-05:00

The terms "free software" and "Open Source Software" are commonly used interchangeably. I think the most common interpretation of the word "free" in free software is that the software was aquired without spending any money. At least that was my interpretation until recently.

Extending Subversion with Properties (Part 1)

Rob Sullivan — 2005-02-21T07:27:16-05:00

Last week, I gave a broad overview of Subversion. This week and next, we will explore in more detail how Subversion can be used to meet the deliverable tracking needs of a LIMS software development project.

Version Control with Subversion

Rob Sullivan — 2005-02-13T09:53:29-05:00

As noted in recent blogs on this site, controlling code is an essential part of software development. One widely used version control tool is Concurrent Versions System. CVS is the de-facto standard version control system in the open-source software development world, managing large, global projects such as Linux, Apache and Mozilla.

Leveraging Computing Resources with Synergy

Rob Sullivan — 2005-02-07T09:41:22-05:00

I recently found a cool piece of software called Synergy. The program can be used to significantly expand the physical power and size of your computing environment.