About the Authors

Mark Artiges is an independent consultant currently working as a Lead Software Engineer for Tepik Systems. During his 18-plus years in the computer industry, Mark has been involved in a wide range of data processing initiatives and development methodologies. He has worked as a system architect and lead developer on large application development efforts aimed at transitioning core legacy systems to WebLogic Platform at companies such as AT&T, US Search, and Public Storage.

Gurpreet Singh Bhasin is an architect, designer, and developer with certifications from BEA, Sun, and Microsoft. He has more than five years of experience in design, development, testing, and maintenance of n-tier e-commerce and enterprise information systems using J2EE and Microsoft technologies. Most recently, Gurpreet was Module Leader on an Internet-based system for DIRECTV allowing over 10 million customers enhanced account access. He holds a bachelor's degree in electronics and communication engineering from Kurukshetra University, India.

To my parents and sisters: Thank you for all your love and support.

—Gurpreet Bhasin

Bernard Ciconte is a software engineer for Blair Computing Systems, Inc. (BCSI). As an employee of BCSI since 1989, he has worked as a contractor for DuPont, Sterling Diagnostic Imaging, and Agfa Corporation. His technical expertise is in distributed computing and image processing for radiographical medical devices. Previously Bernard contributed to Sams' book BEA WebLogic Platform 7.0.

Bernard would like to thank his wife Cheryl, daughter Courtney Huff, and dog Minx, for the sacrifices and support they made while he dedicated so much of his time and effort towards this book. He would also like to thank Todd Green and Sams Publishing for inviting him to be a co-author with such a talented group of individuals. Finally, he would like to thank Mark Blair and all his co-workers for the interesting and challenging career they share at Blair Computing Systems, Inc.

—Bernard Ciconte

Malcolm Garland has more than ten years of experience in the field of software development and has received certifications from BEA and Sun. He was recently CM Lead and systems analyst on an integration project in J2EE and WebLogic, developed for DIRECTV, for which he advised on architectural design, testing, configuration, and component development. Currently, he is a Senior Systems Analyst with Zenith National Insurance.

Saranathan Govindarajan is a key member of DIRECTV's Enterprise Architecture Team responsible for the design and development of infrastructure services using BEA WebLogic Server and Tuxedo. Saranathan has more than 8 years of experience in designing and implementing mission-critical systems using BEA's flagship products: WebLogic Server, Tuxedo, and Jolt/WTC. Saranathan holds a MSc(Tech) and M.S(Software Systems) from Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences(BITS) in Pilani, India.

To my parents and Deepa, for their love, support, and inspiration.

—Saranathan Govindarajan

James Huang is currently an IT Developer with BEA Systems. A veteran software developer, James has handled numerous J2EE, Web application, and database development projects. In a previous life, he was a lecturer in the Department of Electric and Computer Engineering at East China Normal University. James is the primary designer and developer of JudoScript, a project to bring the functionality of scripting and shell programming to Java.

Subramanian Kovilmadam is a BEA and Sun Certified Developer, and currently serves as an Enterprise Application Integration Systems Architect with DIRECTV, responsible for the design and development of integration infrastructure strategies using XML-based services, J2EE, BEA WebLogic, and BEA Tuxedo.

I wish to thank my family, especially my dear wife, Amudha, for being patient with me and encouraging me all the way during this process. Their constant backing and encouragement proved to be a huge source of inspiration for me.

—Subramanian Kovilmadam

Kunal Mittal, is a Solutions Engineer at Wakesoft, Inc. and a consultant for implementation and strategy for Web Services and Services Oriented Architectures. He has co-authored and contributed to several books on Java, WebLogic, and Web Services. Over the past several years, Kunal has worked on numerous projects using different BEA products, ranging from WebLogic Server 4.5 to 8.1, BEA Portal, BEA Integration, Liquid Data for WebLogic, and WebLogic Workshop. His projects have ranged in verticals such as finance, real estate, supply chain, broadband, entertainment, and ISVs in the Web Services space.

I would like to thank my wife, Neeta, and dog, Dusty, for being patient as I put in those extra hours and weekends on this book. I would also like to thank the Sams team (Todd Green, Songlin Qiu, and George Nedeff) for their patience with me (especially my email problems).

—Kunal Mittal

Paul J. Perrone is the Founder, President, and CTO at Assured Technologies, Inc. Through Assured Technologies (www.assuredtech.com), Paul provides software architecture and development consulting, mentoring, and training related to J2EE, XML, Web Services, and object-oriented technologies. Paul has been involved with the architecture, design, and development of numerous large-scale enterprise systems and products for both Fortune 500 and medium-sized organizations. Paul also has co-authored J2EE Developer's Handbook, Building Java Enterprise Systems with J2EE, and Java Security Handbook; has published articles on Java; and has spoken at conferences such as JavaOne and Web Services Edge. He has an MS from the University of Virginia and a BS from Rutgers University. He is a member of the IEEE and ACM, has served as chapter chair for the Northern Virginia IEEE Computer Society, has helped in the startup of the Northern Virginia Java User's Group (NOVAJUG), and chairs the NOVAJUG's enterprise SIG. Paul is also an avid Java-based robot and AI tinkerer.

To Stax Dooley's Irish Pub (aka "Crack Shack") patrons.

—Paul J. Perrone

I'd like to acknowledge my wife, parents, parents-in-law, brother, sister-in-law, nieces (Allison, Julia, & Nina), extended family, friends, Cappy, and my robots.

Tom Schwenk is a Senior Software Consultant with Assured Technologies, Inc. Since 1995, he has been working with Java, specializing in highly scalable, distributed application design and development. He has been involved in the design and implementation of Java enterprise and e-commerce applications for both Fortune 500 and smaller companies. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and an ME in Biomedical Engineering, both from the University of Virginia. Previously Tom co-authored J2EE Developer's Handbook.

I would like to thank all of my family, friends, and colleagues that have given me the advice, assistance, opportunities, and support to accomplish this goal.

—Tom Schwenk

Steve Steffen is part of Gamma's highly regarded Java-SAP team and brings to it a strong combination of knowledge and experience in corporate computing. Prior to joining Gamma, Steve was called to consult Fortune 500 companies including Lucent Technologies, Bridgestone/Firestone, Mercury Marine, and Kubota Engine America. His area of specialization since the lat 1990's has been integration technologies for SAP and Java using WebLogic Server. He developed his training expertise at Lucent Technologies, where he created and delivered Java and Internet classes.

To my wife, April, my companion for life; my parents, for a job well done; and my three sisters for support and inspiration.

—Steve Steffen