The API 'maturity lifecycle'

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: DAVE KEARNS ON WINDOWS NETWORKING TIPS
08/31/05
Today's focus: The API 'maturity lifecycle'

Dear networking.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* An explanation for why older apps, devices get left behind
* Links related to Windows Networking Tips
* Featured reader resource
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This newsletter is sponsored by HP
FROM THE NETWORK CORE TO THE NETWORK EDGE

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Today's focus: The API 'maturity lifecycle'

By Dave Kearns

Last issue I started talking about why installing service packs
or operating system upgrades sometimes breaks older
applications, services and devices so that they no longer work.
I said I had a theory that explains at least some of these
problems, although I'm sure there are other reasons also.

First, there's the issue of buggy new software. Anything as
complex as a service pack or an operating system upgrade has a
huge amount of code, not all of which gets tested in every
environment. That's why I advocate testing in a lab first and
waiting a short period of time to hear what others discover in
their labs. But even once the software is stable and relatively
bug-free, there are still instances of applications, services
and devices which simply no longer work, or no longer work as
intended.

My theory for this involves what I call the "maturity
lifecycle."

Each new version of an operating system tends to introduce new
functionality, which is made available to third-party
application vendors through new APIs. Many APIs can be rather
complex, and many aren't finalized until just before the
operating system ships.

Independent software vendors (ISV) have two choices: develop to
the initial, tentative, experimental API or wait for the final
release of the API. The operating system vendor and the
independent vendor both have an interest in getting the
third-party applications rolled out for the first release of the
new operating system. That's why the tentative API is released
and that's why the ISV uses it. To encourage the ISV to do this,
the operating system vendor will institute lax enforcement of
the rules in the final API. Things like syntax, variable types,
and more will be inclusive of both the initial API as well as
the final one. But, over time, as new APIs - and the new data
link libraries (DLL) which accompany them - are released, the
rules will be tightened and enforcement will be stricter.

Some ISVs will create new versions of their software which
incorporate the final API and remove outdated or no longer
supported functions of the tentative API. Some won't. The
reasons why they don't are myriad - some vendors go out of
business, some applications or devices are no longer being
bought by consumers and some choose different development paths
(with different products) to accomplish the same result. In any
of these cases, your older application, service or device simply
won't work with the new operating system upgrade.

When there's a long time between releases of an operating
system, though, the new, more "mature" API, as well as its
enforcement, may be distributed with a service pack - sometimes
on purpose but frequently not, as developers simply include the
newest versions of the DLLs without really considering what they
might do in terms of breaking old software. If enough people
complain, it'll be called a "bug" and rolled back. But not
always.

So there are reasons why you should thoroughly test upgrades and
service packs even after a year or so has passed since their
release and most known "bugs" have been fixed. You need to know
how it will run with your applications, services and devices.

The top 5: Today's most-read stories

1. 2005 salary survey <http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt3873>

2. Google dives deeper into networking
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt6189>

3. Cisco aims to simplify switch mgmt.
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt6190>

4. VoIP season about to heat up
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt6191>

5. A proposal for governing the 'Net
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt6192>

Today's most-forwarded story:

VoIP rollouts generate heat, power concerns
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt6193>

_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Dave Kearns

Dave Kearns is a writer and consultant in Silicon Valley. He's
written a number of books including the (sadly) now out of print
"Peter Norton's Complete Guide to Networks." His musings can be
found at Virtual Quill <http://www.vquill.com/>.

Kearns is the author of three Network World Newsletters: Windows
Networking Tips, Novell NetWare Tips, and Identity Management.
Comments about these newsletters should be sent to him at these

respective addresses: <mailto:windows@vquill.com>,
<mailto:netware@vquill.com>, <mailto:identity@vquill.com>.

Kearns provides content services to network vendors: books,
manuals, white papers, lectures and seminars, marketing,
technical marketing and support documents. Virtual Quill
provides "words to sell by..." Find out more by e-mail at
<mailto:info@vquill.com>
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by HP
FROM THE NETWORK CORE TO THE NETWORK EDGE

Traffic management becomes critical as your network
infrastructure expands to support different types of traffic and
users. Most traffic management solutions have serious
limitations: too expensive, difficult to use, and overly taxing
on bandwidth. However ProCurve Networking by HP addresses these
requirements, overcomes the limitations of other solutions, and
gives you valuable insight into LAN performance.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=111718
_______________________________________________________________
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For the latest in VoIP, check out NW's Research Center on this
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VoIP networks performing at their best. Click here for more:
<http://www.networkworld.com/topics/voip.html>
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