Ben Alex, Creator of Spring Security (Acegi) & SpringSource Principal Software Engineer

Ben Alex is a respected technologist, entrepreneur and speaker.

Ben has been working professionally in software since 1995. The software project Ben is most widely known for is Spring Security, which he founded in 2003 and continues to lead at SpringSource. Spring Security is a popular, open-source security framework that is used in numerous government, banking and military installations. Whilst written in Java, the success of Spring Security has seen its architecture ported to other platforms such as Microsoft .NET and Python.

Ben's career history also includes other accomplishments in software development and business. Most recently, Ben led the establishment and exponential growth of SpringSource's operations in Asia-Pacific. Before that he founded and grew a successful Australian software company, Acegi Technology Pty Limited. In his spare time, Ben has also been a director and advisor to businesses in industries as diverse as business services, intellectual property licensing and ecommerce.

In recent years Ben has presented at technology conferences including The Spring Experience (2005, 2006, and 2007), SpringOne (2005 and 2006) , JavaOne (2008) and The Server Side Java Symposium (2007 and 2008). Ben is also a regular guest presenter at user groups across the world, with recent appearances in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth, Singapore, Wellington, Auckland and Stockholm. He also authored the security chapter of the Wiley book, "Professional J2EE Development with Spring Framework.

Presentation: "Extreme Productivity in Application Development"

Track: Essential Spring

Time: Monday 18:00 - 19:15

Location: Volmer Room

Abstract:

Spring Roo is SpringSource's new open source technology which features an unashamedly pragmatic focus, aimed squarely at making the life of mainstream enterprise developers more productive and pleasant without sacrificing engineering integrity or flexibility. Whether you're a new Java developer or a seasoned architect, Roo offers a serious productivity boost that delivers fully-fledged working applications in a matter of minutes.

Whilst Roo fully supports existing server-centric web frameworks, it is particularly optimised for Generation IV web technologies such as GWT and Flex. So not only are your applications delivered with sustainably increased productivity, but your applications can easily incorporate the enhanced usability and performance of single page applications. All without a single line of JavaScript or HTML in sight.

Spring Roo is radically different from other convention over configuration frameworks in other ways, too. You won't have to learn a new language or unlearn what you already know. You won't have to ponder what latest scripting language or text editor you are expected to use instead of Java and an IDE. You won't be expected to blatantly banish engineering principles like OO, DDD, language features and performance. You won't need to delete your existing project and start over,just for the privilege of a limited productivity spike. In this presentation, Ben Alex will introduce Spring ROO. Ben will cover topics such as:

What is Roo
Getting started with Roo
Usability-centric design patterns in Roo annotations and shell
Building a new enterprise application in under 30 minutes
Exposing a web front-end quickly, easily and flexibly
Roo metadata and internals
Reviewing the Roo roadmap and release schedule
How to provide feedback and become involved

Attendees who invest their time in this session will leave with a comprehensive understanding of what Roo is, its basic operation, and what will be available over the next few months. We look forward to introducing this exciting new member of the Spring portfolio to you.

Presentation: "Introducing Spring Security (Wednesday)"

Track: Essential Spring

Time: Wednesday 10:30 - 11:45

Location: Volmer Room

Abstract:

Spring Security is a popular, open-source Java security framework that represents the Spring portfolio's official security capability. It has received hundreds of thousands of downloads, been ported to other platforms (such as Python and Microsoft .NET) and represents a popular choice in many banking, government, and military installations.

This session presents practical solutions for addressing today's complex enterprise application security requirements using Spring Security. It takes attendees on a step-by-step journey that begins with the simple security requirement of a login form, and grows to include more advanced requirements such as web request authorization, single sign on and federated identity (OpenID), advanced method authorization, plus rich client security considerations.

Ben's security sessions are always intensely demonstration-oriented, and this session promises at least five separate live demonstrations and code discussions. As such, you will not only discover the important architectural concepts and standards applicable to enterprise application security, but you'll also receive plenty of practical tips and solid advice on using this powerful and flexible security framework.