This page references "BlueBerry", an IBM-internal project I created in 2007. Designed to provide a search interface across multiple databases using commodity hardware, BlueBerry made unique use of over 100 surplus IBM ThinkPads. Consult the links below for more information.
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Situational Applications Environment Contest - BlueBerry. |  |
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The Situational Applications Contest [internal IBM link] is designed to foster a collaborative community around grass-roots computing and Web 2.0 innovation. BlueBerry's contest entry delivers business changing innovation for all IBM'ers. BlueBerry is based on a unique resource - a conglomeration of 14 disparate databases containing current and historical IBM employee related information. Situational applications are designed to create value and enable reuse, so BlueBerry not only provides a quick and intuitive web interface, it also delivers SOAP and AJAX API's. Using a custom developed smart search algorithm, BlueBerry users can specify any search criteria and recieve useful results from more than 1.5 Gigabytes of employee data. Developers can integrate the SOA components or AJAX tools directly into their services and web applications to help deliver the next generation of Situational Applications. Employee information databases within IBM comprise an extended logistical tail of individual data repositories that are weakly linked at best. Multiple databases, multiple interfaces and a lack of consistent search tools makes finding the right IBM'er a time consuming and highly manual process. BlueBerry combines Enterprise Directory, Asset, Sales Coverage and 11 other databases into a single datastore for quick and intuitive access. Traditional development cycles involve the determination of primary and secondary data sources, defining trust relationships, specifying fields, tables and data definitions amongst many other tasks. The BlueBerry approach is to aggregate all databases equally, including historical data, and provide a smart search interface to create consumable data on anything an IBM'er is associated with. BlueBerry's search algorithms link the pieces of the long logistical tail into a responsive component of IBM's business. Situational applications depend on free access to data, and BlueBerry provides SOAP and AJAX interfaces to the assembled datastore. The exposed interfaces enable the next generation of situational applications to reach one of the core data components of IBM's business - employee information. BlueBerry is a fully deployed situational application that saves IBM'ers time and effort through data aggregation and smart searching. In addition, BlueBerry is a platform for the creation of innovative Situational Applications through the exposure of AJAX and SOAP API's. The best way to start using BlueBerry is simply to start searching. For example, try searching on Reserved Meeting room numbers, ThinkPlace ideas, IP Addresses, or S/390 processor serial numbers. BlueBerry has the capability to search some of the most frequently used databases from IBM's internal systems. Detailed examples of search queries and how they can increase your effeciency are available from the Search Tips page. For more information on the content of the BlueBerry data, as well as details on the Software, Hardware and Design of the BlueBerry system, check the How It Works page. Real world examples that can save IBM'ers many person-days of time are available at the Example Applications page. Programmers will find details and examples of how to integrate the smart search capabilities of BlueBerry into their applications on the SOAP and AJAX interface page. |
BlueBerry was created by Nathan Harrington.