Space-based architecture?

Question

One chapter in Pragmatic Programmer recommends looking at a blackboard/space-based architecture + a rules engine as a more flexible alternative to a traditional workflow system.

Answer 1

While it doesn't support the JavaSpaces API, I'd suggest looking at Oracle Coherence for a distributed and reliable "live" data store that can drive event-based workflow. Deutsche Bank, for example, successfully replaced a "SBA" (Space Based Architecture) with an event-driven system built on Coherence for their FX trading, because of both reliability and performance issues.

For the sake of full disclosure, I work at Oracle. The opinions and views expressed in this post are my own, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of my employer.