Software

Next Generation Internet Technologies from RAYSERVERS™

At RAYSERVERS we understand business - your company' financial bottom line rules. Our software and network consulting will identify where financial and network security related vulnerabilities exist and we can provide clear justification for every design choice. We use the right tools for the right job to ensure the quickest delivery and integration with your existing application base, be it Windows or an aging Digital VAX VMS system.

 

The Right Tools For the Job

We pride ourselves in using the right tools for the job and using the KISS principle. This website, for example uses pure HTML with no javascript requirement and yet embodies an advanced design where the content that you are reading is assembled from servers located across the globe. Our application server can integrate modules written in any language - Java, Perl, Python, PHP included, including content from servers running different operating systems. We use open source crypto to secure our networks and data - AES 256 protects hard drives, IPSEC and OpenVPN protect the network, the GnuPG OpenPGP program protects email. We use X.509 PKI to establish trusted connections.
 

Programming Expertise Our application server is written in an language that is an ANSI standard, battle proven language - Common Lisp. Our top expert programmers are a world apart from amateur web script writers. The default programming environment features an advanced blackboard system to allow complex decisions to be made and features to be added at a pace no other language can match. We use Steel Bank Common Lisp (SBCL). "We were not out to win over the Lisp programmers; we were after the C++ programmers. We managed to drag a lot of them about halfway to Lisp." - Guy Steele, Java spec co-author Lisp was far more powerful and flexible than any other language of its day; in fact, it is still a better design than most languages of today, twenty-five years later. Lisp freed ITS's hackers to think in unusual and creative ways. It was a major factor in their successes, and remains one of hackerdom's favorite languages." - Eric Raymond, in Open Sources on MIT's first OS, ITS For more on lisp see Paul Graham's article on why Lisp is our secret weapon and where he describes the Blub Paradox. GBBopen is a modern, modular, high-performance, open source reference implementation of a blackboard-system framework. Blackboard systems are ideal for system integration and complex problem solving such as exemplified by the traveling salesman problem. Applications include peer to peer (P2P) routing, automated trading systems or emulation of virtual worlds. Our programmers are also experts in Java, commonly used in financial applications. A variety of Java and Lisp integration techniques can be employed to use the best that both environments have to offer. Many open source projects use Java and we can leverage Java to deliver applications to the desktop as necessary. We utilize Perl for a wide range of tasks including system administration, web development, network programming, GUI development, and more. Our Perl programmers are experts in creating super efficient financial user interfaces such as needed for hedge fund management. Sophisticated International Networks At rayservers, we routinely design sophisticated network architecture to optimize data safety and lower operational cost. Sensitive data alone can be placed on redundant encrypted servers in different jurisdictions. High traffic media servers are placed at locations such as at MPT where major Internet carriers peer their traffic. Our software team complements our network gurus to integrate your existing operations with an advanced network design. We can arrange high quality voice over IP peering for those with voice data needs. Organizations such as legal firms who have legal obligations to secure their data and maintain attorney client privilege will find that we understand the threat vectors they face and have solutions that guarantee their data and secure it with strong crypto. Contact us for a consultation to see what we can do for you. Why Open Source? Long term support and no hidden back doors. Unlike proprietary companies that lock you into products whose security cannot be verified, we use Open Source products that can be supported by any trained Linux professional. Reduce operating costs from the never ending upgrade cycle - Update the operating system and office software for free.

Installed Secure™ Operating Systems If your company spends much time thinking about what operating system it runs, it is wasting money. Insecure operating systems directly affect the year end bottom line. You will know when you have achieved operating system nirvana when you stop seeing the operating system and just get work done. We are happy to support any operating system and recommend Installed Secure configurations. Below we have selected some of the best open source operating systems that run our business. Linux on the Desktop Ubuntu Linux sets a new standard. The legacy operating systems are old and outdated in comparison. The Ubuntu desktop is easier to use than a Mac. A world of free applications is just a simple point and click away. Linux on the Server Gentoo Linux is our server operating system of choice. An installation starts with a basic install tar ball that is under 100 MB compressed. There are no services turned on by default. With an automated system to compile packages from source, your server can be kept current indefinitely. Gentoo boasts one of the largest collections of open source software available. OpenBSD on Firewalls and Routers Only one remote hole in the default install, in more than 10 years! OpenBSD has the worlds best open source firewall and router support. OpenBGPD is a FREE implementation of the Border Gateway Protocol, Version 4. It allows ordinary machines to be used as routers exchanging routes with other systems speaking the BGP protocol. Started out of dissatisfaction with other implementations, OpenBGPD nowadays is a fairly complete BGP implementation, powering many sites. Users often praise its ease of use and high performance, as well as its reliability.

Keywords

We have in our team of experts people with expertise in the languages and systems named above, including expertise in:

Java/J2EE: Servlets, JSP, Expresso , NetBeans (IDE), Tags, EJB, JNDI, JMS, JDBC, STRUTS, log4J, Ant, JUnit, XML, JavaScript, Apache/Tomcat, JBoss, WebLogic, WebSphere, Rational Rose.

Databases: Oracle, SQL, MySQL, Postgresql, BerkeleyDB, GDMB

Languages: Java, C/C++, Perl, Tcl/Tk, Common LISP CLOS (Franz Allegro, LispWorks, CMUCL, SBCL, CLISP), Prolog, Parlog, ILOG (rules engine), LDAP, UML, Design Patterns, Object Oriented Design and Programming

Operating Systems: Solaris, Linux, AIX, HP-UX, Windows (Vista, XP, 2000, 98, 3.1, MSDOS), OpenBSD, FreeBSD, NetBSD, VAX/VMS, DEC Ultrix

Browsers: Firefox, Mozilla, Internet Explorer

Source code control: SVN, ClearCase, Clearquest, CVS, Enterprise Architect, RCS

Networks: TCP/IP, IPSEC, OpenVPN. SSH, SSL/TLS and PKI, PF, IPFilter and IPTables, Firehol

Video: Digital Video, JPEG, MPEG, HDTV

Hardware: Analog and Digital Electronics; RF, Laser, IR, Optical communication, Microcontroller based design (ST, PIC, Echelon LonWorks), Power Electronics, Power MOSFET, RF Amplifiers.

Financial Software: Hedge Fund Accounting, Digital Bearer Certificates, Loom Tokens.

Crypto: OpenPGP, GnuPG, X.509, PKI, AES, Twofish, Blowfish, 3DES, Serpent