September 2016 Summaries

The cbping utility is a new tool for checking simple network connectivity with Couchbase clusters and remote XDCR clusters. It performs tests such as port openness, elapsed time taken to connect, and checks the nodes in the cluster. The tool can also check connectivity to XDCR target clusters. A sample output of a three-node Couchbase cluster is provided, showing the results of the tests, including open ports, connection refused errors, and elapsed times. The tool includes an option `-v` for verbose output, which provides descriptions for each port.

In today's mobile-driven world, there is an expectation that apps should always work with and without an internet connection, requiring access and storage of decentralized data directly on devices. Managing decentralized data introduces security risks that must be addressed to protect mobile users and their data. Couchbase Mobile resolves these concerns by providing secure authentication, fine-grained policy tools for controlling data access, end-to-end encryption for data transport and storage, and support for various cloud and device storage options. With its pluggable authentication, data storage on devices is protected using file system encryption and 256-bit AES full database encryption, while data in the cloud is secured with file system encryption. By addressing these security concerns, Couchbase Mobile enables users to manage their data throughout the entire network and application stack, including cloud, phones, tablets, web, TV, cars, and other devices.

Aaron Benton, a Senior Applications Architect at Market America / Shop.com, has joined the Couchbase Champion Community. Based in Greensboro, NC, Aaron enjoys outdoor activities and works on open-source projects like CFCouchbase and Fakeit in his spare time. He predominantly uses Node.js and ColdFusion in his development work, focusing on mobile app and front-end UI design. Aaron selected Couchbase for its memory-first architecture, simplicity, performance, and scalability, particularly praising Couchbase Lite and Sync Gateway for providing offline mobile solutions and flexibility. He values the Sync Gateway feature for its ability to facilitate near API-less application development and document syncing across devices. Aaron wishes for a mobile-friendly admin UI, SDK support for Sync Gateway operations, and improved documentation search functionality in Couchbase. His favorite book is "JavaScript: The Good Parts" by Douglas Crockford, which he appreciates for its insights into effectively using JavaScript.

I spent nearly a week in Chicago visiting three user groups and talking to everyone about Couchbase. A surprise marriage proposal happened at one of the user groups, where I was involved in running interference for the groom-to-be, and it was an honor to be part of it. I delivered presentations on two topics, including "Full Stack with .NET" at a user group that included the surprise proposal, and also gave a presentation titled "I Have a NoSQL Toaster" at the Chicago Geekfest, which is hosted by Chris Powers. Additionally, I had conversations about Couchbase's JSON capabilities with David Giard on his video podcast Technology and Friends.

The tenth episode of The NoSQL Database Podcast, titled "In-Memory Data Grids with Hazelcast," features a discussion with Viktor Gamov from Hazelcast about the advantages of using in-memory data grids to offload data from relational databases like Oracle for more frequent processing. Recorded at JavaOne, part of Oracle World in San Francisco, the episode explores how Hazelcast facilitates efficient data management. The podcast is accessible on major platforms such as Pocket Casts and iTunes, and listeners are encouraged to direct any questions to [email protected]. Additionally, information on previous episodes, including one on graph databases and Neo4j, can be found alongside resources for using Couchbase in applications through their developer portal.

At a recent Couchbase Meetup in Mountain View, California, the speaker explored the Couchbase Mobile stack, emphasizing the importance of hands-on experience to understand how its components integrate. The presentation involved demonstrating how to load the entire stack on a laptop and offered methods to explore it without coding. A video of the talk is available on YouTube. For further learning, resources can be accessed on the developer portal, and the Couchbase community can be engaged through Twitter, forums, and Stack Overflow. The speaker can also be followed on Twitter for more updates.

A series of Couchbase developer webinars has been made publicly available, focusing on constructing a full-stack issue tracking application using programming languages such as Java, .NET, Node.js, and Golang, in conjunction with Couchbase Server. The webinars offer a detailed, three-part tutorial for each programming language, beginning with setting up Couchbase Server and creating RESTful endpoints, followed by developing the data layer and application logic using Couchbase queries and CRUD operations, and concluding with designing a frontend using Angular 2 and TypeScript, themed with Bootstrap. These educational resources aim to provide high-quality material for developers seeking to enhance their skills in building comprehensive web applications.

On August 24, 2016, a guest speaker presented on Full Stack Development with .NET and NoSQL at the Dayton .NET Developers Group, with the session being recorded and shared on YouTube. The presentation included a full stack .NET sample and a Xamarin Forms sample using Sync Gateway, both of which are available on GitHub. The speaker expressed appreciation for the attendees and noted Dayton's burgeoning technical scene, as well as enjoying a visit to the local Single-A baseball park for the Dayton Dragons. Information about the Dayton .NET Developers Group can be found on LinkedIn, and the speaker can be followed on Twitter.

The author of the text has successfully set up a Couchbase cluster on three Intel Compute Sticks, with each device connected via a USB-to-Ethernet adapter to provide a wired connection. The author encountered issues with wifi connectivity and tried different adapters before settling on Belkin F4UO61 adapters that worked intermittently. To optimize performance, the author made tweaks such as adjusting "swappiness" and disabling the Ubuntu UI on boot-up, and installed OpenSSH server for remote access to the command line. Once the cluster was up and running, the author commissioned help from their wife to tidy up the wiring into a more presentable setup.

We've been named one of the "50 Highest Rated Private Cloud Computing Companies to Work for" by Glassdoor and Battery Ventures, based on employee ratings shared on their platform. The average employee satisfaction rating across all companies is 3.3, while ours is 4.5, indicating a strong workplace culture at Couchbase. This recognition highlights our focus on investing in our talented team and creating a mission-driven company with a unique culture that employees enjoy working for.

This guide shows how to create a simple JavaFX desktop application that stores data in Couchbase Lite and synchronizes it with a Sync Gateway instance. The application uses the Couchbase Java SDK, JavaFX, and Maven to build a desktop application that can save and load Todo objects stored in Couchbase Lite. The application includes a UI with input fields for title and description, a list of saved Todo objects, and a save button. Data synchronization is achieved using bi-directional replication between the desktop application and Sync Gateway instance. The guide covers setting up the project, creating the Couchbase singleton class, designing the desktop application, synchronizing data between desktop and server, and running the application with Maven and Sync Gateway.

The latest version of the Java SDK, 2.3.3, introduces a new feature called RawQueryExecutor, which allows users to directly obtain the result of a N1QL or FTS query as a JSON String or JsonObject, akin to using the REST API, without the need for additional mapping. This feature is particularly beneficial for N1QL queries, as it enables users to specify exactly what they need via the SELECT clause, enhancing efficiency when used with appropriate covering indexes. The SDK provides both asynchronous and synchronous code examples for using RawQueryExecutor, highlighting its capability to simplify the process by passing query results directly to clients. The developers encourage feedback on the utility of this feature and whether users would like to see similar functionalities for simpler operations.

Couchbase in France is hosting a series of events aimed at engaging and educating the community about their mobile and server technologies. The first event is a meetup on September 14 at SOAT, featuring discussions on RxSwift and Couchbase Mobile as a Service. The following day, September 15, a Couchbase Day in Paris will provide beginners with training on distributed database architecture, data replication, querying Couchbase Server, and an introduction to their SQL query language, N1QL. Finally, Couchbase Live Paris is scheduled for October 6, where attendees will have the opportunity to hear from Couchbase executives, including CEO Bob Wiederhold, and participate in sessions covering client experiences, architecture, and development.

The text provides an in-depth exploration of setting up and demonstrating replications between Sync Gateway (SG) instances in Couchbase Mobile through a Java application with a Swing-based UI. The author describes running the application alongside two SG instances on a Mac to showcase data synchronization, where JSON data entered in an editing pane is saved to Couchbase Lite (CBL) and subsequently replicated from a primary SG instance to a backup. Configuration details for each SG instance are shared, highlighting the use of different network ports and the special-purpose in-memory database "walrus" for simpler early development. The Java application facilitates monitoring of changes feeds from both SG instances using longpolling with the OkHttp library, and the process of tracking changes using the "last_seq" property is explained. The project, designed for exploration rather than production, is available on GitHub and can run entirely on a single machine to help developers understand the workings of Couchbase Lite, SG, and their replications.

Couchbase Mobile version 1.3 introduces support for OpenID Connect (OIDC), enhancing authentication capabilities by allowing applications to authenticate users through trusted external sources. This feature simplifies the integration of authentication while eliminating the need for developers to manage the infrastructure themselves. In a typical use case, an application using Couchbase Lite as a local data store can replicate data to a backend server via a Sync Gateway, with OIDC facilitating user authentication through an OpenID Provider (OP). The OpenID Connect protocol, based on OAuth 2.0, employs REST/JSON message flows to streamline integration, offering three flows with the Authorization Code Flow being highlighted for its refresh capabilities to reduce frequent logins. The implementation involves creating an authenticator linked to replication objects, with the authentication process managed through callbacks and web views, although the use of system browsers is recommended for enhanced security. The configuration of Sync Gateway for OIDC, including setting up providers like GoogleAuthFlow, is essential for effective implementation in applications.

The ninth episode of the NoSQL Database Podcast, titled "Graphing Databases with Neo4j," features a discussion with Ryan Boyd from Neo4j about the advantages of using graphing databases, particularly how they excel at managing data relationships compared to other database types. This episode is available on major podcast platforms like Pocket Casts and iTunes, with an option to listen directly online. Listeners are encouraged to send their questions to [email protected] for further discussion. Additionally, the podcast references a prior episode focused on Oracle's NoSQL database solution and provides resources for learning more about Couchbase.

In a project that evolved from a previous prototype using Couchbase on an Intel IoT Gateway, the author developed a summer project leveraging Raspberry Pi 3 devices to track office staff movement using iBeacons. The project involved installing a Java application on Raspberry Pi units equipped with wireless and Bluetooth capabilities to monitor and sync beacon data with a remote server. Unlike the earlier version, the new setup creates a separate document for each activity, enhancing data management efficiency by eliminating the need for data retrieval from Couchbase Server. The dashboard for visualizing the collected data was built using Node.js and AngularJS, with data aggregation performed through N1QL queries. The project's complete source code, including both the dashboard and Raspberry Pi application, is available on GitHub.

The first developer preview of the integration with Kafka has been announced. This version is based on a new library for DCP and supports the Kafka Connect framework. The integration allows data to be transferred from Couchbase to HDFS using Kafka Connect. To set up this integration, users need to install Confluent Platform, download the Couchbase zip archive with connector integration, and extract its contents to the default class path. Users then need to register the connector by filling in settings similar to a JSON configuration. The Connect daemon will start receiving mutations and storing them into specified Kafka topic. A Sink connection is also set up to get data out of Kafka, which writes data to HDFS with the default topics directory. The integration allows users to transfer documents from Couchbase to HDFS using Kafka Connect.

At the Tulsa Tech Fest on August 5th, 2016, a speaker shared his experiences of presenting on topics such as Full Stack Development with Node.js and NoSQL, and SQL for JSON, despite having to prepare one of the sessions on short notice. He appreciated the opportunity to expand his network among smart developers, as well as the conference's welcoming community atmosphere. While he enjoyed the event and the chance to meet new people, he noted the challenging heat in Tulsa compared to his home state of Ohio. The speaker expressed gratitude to attendees and encouraged following the event and himself on Twitter.