Configuration Management Tool

The Client
Perpetual Entertainment, INC. is a producer, publisher, and operator of networked multi-player and massively multi-player games for the PC and next-generation videogame consoles. Perpetual is developing game and "platform" technologies to assist the rapid and low-cost engineering/deployment of connected games.

Project Description
One of the complex problems facing online connected gaming is the constant flux of a large number of servers operating in clusters at a data center. To keep management costs low and allow the most possible utilization of this 'farm' of game servers Perpetual designed a system that allows simple single-point configuration and code migration for all servers within a data center. This planned tool must help directly configure software and OS components as well as migrate game data. The tool is linked to a monitoring system so that no manual intervention is necessary to update the monitoring profile for configured servers in the environment.

Challenges
- Tight project schedule
- Client's requirements were not fixed and required optimization during the design and development processes.
- Many external services and functions needed to be brought together to work in unison (DNS, package management tools, monitoring tools, etc)

Solution
Sperasoft was involved in the project from analysis all the way through final design, development, and testing. We designed components based on the functional requirements provided by Perpetual as well as providing guidance and unique engineering solutions to challenges discovered during the engineering of the project. Sperasoft delivered a thorough Software Requirement Specification (SRS) including architecture diagrams, data flow diagrams, case studies and use cases.

Perpetual was so happy with the initial delivery of this project that they have engaged with Sperasoft on a next generation design to add even more functionality to this tool.

Mobile Technology Platform

The Client
Numobiq Inc. is a US based company offering an innovative business model and technology platform that is poised to revolutionize information access from mobile devices. The company, which stands for New Mobile Intelligence (IQ), delivers an innovative solution that targets the needs of today's mobile landscape including consumers, carriers, content developers, sponsors, advertisers, Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) and merchants.

Project Description
Numobiq's next-generation technology platform is designed to port easily across a multitude of mobile devices, providing a robust and consistent platform for developers to deliver the next generation of mobile applications. The platform and development tools support multiple operating systems, including Linux, Windows, Symbian, Mac OS X, and various other mobile devices. Features enable developers to rapidly create rich mobile applications using traditional web technologies.

Challenges
- Develop clean, highly portable code.
- Normalize difficult nuances of numerous operating systems.
- Provide robust unit testing and correctness validation.
- Create developer tools for popular open source IDEs.

Solution
SperaSoft was involved very early on in the development of Numobiq's innovative platform. Their experience with western companies and proven development practices, SperaSoft engineers were able to begin almost immediately. Sperasoft was able to apply its existing Symbian expertise to quickly realize the platform on the first real handset device. This was invaluable to provide an on-device realization of the technology for early adopters. SperaSoft Java and C/C++ engineers were also instrumental in developing the necessary tools for third party application developers. These tools are a combination of native platform code (Windows, Linux, and Mac) and portable Java code which acts as a plugin into popular development IDEs such as Eclipse. SperaSoft continues to leverage its breadth of developer skills in order to finalize the Symbian reference platform for the technology, enhance the core application APIs, and augment the tools and experience for third party developers.

Platform Patching System

The Client
Perpetual Entertainment, INC. is a producer, publisher, and operator of networked multi-player and massively multi-player games for the PC and next-generation videogame consoles. Perpetual is developing game and "platform" technologies to assist the rapid and low-cost engineering/deployment of connected games.

Project Description
One of the challenges facing online game developers like Perpetual is providing a fast, simple, and reliable patching system to the end user. Perpetual needs to provide these patches to update game client code as well as to add content on a continuous basis. This tool runs on hundreds of thousands of windows clients and must be accurate and stable.

Challenges
- Patching client must handle all possible error cases like corrupt files and missing files.
- Patching server needs to run independent of general game platform technologies to allow world wide distribution.
- Patch server must be flexible, allowing a client to request a patch from any version to any version. (Build patches on the fly)
- Patch client must support post-launch patching at various speeds.
- Patch client must resume a failed download without starting over from beginning.

Solution
Sperasoft took this well thought design and provided Perpetual with a full SRS and project resource plan for all work. Sperasoft brought in JAVA and C++ client specialists to work on both components (patch server was JAVA) of this tool. Sperasoft not only met all patch server objectives within planned timeline. During this process Sperasoft did more than just follow a design proposal and project plan. Sperasoft found unique solutions to problems not addressed in the initial Perpetual design as additional features to make the patching tool more useful and efficient. Using offshore resources saved Perpetual money and still allowed them to build an application even better than the original design.