I've been using Ruby and involved with the NYC.rb meetup since the fall of 2005. During that time I've done Rails applications for the New York Jets, Flavorpill, BBC, Channel 4 UK, KGB, Efficiency 2.0, and my current employer Benchmark Solutions. I first started working with service architectures in Ruby at KGB. There we had a complex application with search, real-time indexing, and machine learning. That was in addition to all the standard web application stuff. Due to the complexity of the various pieces, we split it off into multiple services and I've been interested in the topic since.

My formal background is in CS with an emphasis on AI, machine learning, search, and natural language processing. I suppose that accounts for my other passion: machine learning. I organize the machine learning meetup in NYC which regularly features speakers from leading universities and labs giving talks about the latest in the field.

I'm pauldix on Twitter, Github, and most every other service on the web. Feel free to drop me a line to talk about Ruby, services, or machine learning.

The Complete Guide to Building Highly Scalable, Services-Based Rails Applications

Ruby on Rails deployments are growing, and Rails is increasingly being adopted in larger environments. Today, Rails developers and architects need better ways to interface with legacy systems, move into the cloud, and scale to handle higher volumes and greater complexity. In Service-Oriented Design with Ruby and Rails Paul Dix introduces a powerful, services-based design approach geared toward overcoming all these challenges. Using Dix’s techniques, readers can leverage the full benefits of both Ruby and Rails, while overcoming the difficulties of working with larger codebases and teams.

Dix demonstrates how to integrate multiple components within an enterprise application stack; create services that can easily grow and connect; and design systems that are easier to maintain and upgrade. Key concepts are explained with detailed Ruby code built using open source libraries such as ActiveRecord, Sinatra, Nokogiri, and Typhoeus. The book concludes with coverage of security, scaling, messaging, and interfacing with third-party services.

Service-Oriented Design with Ruby and Rails will help you

Build highly scalable, Ruby-based service architectures that operate smoothly in the cloud or with legacy systems

Scale Rails systems to handle more requests, larger development teams, and more complex code bases

Master new best practices for designing and creating services in Ruby

Use Ruby to glue together services written in any language

Use Ruby libraries to build and consume RESTful Web services

Use Ruby JSON parsers to quickly represent resources from HTTP services

Write lightweight, well-designed API wrappers around internal or external services

Discover powerful non-Rails frameworks that simplify Ruby service implementation

Implement standards-based enterprise messaging with Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP)

Optimize performance with load balancing and caching

Provide for security and authentication