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January 16 “It is insight into human
nature that is the key to the communicator’s skill. For whereas the
writer is concerned with what he puts into his writing, the communicator
is concerned with what the reader gets out of it. – WILLIAM
BERNACH December 30 step 1 : open outlook express
step 2 : select option tools
step 3: under tools , select option "options"
step 4: select tab : "Maintenance"
step 5: click over button "store folder"
step 6: copy the location of "store folder"
step 7 : click on start button and then select "run"
step 8 : paste the "store folder" location you copied
step 9 : now copy all folder from this location
Step 10: save this folder on your hard disk
July 25 It has been over a century and a half since
Alexander Graham Bell whispered the words ‘Mary had a little lamb’ and
changed the way mankind communicated. Modern life is unimaginable
without a telephonic device—be it a sophisticated cell phone or an
archaic pulse dial telephone still in use in certain parts of India. If
you have gone fully digital, don’t thrown out your land line
instruments in a hurry. This workshop will help you make a functional
small distance intercom device. 
A
straightforward way to build a simple intercom at home is to use two
old land line telephone handsets, run a wire between them and apply
some power. An improvised circuit can include a buzzer at both ends, so
that the person at the other end can be alerted to pick up the phone.
First of all, you need to decide which rooms you will install the
intercom. Then you need to collect all the materials listed on this
page before getting down to work. There
are different ways to power the circuit. The first is to simply use a
9V battery. However, the downside to this option is that battery will
drain out in no time leaving the intercom connection dead.
Alternatively, you can power the circuit using any good pure 12 V DC
power adapter. Any laptop’s idle or unused power adapter is the best
choice. Don’t worry if the voltage level isn’t exactly 9 V—anything
with an output voltage below 24 V will do the job. Note that the
intercom needs to be powered at one end of the circuit only. 
The
scenario for which we designed and built this intercom included two
rooms having computers connected over a network CAT5 cross-cable. Since
a network cable consists of four pairs of wires, of which only two
pairs are used by the network adapter, the other two unused pairs were
perfect for our purpose. We only require four wires for the intercom to
function, so if you don’t already have a network cable connecting
computers between floors or rooms, you can use any ordinary telephone
cable with four cores or two pair wires. Construction If
you plan on using an existing network cable, (like in our workshop),
note that pins one, two, three, and six (from the RJ45 connector) are
used by the network adapter while the rest are just not needed. Check
which wires are used in your cable. In our case it turned out to be the
orange and orange-white, green and green-white. Using a wire cutter, we
need to cut and separate out the remaining four wires. We shall now be
using these four wires for our workshop. Now simply cut the sleeve of
the CAT5 cable carefully and dig out the unused wires, then cut them
carefully. The other wires can continue to be connected to the RJ45
connector, and be used for the existing network. 
Now
that the wires are ready to be used for the workshop, twist the ends so
that you have pointed tips. Refer to the circuit diagram above and
connect all the elements—the switches, buzzers and RJ11 jacks. Finally,
hook up the telephone’s cord to the RJ11 jack and power up the circuit
with the battery. Now, your intercom device is all ready to be used. Testing Press
any one switch to check if the buzzer beeps at both ends to confirm
whether the ringer is functioning. Next, pick up the handsets at both
ends, start a conversation with the person at the other end of the line
to confirm the working of the intercom circuit. And Voila! the intercom
is ready. 
If
the intercom doesn’t seem to be working properly, refer to the circuit
diagram and find the fault to ensure that the connections of the
circuit are correct. This short workshop described a method to install
an intercom device in your home. To improve on this, you can design
your own complicated array of switches in a more efficient manner by
connecting more wires and handsets to make a larger intercom. July 18 What is Clustering?
A Microsoft SQL Server Cluster is
nothing more than a collection of two or more physical servers with
identical access to shared storage that provides the disk resources
required to store the database files.
These servers are referred to as "nodes". Each of the nodes talk to
one another via a private network, sending a heartbeat signal between
them. Should one node not communicate its heartbeat to the other node
in the cluster the secondary node will take ownership of any dependent
services being run by the node that lost communication. This process
is referred to as "failover".
A failover can occur both automatically (a server's heartbeat stops
communicating) or manually. A manual failover is beneficial in the
event that patching or some other form of maintenance is required at
the physical server level. You would typically implement clustering in
order to ensure that if you ever encounter hardware failure on the
physical server hosting your SQL instance, your databases would
continue to be available for dependent applications and their users.
Unlike other clustering technologies that are implemented for better
performance or for increased processing power via load-balancing, SQL
clusters are designed for providing highly-available databases;
eliminating downtime associated with hardware failure. This
architectural concept is referred to as "High Availability Clustering"
or "HA Clustering" for short. The service or groups of services that
are hosted on a clustered node are respectively referred to as
resources and resource groups. Since these resources must be available
to all nodes in a cluster then they must reside on a shared disk array
in the form of SAN-NAS disk. Each resource group will be mapped to a
logical drive that is physically hosted on the shared disk array and
will also have it's own associated IP address and network name.
The SQL Server Installation Process on a Cluster
The SQL
Server installation process detects when an installation is being
attempted on a clustered node and will prompt you as to whether you
wish to configure the SQL instance as clustered or not. If you proceed
with creating a clustered instance of SQL Server, the instance will be
hosted on a "Virtual" Server. Resources such as data and log files
will be created on the shared SAN-NAS disk for SQL Server, SQL Server
Agent, and Full-Text Indexing.
If selected in the installation process, Notification Services and
Analysis Services are also cluster-aware in SQL Server 2005.
Conversely, the associated program files for the instance will be
installed on the local drives of each of the clustered nodes in an
identical fashion and registry values are set identically across all
clustered nodes. Since the "Virtual" server resides solely on the SAN
it can be "owned" by any of the nodes you allow. Each of the nodes can
run these resources in identical fashion because each physical
server/node has the program files and identical registry settings
necessary to run the SQL instance.
Furthermore, the users are oblivious to the underlying fluidity of
the server. They connect to it as they would any other physical
server: by server name (virtual server name in this case) if the
default instance or by virtual server name\instance name if a named
instance. This is key for application connectivity. Since the SQL
instance simply changes ownership during a failover, connection strings
the applications rely on to connect to their databases need not be
recoded; the physical server may become unavailable, but the virtual
server persists after the failover.
Active/Active or Active/Passive Clustering
Clusters are
often referred to as either Active/Active or Active/Passive. Just as
you would expect by the name, in an Active/Active cluster there will be
two or more nodes, each one owning an instance of Microsoft SQL
Server. If one node fails, the instance it owns would fail over to the
other node, running along side (and contending for resources with) the
other instance. An Active/Passive architecture requires that no
matter how many nodes make up the cluster, at least one node is not the
owner of an instance of SQL Server. It is "passive" and only exists to
accept a failover of a node hosting a SQL instance in the event of a
failover.
Current Microsoft licensing policies require you to only license the
active nodes running Microsoft SQL Server. The passive node need not
be licensed.
How Many Nodes?
Today's clustering technology under
Windows 2003 and Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition allows
for up to eight nodes to be combined into a single cluster. The
release of Windows 2008 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Enterprise
Edition will bring with it the ability to double that to sixteen
nodes. (You are limited to two nodes if you utilize SQL Server
Standard Edition.) Do you want to cluster multiple databases of
various SLAs within many nodes on a single cluster? Is it beneficial
to dedicate a two-node cluster to a single database? The answer is:
"It Depends." We look into this in detail in a future tip.
Pros and Cons
While clustering protects you from hardware
failure relating to the server hosting the SQL Server instance, it does
not protect you from media failure. Unlike replication, database
mirroring, or log shipping there is only a single copy of your
database. If the SAN-NAS encounters a failure then you could not only
conceivably incur downtime, but possibly data loss. It is recommended
that you incorporate redundancy of your SAN-NAS or database mirroring
with your clustering configuration to protect you from media failures.
Hardware and licensing costs may be high. In an Active/Passive
clustering model you'll purchase hardware you hope to never need to
use. The cluster build is more complex than a standalone server
setup. The physical build of the cluster is outside the scope of this
discussion however. Additional benefits for clustering include
simplicity for installation of SQL and ease of administration and
maintenance.
Summary
There is plenty to consider when planning on
clustering SQL Server. Hopefully you were able to get a better
understanding of what clustering is and an idea of the terminology
associated with clustering SQL Server 2005. In the remaining tips in
this series we will review these items in greater detail, walking you
through the decisions you'll make on architecture, the installation
process, the tools available to monitor the state of the cluster and
its resources, as well as comparing clustering to the other
high-availability options associated with Microsoft SQL Server. June 13 Use this script in order to backup a database :
/*
Author : Suprotim Agarwal
Creation Date: Jan 2, 2008
*/
CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[usersp_BackUpDB]
@DBNAME nvarchar(50),
@PATH nvarchar(200),
@BCKUPNAME nvarchar(50)
AS
BACKUP DATABASE @DBNAME
TO DISK = @PATH
WITH NOFORMAT, NOINIT,
NAME = @BCKUPNAME,
STATS = 10
You can call this script using :
DECLARE @return_value int
EXEC @return_value = [dbo].[usersp_BackUpDB]
@DBNAME = N'Northwind',
@PATH = N'C:\temp\Northwind.bak',
@BCKUPNAME = N'NW'
SELECT 'Return Value' = @return_value
GO
Read more about this topic over here :
At times, we need to check the number of active connections for each
Database on our server. This can be done easily using the following
script. The script displays the DatabaseName, the number of connections
and the login name : SELECT db_name(dbid) as DatabaseName, count(dbid) as NoOfConnections,
loginame as LoginName
FROM sys.sysprocesses
WHERE dbid > 0
GROUP BY dbid, loginame June 12 Sql Server Reporting Services provides a few global collections that
you can use in your reports to retrieve report information. One such
collection is Globals
Globals
contains global variables which can display information such as the
report name, execution time or page number. You can use these variables
as expressions in a textbox and place these textboxes in the report
footer. Some of the expressions are as follows:
Execution Time :
= "Your report executed at " & Globals.ExecutionTime
Page Number :
="You are viewing page " & Globals.PageNumber & " of " & Globals.TotalPages
Report Path and Name :
=Globals.ReportFolder & Globals.ReportName
Similary you can also explore Globals.ExecutionTime which displays the execution date and time as well as Globals.ReportServerUrl which displays the URL of the SSRS server on which the report is being executed. You can use Bulk Insert or SSIS to import text/csv files. There are
some advantages and disadvantages using any of these methods. In this
article, we will explore how to use the OPENROWSET to read a data file
and populate a table.
Note: In SQL Server 2005,
OPENROWSET can read from a data file without loading the data into a
target table. This lets you use OPENROWSET with a simple SELECT
statement.
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Create a database called 'Employees'. Create a table called '
EmployeeDetails' in it using the script given below:
USE [Employee]
GO
/****** Object: Table [dbo].[EmployeeDetails] Script Date: 04/11/2008 11:12:32 ******/
SET ANSI_NULLS ON
GO
SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
GO
SET ANSI_PADDING ON
GO
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[EmployeeDetails](
[EmployeeID] [nvarchar](50) NOT NULL,
[EmployeeName] [varchar](50) NULL,
[EmployeeAddress] [varchar](50) NULL
) ON [PRIMARY]
GO
SET ANSI_PADDING OFF
Step 2: To run ad-hoc queries on the SQL server, you would first need to enable it using the following query:
sp_configure 'show advanced options',1
RECONFIGURE WITH override
GO
sp_configure 'Ad Hoc Distributed Queries',1
RECONFIGURE WITH override
GO
Step 3: Create a txt/csv file with the following format on your C:\. The file is called 'Employee.csv'
EmployeeID EmployeeName EmployeeAddress
1 Kat 23/Avenue. Park
2 Jim Jeoff Street
3 Tom Lifer Road
Step 4: The final step is to run the query and populate the EmployeeDetails table
USE Employee
GO
INSERT INTO EmployeeDetails(EmployeeID,EmployeeName,EmployeeAddress)
SELECT *
FROM
OPENROWSET('MSDASQL', 'Driver={Microsoft Text Driver (*.txt; *.csv)};
DEFAULTDIR=C:\;Extensions=CSV;','SELECT * FROM Employee.csv') March 31 The .NET Framework class library provides access to system
functionality and is designed to be the foundation on which .NET
Framework applications, components, and controls are built. The
following sections describe many of the namespaces provided in the .NET
Framework class library. To browse the entire WinFX class library, see Class Library.( from microsoft.com)
Fundamental Programming Namespaces
System
– contains classes and base classes that define commonly used value and
reference data types, events and event handlers, interfaces,
attributes, and processing exceptions. Other classes provide services
supporting data type conversion, method parameter manipulation,
mathematics, remote and local program invocation, application
environment management, and supervision of managed and unmanaged
applications. System.Collections
– contains interfaces and classes that define various collections of
objects, such as lists, queues, arrays, hashtables, and dictionaries. System.Collections.Generic
– contains interfaces and classes that define generic collections,
which allow users to create strongly typed collections that provide
better type safety and performance than non-generic strongly typed
collections. System.IO – contains types that allow synchronous and asynchronous reading and writing on data streams and files. System.Text
– contains classes representing ASCII, Unicode, UTF-7, and UTF-8
character encodings; abstract base classes for converting blocks of
characters to and from blocks of bytes; and a helper class that
manipulates and formats String objects without creating intermediate instances of String. System.Threading – provides classes and interfaces that enable multithreaded programming. This namespace includes a ThreadPool class that manages groups of threads, a Timer class that enables a delegate to be called after a specified amount of time, and a Mutex class for synchronizing mutually exclusive threads.
 Configuration Namespaces
Data and XML Namespaces
System.Data
– consists of the classes that constitute the ADO.NET architecture,
which is the primary data access method for managed applications. System.Data.Common
– contains classes shared by the .NET Framework data providers. Data
providers describe a collection of classes used to access a data
source, such as a database, in the managed space. System.Xml – contains classes that provide standards-based support for processing XML.
Globalization and Localization Namespaces
System.Globalization
– contains classes that define culture-related information, including
the language, the country/region, the calendars in use, the format
patterns for dates, currency and numbers, and the sort order for
strings. System.Resources
– provides classes and interfaces that allow developers to create,
store, and manage various culture-specific resources used in an
application. System.Text – contains classes representing ASCII, Unicode, UTF-7, and UTF-8 character encoding.
Interop Namespaces
Networking Namespaces
System.Net – contains classes that provides a simple interface to many network protocols. System.Net.Mail – contains classes used to send electronic mail to a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server for delivery. System.Net.NetworkInformation
– provides access to network traffic data, network address information,
and notification of address changes for the local computer. System.Net.Sockets
– provides a managed implementation of the Windows Sockets (Winsock)
interface for developers who need to help control access to the network.
Reflection Namespaces
System.Reflection
– contains classes and interfaces that provide a managed view of loaded
types, methods, and fields, with the ability to dynamically create and
invoke types.
Security Namespaces
System.Security – provides the underlying structure of the common language runtime security system, including base classes for permissions. System.Web.Security – contains classes that are used to implement ASP.NET security in Web applications.
Serialization Namespaces
Service Namespaces
The namespaces in the .NET Framework for interacting with a variety of back-end server resources include the following: System.Diagnostics – consists of classes that allow you to debug your application and to trace the execution of your code. System.Diagnostics
also provides classes that allow you to start system processes, read
and write to event logs, and monitor system performance using
performance counters. System.DirectoryServices – consists of classes that provide easy access to the Active Directory from managed code. System.IO
– provides classes that listen to the file system change notifications
and raises events when a directory, or file in a directory, changes. System.Management
– provides classes for managing information and events about the
system, devices, and applications instrumented to the Windows
Management Instrumentation (WMI) infrastructure. System.Messaging
– provides classes that allow you to connect to message queues on the
network, send messages to queues, and receive or peek (read without
removing) messages from queues. System.ServiceProcess – provides classes that allow you to install and run services, long-running executables that run without a user interface. System.Timers – provides the server-based Timer component, which allows you to raise an event on a specified interval.
March 06 If you’re interested in running a website from your home
server, you may have considered various options, including running PHP.
But running PHP with IIS can be fraught with problems - or at least
was, until WGS reader, Christopher Courtney, wrote the following guide
to installing PHP for IIS on Windows Home Server. Over to Christopher…
Because running IIS and Apache really isn’t feasable, one needs to
be able to install PHP into IIS. If you have tried before or searched
for how, you will notice many different ways, and a lot of problems
with doing so. I’ve tried several times and gotten the same problem,
but finally fixed it and got PHP working under IIS. Now I am going to
share it.
What You Will Need
What to Do
You will need to download PHP. There are a number of issues with the
installer, so we are going to be using the zipped file. Make sure the
zip file is accessible from the server (it needs to be in one the
shares, or on the SYS drive of the server.
You will need then need to gain remote access to your Windows Home
Server box (Use a Remote Desktop Connection or Advanced Admin Console).
Install PHP
- Extract the files from the PHP zip and place the files in “C:\php”. Extract the PECL modules to “C:\php\ext”.
- Rename C:\php\php.ini-recommended to “C:\php\php.ini”.
- Open both the php.ini file you have now and uncomment cgi.force_redirect in php.ini and set it to 0
- Find SMTP = localhost and make sure it is uncommented. If your mail
server is somewhere else you may specify it here. Also set this line
just below the above: sendmail_from = someone@yourhost.com
- Change session.save_path as “session.save_path=C:\php\sessions” and make the directory C:\php\sessions
- Set the line “extension_dir” as “extension_dir = “C:\PHP\ext”.
- Uncomment the following extensions:
extension=php_mssql.dll
extension=php_msql.dll
extension=php_mysql.dll
extension=php_mysqli.dll
extension=php_java.dll
extension=php_ldap.dll
extension=php_iisfunc.dll
extension=php_imap.dll
extension=php_filepro.dll
extension=php_gd2.dll
extension=php_gettext.dll
extension=php_dba.dll
extension=php_dbase.dll
extension=php_dbx.dll
extension=php_mbstring.dll
extension=php_pdf.dll
extension=php_pgsql.dll
extension=php_sockets.dll
extension=php_xmlrpc.dll
extension=php_xsl.dll
extension=php_zip.dll
- This will enable you to use pretty much any database you may have
installed. Additionally, it should allow you to use most functions for
php that you will need.
- This part may not be necessary, but it was definitely for me. Go to
“C:\” an right click on “Properties”. Go to the Security Tab, and click
on the “Advanced Button”. Enable “Replace permission entries on all
child objects with entries shown here that apply to child objects”, and
click okay.
- Go to Control panel > System Properties > Advanced Tab > Click “Environment Variables”.
- Now add “C:\PHP;” to the very beginning.
- Now run “regedit.exe” or Start Registry Editor (same program)
- Add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PHP\IniFilePath = “C:\php” to the registry.
- Open Internet Services Manager which is in your Administrative Tools.
- Right Click on Web Service Extensions located on the left hand side
and choose Add a new web service extension. Enter in php and click add.
Browse to C:\php\php5isapi.dll. Also set extension status to allow.
Click “Okay”.
- Right Click on websites and choose properties. Go to the Documents
tab and add index.php as a start document. Go to the Home Directory Tab
and click on Configuration. Now go to the mappings tab and click on
add. Enter .php for the extension and enter “C:\php\php5isapi.dll” in
the executable textbox. Make sure all verbs is checked and click ok,
click ok, click ok. You are done installing it. Now you need to test it.
- Go to C:\Inetpub\wwwroot and make a new text file and name it
phpinfo.php. Open it up with your text editor ant put this in it:
<?php phpinfo(); ?>.
- Open a web Browser and go to http://SERVER/phpinfo.php
- If you followed all the instructions, it should work fine.
Installing Your Database
Once you have downloaded the MySQL installer, run it on the server.
I would run step by step through the install, but pretty much all the
defaults are optimal for what we want. It’s going to run using as
little resources as possible, and a small number of concurrent
connections. This is what we want, because this the enviroment we are
going to be running. We’re not running a dedicated database server
after all.
So, that’s how to install PHP for IIS on Windows Home Server - we’ll
be featuring a number of technical guides from Christopher over the
next few weeks, all of which will be stored on the forthcoming We Got
Served Wiki.
February 29 Buying
a good digital camera can be a confusing task as there are a lot of
them out there. Here's a guide on what to keep in mind before investing
in one.
 Megapixel
The
thing to look for in a digital camera is a mega pixel number, something
between six and eight. Higher Mega Pixel means clear picture. Generally
professional photographer uses high mega pixel (above 10 mega pixel)
for clarity and large and massive print size option. With Megapixel
there are also other factor that should be consider before purchasing
any digital camera say Quality of Lens is also very important. That’s
why good quality lens, such as Nikon/Olympus are the 1st choice of any professional photographer.
 Focal length
The
focal length is the distance between the centre of the lens and the
film when an in-focus image of a far away object is formed. Wider focal length between lens of 28 mm -- 105 mm to the 35mm -- 105mm one is good and can be recommended.
For
example, in a room where space is a limitation, the 28 to 105 mm wide
focal length lens would allow you to cover practically the whole room
whereas a 35 mm lens would just photograph a portion of the room. Since
both the lens (tele and wide angle) have a 105 mm zoom capability, they
achieve the results of a 105 mm zoom lens. Thus, a 28 mm -- 105 mm lens
is more versatile.
Points to note: - A
28 mm lens has a greater "depth of field" than a 35 mm lens, which
means objects closer to the camera as well as those at a distance,
remain focused.
- Depth of field is the distance in front of and beyond the subject that appears to be in focus.
- The longer the focal length--35mm, 50mm or 105mm-- the smaller the "depth of field".
 Optical zoom
Go for a digital camera with at least 3x optical zoom as this will
increase the size of your 'subject' (the object/ person) that you are
shooting. Avoid
higher digital zoom cameras as they only increase the size of the
pixels, making your images look stretched. Don't fall for
advertisements stressing only on higher digital zoom but not the
optical zoom.
Easy operation
Demand
of features varies person to person. Features to look for include
anything that assists in very low light capturing conditions, removal
of hazy and moving features, minimise the surrounding noise and
different flash modes. Olympus Zoom camera has three flash modes-- Red
Eye Removal, Fill-in and the plain Flash. Thus, multiple flash options
are offered in several digital camera brands.  Using
Some
digital SLR (single lens reflex) cameras do offer a video capability,
but then the number of video frames may be limited because of the
higher resolution (leading to bigger image size) and the limitations in
capacity on the memory/ storage in a digital SLR camera. Digital SLR Cameras
In
SLR cameras, the primary lens meant for taking the picture is also used
as a 'view finder (display unit in a digital camera) and for picture
composition. Since the exposure metering (for exposure control) is
based on the light coming through the primary lens, the exposure
metering is far more accurate than in the case of non - digital SLR
camera. An exposure meter is used to make selective light readings.
This instrument helps you in analyzing the amount of light being
reflected from your subject. Some of the latest digital SLR cameras are
equipped with an in-built exposure meter. Digital SLR cameras offer a
set of interchangeable lenses, ranging from wide angle (say 28 mm) to
telephoto/ zoom lenses for meeting various photography requirements.
These facilities are not available in non-SLR cameras.
Because of these facilities a digital SLR camera is costlier than other cameras.
 Best
There are many top brands in the market today like Nikon, Olympus, Canon and Sony. Nikon
is usually one of the costliest digital cameras, especially the digital
SLR variety while cameras from Canon are usually good and have
user-friendly features.
From where ~
- Ideally buy your camera from an authorised dealer and always insist on warranty.
- Most camera brands have exclusive outlets across the cities in India.
Photography exhibitions offer the latest discounts and accessories for your camera, so make use of them.
 Checklist
Read
the fine print. Whatever the cost of the digital camera, it should
include the basic accessories mentioned with that brand like a camera
case, batteries, charging cord, USB cord etc. Buy
extra accessories such as memory cards, batteries, tripods from the
same camera store if possible. Don't buy non-branded accessories from
un-authorised showrooms. You may run the risk of ruining your digital
camera and wasting a lot of money.
- Check for special offers like free rechargeable batteries with charger or a 512MB/ 1GB memory card.
- Amateurs can make do with an eight megapixel camera.
- Read reviews from photography magazines and web sites. These will give you insights about brands, price and performance.
- Ask
for a demo. Try out a few digital cameras by taking pictures, zoom in
and zoom out, wide or tele lens, to see which camera you are most
comfortable handling.
- Check out different stores before settling for the one you like.
- Check with the camera store for equated monthly instalments (EMI) options.
These are the general tips ... but not at all final one ... you should take review as per your need amd budget. February 28 Procedures & Guidelines for Project ManagementMany projects are canceled before they are completed. Many are completed late and cost well over their original estimates. And, of the rare few which are completed, on-time and within budget, many do not meet the needs of the project stakeholders.
In addition, many organizations do not have procedures and guidelines to support project management efforts. Often organizational culture does not encourage open discussion of problems or possible solutions to those problems.
Sound project management is the key to resolving these difficulties. Unfortunately, general managers are often asked to perform project management and while the two disciplines are similar, project management requires special knowledge and skills. Knowledge and skills which are best obtained by experience. (Using MS Project or another project management application will not suddenly turn general managers into project managers!)
This series is intended to give you background information about the various processes associated with project management and to give you a start in understanding the nature of project management in general. It is not intended to be a substitute for experience.
Please note that this series discusses project management in broad terms and does not focus on special needs projects such as those involving software or product development.
People often view procedures (procedures are written documents which formally describe processes) as bureaucratic. They believe that procedures represent an obsession with detail and that they force people to rigidly (even blindly) adhere to arbitrary rules.
Yet well respected competency assessment models (such as ISO-9000, the Deming Prize, the Baldrige Award, and others) define competence in terms of an organizations adherence to business procedures.
But, there are good procedures and bad procedures. Bad procedures are indeed bureaucratic, rigid and usually difficult to interpret. Good procedures on the other hand, are clearly written documents which eliminate guesswork (a great time waster). And, a good procedure has built in flexibility that allows for creative implementations.
In addition, procedures are an excellent way to maintain an organizations' operational knowledge. This is more imperative then ever given today's organizational climate were people change jobs like they change their clothes.
I believe it is critically important for organizations to have clear, consistently applied procedures to guide their work efforts and especially important to any organization that wants to become more successful in managing projects.
A list of project management procedures that are needed:
* Procedures for the systematic identification of stakeholders
* Procedures for the systematic identification of stakeholder needs
* Procedures for developing clearly defined requirements
* Procedures for planning budgets and schedules
* Procedures for generating and capturing project performance data
* Procedures for conducting quality assurance and control activities
* Procedures for handling project documentation
* Procedures for document approval
* Procedures for conducting project close-out meetings
What is Project Management?
Project management, is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to describe, organize, oversee and control the various project processes.
But perhaps project management can best be described in terms of the things that you need to do to successfully manage a project:
1.Develop and manage a project plan (Integration Management)
2.Plan, define and manage project scope (Scope Management)
3.Create a project schedule, plan resources and budget costs (Time & Cost Management)
4.Develop a quality plan and carry out quality assurance and quality control activities (Quality Management)
5.Perform organizational planning, manage staff acquisitions and promote team development (Human Resource Management)
6. Develop a communications plan (Communications Management)
7. Identify risks, prepare risk mitigation plans and execute contingency actions (Risk Management)
This list may seem quite overwhelming but be assured that even the smallest project can benefit from each of these project management processes. Please note however, that the extent to which you carry out each of these activities should be based on the nature, size and complexity of your project and on your level of project management expertise.
Project Management ProcessesEach management process below is described primarily in terms of its overall objectives and core activities. Practical 'how to' information is provided for most processes in the Project Planning Tutorial.
The following processes are derived from the Project Management Institute's - American National Standard, though they are modified for practicality and are highly simplified. Note that the standard includes many more management process activities.
Integration Management - The objective of integration management is to coordinate the various interrelated processes of a project.
To properly manage these activities a project manager needs to do the following:
* Develop a project plan
* Acquire approval of the plan
* Manage the implementation of all the activities described in it
* Update the plan as changes occur
* Communicate the changes to key project stakeholders
The project plan
* describes the objectives of the project and how those objectives will be reached
* describes the project deliverables
* describes the activities that will occur for all of the various project management processes (i.e., the plan should have a section which deals with scope, a section that deals with the project schedule, with risks, etc.).
The project plan acts as a guide for project implementation by describing what needs to happen, who needs to do it and when. The project plan also acts as a baseline for measuring project performance. The project manager compares actual work completed against work planned, actual costs against estimated costs, etc.
Scope Management Project
Scope Management ensures that the project includes all the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully.
To manage scope a project manager needs to:
* define scope in terms of the project deliverables
* respond appropriately to requests for changes by stakeholders (Be aware that changes to scope will almost always have an effect, usually negative, on project costs and/or timelines. This means you need to balance key stakeholder desires & demands against their needs and against their expectations regarding project costs and timelines.)
* If appropriate, make changes to project scope based on project performance (reduce the number and/or complexity of deliverables if performance is inadequate)
* Document changes to scope in the project plan
* Communicate scope changes to key stakeholders via the modified project plan and if necessary secure approval to proceed
* Controlling project scope is often one of the most difficult tasks for a project manager. A moving target is difficult to hit and improper management of scope will more then likely cause the project to fail (either it will be canceled, run over budget, be completed late or fail to meet the needs of the stakeholders).
Time & Cost Management
The objective of time & cost management is to ensure that the project is completed on time and within budget.
To do this a project manager needs to:
* Develop a project schedule
* Plan resources
* Estimate costs
* Monitor performance
A project schedule lays out the various activities (or tasks) for the project in an activity list. An estimate of how long the activity is expected to take is included for each. The schedule is then used to estimate the resources necessary (i.e., people, materials, etc.) to complete each activity. From there, the cost of each activity is calculated. The resulting documentation is used to monitor project performance by comparing actual performance against the estimates.
Quality Management
The objective of Quality Management is to ensure that the project will satisfy the needs for which it was undertaken.
To do this a project manager needs to:
* Develop a quality plan
* Carry out quality control activities
A quality plan describes what activities will be performed during the course of a project to ensure that the project will be successful (i.e., meet the needs of the stakeholders). A quality plan may be formal or informal, highly detailed or a simple checklist depending on the nature and complexity of the project.
Quality planning is currently outside the scope of this site. If you are interested in learning more about quality processes please refer to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO-9000 series).
Human Resource Management
The objective of the Human Resource Management process is to ensure the most effective use of the people involved with the project.
In order to do this a project manager needs to:
* Perform organizational planning
* Plan staff
* Promote team development
Good organizational planning is a key component of successful projects. A project manager needs to precisely define roles and responsibilities so that there is no confusion over who does what and who decides what.
Staff planning involves planning when and how people will brought onto the project team and when they will be taken off. This is especially important when your team consists of members who do not report directly to the project manager but to some other organizational member.
Communications ManagementThe objective of Communications Management is to promote effective communications between the project team members and key stakeholders.
A communication plan describes who needs what information, when they need it and how it will be given to them.
To do this a project manager needs to:
* Develop a communications plan
Risk Management
The objective of the Risk Management process is to ensure that project risks are identified, analyzed and responded to.
In order to do this a project manager needs to:
* Identify risks
* Prepare risk mitigation plans
* Take action as necessary
Risk management is a highly complex topic and so is outside of the scope of this document.
What is Project Planning ?
Project planning is the key to completing a project successfully. Creating a project plan is the first thing you need to do when undertaking any kind of project.
Many clients initially view the development of a project plan as a waste of time. They feel that they know what needs to be done and they should just do it. However, they soon come to realize that a good (even a mediocre) project plan can save considerable time, money and headaches.
Each section in this tutorial presents a portion of a project plan document in a highly simplified and practical manner. For example, the section on Risk Management encourages you to use a simple table to list the project risks (as opposed to more formal and detailed risk management methods which are not only outside the scope of this document, but which require expert knowledge to implement).
Upon completion of the tutorial you should have a sound project plan and a template which you can re-use for future projects. The tutorial outline is presented below:
Section 1: Project Objectives
project is considered successful when the needs of the stakeholders have been met or exceeded. A stakeholder is any person or organization who may be positively or negatively affected by project execution.
Therefore, the first thing you need to do is identify the key stakeholders so you can discover their needs, and from there determine the objectives of your project. When the project objectives are met, the needs of the stakeholders are met and the project can be considered successful.
Identifying key stakeholders is not an easy task but there are some types of stakeholders that exist on every project. You can use this list to get started:
* The project manager
* The customers (both internal and external) who receive the deliverables
* The people doing the work for the project
* The project sponsor (provides the money and resources for the project)
Once you have identified the stakeholders you need to discover their needs and create a list. This is best accomplished by conducting a needs assessment. It is no surprise that we offer this service but if you cannot hire professionals to conduct an assessment then you need to discover stakeholders needs in whatever manner you have available. But be careful. It is very common for stakeholders to describe wants as needs and to describe needs that are not really relevant. You must probe carefully to uncover the true needs of the stakeholders while taking into consideration the needs of the business.
After creating the list of needs, you must prioritize them and determine which ones should be used as the basis for your projects’ objectives.
Organize the objectives into a list so that each objective is accurately defined and quantified (so that it is clear when an objective is met).
Once you have completed the steps above you should record what you have done in the project plan. Create the following section in your project plan.
I. Project Objectives
a. Objective One
b. Objective Two
c. ….
If you like, it’s a good idea to add a section which describes your stakeholders, their needs and expectations.
II. Stakeholders
You have just completed one of the hardest and most often overlook tasks by non-project manager professionals. Good Work!
Section 2:
Project DeliverablesUse the quantified objectives you specified in the first section to create a list of the things the project needs to deliver in order to meet the objectives. Specify when and how the item must be delivered.
Note: The date you specify for delivery is tentative at this point. You will have a better understanding of timing after completing the project schedule which is described in the next section.
Add a section to your project plan and record the deliverables:
III. Project Deliverables
Section 3: Project Schedule Create a list of the activities that need to be accomplished for each deliverable (which you described in the preceding section).
For each activity:
* Estimate the amount of effort required (specified in hours or days) to successfully complete the activity
* The resource who is expected to do the work
Once the amount of effort is specified you can calculate delivery dates for each deliverable that you specified in Section 2. (Don’t forget to go back to that section and put in the more realistic delivery dates!)
Note: If you are given firm deadlines by the project sponsor (or some other authority) that are not possible to reach based on the activity durations that you have estimated, you must respond immediately to the problem! You have several choices some of which are:
* Re-negotiate the deadline using the project schedule to justify the delay
* Hire additional resources using the project schedule to justify the cost
* Reduce project scope (deliver less)
Use the schedule template provided to create the project schedule and create a section in your project plan to reference it. For example:
IV. Project Schedule
See Appendix A
Section 4: Supporting Plans This section of the tutorial deals with the various other plans you should create to support your project. It is recommended that these be included directly in the project plan.
Human Resource Plan
Identify, by name if possible, all individuals (or organizations) with dominant responsibilities in the project. For each, describe their role and specific duties with respect to the project. You can use a table similar to this one in the next section of your project plan:
V. Roles & Responsibilities
| Name
| Role
| Responsibilities
|
Next, describe the number and type of
personnel needed to conduct the project. For each resource describe start times,
estimated duration and the method you will use for obtaining them. You may use
tables similar to these:
VI. Staffing Plan
| Resource
| Start
| Duration
| Obtainment Method
|
Communication
Plan
Create a section in your project plan
as follows:
VI. Communications Plan
In it, specify who needs to receive
information on the project, when and how they will receive it. For example,
Bi-weekly status reports describing
project performance will be delivered, via e-mail, to the key stakeholders as
identified in section II of this plan.
Risk Management Plan
Risk management is a difficult subject
to master. But try to think about the possible risks to your projects' success
so that you are prepared if (when) bad things happen.
Here are some examples of common
project risks:
-
Overly
optimistic schedules
-
Management
or customer review / decision cycle is slower than expected
-
Budget
cuts upset project plans
-
Stakeholder
input is not solicited or their needs are not well understood – project
fails to meet needs and must be redone
-
Stakeholders
insist on new requirements after project is begun
-
Vaguely
specified areas of the project are more time-consuming than expected
-
Too
little formality (lack of adherence to procedure) – results in miscommunication, quality problems and re-work
The project risks can be tracked using
a simple risk list. Complete one
row in this table for every risk you have identified and add it to your project
plan. For each risk try to describe what you will do in the event it occurs and
what you will do to prevent it from occurring.
VIII. Project Risks
| Description of
Risk
| Probability of
Occurrence (Low / Medium / High)
| Mitigation /
Contingency Plan
|
Congratulations!!
You should now have a good project plan. Don’t forget to update the plan as
the project progresses and remember to monitor project performance against the
plan!
Ten Tips for Managing a Project
- Understand the project objectives and be sure that the
project addresses the appropriate business needs
- Create and maintain a set of procedures and guidelines
that support project management efforts
- Plan, plan and then plan some more
- Decide, before you begin, how problems which cannot be
resolved promptly will be escalated (and to whom)
- Establish effective mechanisms for monitoring project
performance
- Manage the project scope!
- Keep your team happy and focused
Understand project risks and take appropriate action
when necessary.Gain
- senior management support.Don't forget to communicate project successes (loudly)
Services I can provide for you....write me at pankajdev73@gmail.com
Needs
Assessments & Information Systems Design
I can conduct
needs assessments in the form of preliminary scans of top level, high
urgency organizational issues and/or conduct in-depth assessments based on your
organizations specific concerns.
Based on a
needs assessment, I can help you to:
- justify project or program costs
- identify organizational processes which need improvement
- prioritize issues for future action
- implement solutions for your organization’s
information systems
- recommend
solutions that will meet your
needs, based on your existing computers, processes and users
Customized
Research
Nonprofits
should keep up with research in the areas that are most important to them. For
example, human services should follow the literature on effective service models
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My research
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Project
Management & Process Improvement Services
If you wish to undertake a process improvement effort or if
your organization is attempting to develop procedures and guidelines for
managing projects, I can assist you.
Systems
Analysis and Design
- Interviews with key users
- Development of plans and schedules
- Development of procedures
- Database design and development
- Determination of hardware and software
requirements
Building Project Management Competence
in Organizations
- Consultation regarding program management
and process
- Process audits and consultation on process
improvement
- Development of functional requirements,
project plans and verification plans
- Research on vendor selection based on
organizational needs
- Development of RFPs and vendor selection
processes
- Oversight and supervision of outsourced
project teams to ensure that project is on track
- Training and consultation to staff regarding
software development processes.
February 27 Oracle is a comprehensive operating environment that packs the power of
mainframe relation database management system into user's micro
computer. It provides a set of functional programs that user can use as
tools to build structures and perform tasks. Because applications are
developed on oracle are completely portable to the other versions of
the programmer can create a complex application in a single user,
environment and them move it to a multi user platform.Users do not have
to be an expert to appreciate Oracle but the better user understand the
program,the more productively and creatively he can use the tools it
provides R elational Database Management system A Relational Database
Management System (RDBMS) can perform a wide range of tasks. It acts as
a transparent interface between the physical storage and the logical
presentation of data.It provides a set of more or less flexible and sophisticated tools for handling information. Users can use the tools to · Define a Database· Query the Database· Add,Edit and Delete data. · Modify the structure of the Database. · Communicate with in the Networks. · Exports and Imports the data.· Security.Why Oracle ?
Oracle is an open system i.e. the database is accessing by different
data access languages like SQL, Visual Basic, Power
Builders,Delphi, VC++,JAVA etc. Oracle supports database up to gigabytes
in size. * Oracle supports large number of concurrent users. * Oracle
supports true client/server environment.if enable processing to be split between database server and the client application programs. *
Oracle provides high level of data security in terms of users, passwords
privileges, and permissions. * Oracle database behaves same on all
platform line Windows,Unix,Dos,Mainframes etc. Structure of Oracle Database:physical
structure: one or more data files, Two of more log files, One control
file. Logical structure: Table spaces, Segments, Extents, Data blocks. The
data files contain all user data in terms of tables, index, and views.
The log files contain the information to open and be recovered, of
Undone after a transaction(Rollback). The control file physical
data, media information to open and manage data files .If the control
file is damaged the server will not be able to open are use the
database even if the database is undamaged. What are the Back
ground processes in Oracle and what are they. ? There are basically 9
Processes but in a general system we need to mention the first five
background processes. They do the house keeping activities for the
Oracle and are common in any system. a) Data Base Writer(DBWR) ::
Data Base Writer Writes Modified blocks from Database buffer cache to
Data Files.This is required since the data is not written whenever a
transaction is commited. b) LogWriter(LGWR) :: LogWriter writes the redo
log entries to disk. Redo Log data is generated in redo log buffer of SGA. As transaction commits and log buffer fills, LGWR writes log entries into a online redo
log file. c) System Monitor(SMON) :: The System Monitor performs
instance recovery at instance startup. This is useful for recovery from
system failure. d)Process Monitor(PMON) :: The Process Monitor peforms
process recovery when user Process fails. Pmon Clears and Frees
resources that process was using. e) CheckPoint(CKPT) :: At Specified
times, all modified database buffers in SGA are written to data files
by DBWR at Checkpoints and Updating all data files and control files of
database to indicate the most recent checkpoint. f)Archieves(ARCH)
:: The Archiver copies online redo log files to archival storal when
they are busy. g) Recoveror(RECO) :: The Recoveror is used to resolve
the distributed transaction in network h) Dispatcher (Dnnn) :: The
Dispatcher is useful in Multi Threaded Architecture i) Lckn :: We can
have upto 10 lock processes for inter instance locking in parallel sql. February 18 Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy," it says. "Enter to return to Windows or press Control-Alt-Delete to restart
your computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications."
You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Mcft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More
importantly, how can you prevent it happening?
1 Hardware conflict
The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt
request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device.
For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each
device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.
If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user
tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the
following route:
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.
Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device
Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using
it.
Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix
this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.
Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly. A good resource is www.driverguide.com.
If the device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about
opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).
When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any
static electricity.
To be fair to Mcft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the
IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to
increase the number of IRQs in future designs.
2 Bad Ram
Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error
indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.
But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will
usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.
One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way
to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the
circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.
Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two
types, as this can be a cause of trouble.
EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often
linked to old Dos-based programmes.
3 BIOS settings
Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is
to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.
Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the
screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.
A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam
has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer's display.
Mcft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow
Windows to allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).
4 Hard disk drives
After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become piecemeal or fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the
hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze.
Go to
* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter
This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a
good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.
The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons on the bottom right of the Windows opening page (the desktop).
Some lockups and screen freezes caused by hard disk problems can be solved by reducing the read-ahead optimisation. This can be adjusted
by going to
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System Icon-Performance-File System-
Hard Disk.
Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space
on it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free
a lot of space.
Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to
* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-ScanDisk
Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.
5 Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors
Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.
These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. Go to
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Display-Settings
Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a look at the colour settings on the left of that window. For most desktops,
high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.
If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due to the video card. Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Go
to
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager
Here, select the + beside Display Adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Select it (make it blue) and press
properties. Then select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says No Conflicts.
If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you
make things worse.
The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for
a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.
Another useful way to resolve video problems is to go to
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Performance-Graphics
Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left. As ever, the most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is
old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).
Look up your video card's manufacturer on the internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.
6 Viruses
Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start.
This is why it is a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. Go to
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs
Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.
A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file.
DAT files should be updated weekly from the website of your antivirus software manufacturer.
An excellent antivirus programme is McAfee VirusScan by Network Associates ( www.nai.com). Another is Norton AntiVirus 2000, made by
Symantec ( www.symantec.com).
7 Printers
The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.
Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable
amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's performance.
If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will not
recover from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up
from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default settings and you may be able to carry on.
8 Software
A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the software
and then reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to remove an application from your system properly. This will also remove
references to the programme in the System Registry and leaves the way clear for a completely fresh copy.
The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni
Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition),
Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and Windows 2000.
Read the instructions and use it carefully so you don't do permanent damage to the Registry. If the Registry is damaged you will have to
reinstall your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be obtained from www.jv16.org
Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting
Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.
Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.
Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows setup)
during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2)
cache if that doesn't work.
Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back to their former settings following installation.
9 Overheating
Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to
overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been overclocked to
operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.
One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU. Specialist cooling fans/heatsinks are available from www.computernerd.com
or www.coolit.com
CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the machine run more slowly, but it should
also be more stable.
10 Power supply problems
With all the new construction going on around the country the steady supply of electricity has become disrupted. A power surge or spike can
crash a computer as easily as a power cut.
If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power
supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.
It is a good investment if your data are critical, because a power cut will cause any unsaved data to be lost. January 21 The first way to make a perfect copy of your hard drive, quickly and seamlessly, is to use good hard drive image software. A great example of this type of software is True Image from Acronis, which is complete imaging software that helps anyone make a perfect image of their hard drive and save it anywhere, even the hard drive if they want to. Of course there are also many other types of software on the market, and all are just as unique too. Just be sure to choose a good one, because if you don’t, it could end up being the biggest mistake you ever made on your computer.
If you are a little more technically inclined, and have some knowledge of installing computer parts, then you could always use the RAID method. RAID, which stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks, requires you to install another new hard drive and can be used to make a perfect mirror image of your current hard drive, which will always be up to date by the second. There are many different levels to RAID, but if you were using it for hard drive backup purposes, you would use level 1. Level one is called disk mirroring or duplexing, and this level will write data to both hard drives simultaneously, so when something happens to one there will always be the other one to fall back on.
The final way to make a copy of your hard drive is to backup everything individually yourself. This is of course the hardest and most time consuming strategy, but is preferred by some experts, because you can choose what to save. If you do use this method, you need to make sure you back up your registry files, system files and other important files and folders that you have. You might also want to save your entire software program folders, as they might contain important data related to the program that you want to definitely save. If you are using Windows XP, there is a backup utility that you can use for free, located in your “System tools” folder. Go there by clicking “Start” on your bottom toolbar, then go to “All Programs”, and then “Accessories”. You should now see a folder labeled “System tools” and once that is open, click on the “Backup” program.
Now that you have gotten some ideas on how to create a perfect backup of your hard drive, you should know where to save that backup. There is always the option to save your hard drive image backup on the hard drive itself, but most likely this will not work for everyone because of space limitations. Also, if the hard drive should be literally destroyed by a fire or any other act of nature, then the backup would be destroyed with it. That is why recommend backups, especially hard drive images, be stored on a DVD-R, external hard drive or a device like a Zip drive. Then just be sure to backup once every week, or month, and store the backup in a secure location. Now you have a perfect copy of ALL of your data, and it is secure from this dangerous world.
January 15 - ICICI Bank Customer Care Number
- Bangalore - 4113 1877
- Karnataka - 98455 78000
- For other cities, click here. Phone Banking workflow click here.
- Citibank Customer Care Number
- All Citibank customers - Bangalore - 2227 2484. For other cities, click here
- Citibank Suvidha account holders - Bangalore - 2227 2265. For other cities, click here
- CitiBusiness Customers - Bangalore - 2229 4653. For other cities, click here
- Citibank Credit Card - Bangalore - 2227 2484. For other cities, click here
- Priority service to CitiGold Customers, Diners Club Members &
Citibank Gold Card members - Bangalore - 2229- 4653. For other cities, click here
HSBC Customer Care Number
- Banking related - Bangalore - 2558 9595
- Credit card related - Bangalore - 2558 9696
- For other cities, click here
HDFC Customer Care Number
- Debit card related - 9945863333
- Banking related - Bangalore - 5500 3333. For other cities, click here
- Credit card related - Bangalore - 6622 4332. For other cities, click here
ABN AMRO Customer Care number
SBI Credit Card Customer Care Number
- Karnataka - Bangalore -
98441 05454 (people are reporting that this number does not work. If you know a number that works, please let me know!) - All India Toll Free - 1600 180 1290 (works only on BSNL and MTNL Line)
- Try : 1800 180 1290 too. May work!!!
- Other lines : 39 02 02 02
UTI Bank Customer Care Numbers
- Bangalore (M G Road) - 2537 0615
- Bangalore - 2531 7830
- Mumbai - 022 5598 7700
- For other cities, click here
IDBI Bank Customer Care Number (Phone Banking)
- Karnataka - Bangalore - 080 22297000
- Mumbai - 022 66937000
- Delhi - 011 23627000
- Chennai - 044 28295550
- For other cities, click here
Manhattan Credit Card Customer Care Number
- Bangalore - 3030 1969. (this number seems to work in Mumbai too! Give it a try in your local city!)
Standard Chartered Credit Card Customer Care Number
- Bangalore - 2558 8888 (updated). For other cities, click here
Deutsche Bank Customer Care Number
- 6601 6601 (this number is available in Aurangabad, Bangalore,
Chennai, Delhi, Kolhapur, Kolkata and Mumbai. If dialing from Gurgaon /
Noida please prefix 9511 before dialing.)
Airtel Customer Care
- Dail 121 from your airtel mobile
- Karnataka - 98450 98450 - For prepaid if you are calling from landline
- Karnataka - 98450 12345 - For postpaid if you are calling from landline
Hutch Customer Care
- Karnataka - Dial 111 from your Hutch phone or dial 98860 98860
BSNL Mobile Customer Care (Cellone & Excel)
- Karnataka - Dial 94480 24365
- For other cities, click here.
SpiceJet Customer Care
- From BSNL/MTNL : 1800 180 3333
- Others (GSM/CDMA): +91 98718 03333
LIC Policy Details (Life Insurance Corporation)
- Call - 1251 or
- New Delhi 011 - 2332 9595
- Mumbai 022 -2612 5555
- Kolkata 033 - 23341765, 23211893/94/95
- Chennai 044 - 28602626/28602929
- Hyderabad 040 - 2329 7455
- Bangalore 080 - 2248 5210
- Pune 020 - 2553 6161
- Ahmedabad 079 - 2550 7777
Yahoo! India Customer Care
- I am not sure if these numbers work, but give it a try & leave a comment!
- Bangalore : (080) 39805078
- Chennai : (044) 39119494
- Yahoo! US “Customer Service”: 1-866-562-7219 (for yahoo.com)
- Yahoo! Small Business/Store: 1-866-800-8092
- Other US Yahoo! numbers to try
- +1 866-850-4303
- +1 866-562-7228
- +1 408-349-1572
- +1 408-349-3300
- +1 408-329-5151
- +1 800-318-0631
If you feel some service is missing and would be useful to list, drop a comment December 18 1. What is attenuation?
Attenuation refers to the weakening of the signal as it travels over cable. It is sometimes referred to as roll off.
As
a signal travels across wire, its square wave becomes deformed in
proportion to the distance traveled. Thus, attenuation is primarily a
function of cable length. If the signal travels too far, it can degrade
so much that the receiving station may not be able to interpret it and
communication will fail.
A
repeater is can be used to boost signal strength on a baseband network
so that it can travel greater distances. An amplifier performs the same
function on a broadband network.
2. What is a repeater?
A
repeater is a device that regenerates the signal transmitted on a
cable. Repeaters allow signals to travel beyond the normal cable length
limitations. A repeater does not translate or filter packets.
Repeaters have the following characteristics:
- Used to regenerate an existing baseband signal
- Used primarily in a coaxial bus (linear) topology
- Segments connected by a repeater must use the same Media Access Control(MAC) method (e.g., a repeater does can not pass traffic between Ethernet and Token Ring)
- A repeater can pass traffic between different types of media (i.e., coax to fiber optic) if the appropriate interfaces exist
- Segments connected by a repeater must have the same network address
- A repeater does not accelerate or change the signal; it simply regenerates it
- A repeater does not filter packets or limit congestion
- A repeater will pass a broadcast
- A repeater operates at the physical layer of the OSI model
- The basic functionality of a repeater (signal regeneration)
can be incorporated into other connectivity devices (e.g., a hub or
bridge)
Because
a repeater does nothing to filter or limit traffic on the network, it
should be viewed primarily as a means of connecting distant workstations,
not as a means of adding additional workstations. In other words,
repeaters should be used to extend the length of a network but not its
density. 3. Is there a limit on the number of repeaters that can be employed?
Yes.
The number of repeaters is limited by the "5-4-3 rule." Under this rule
there can be no more than 5 segments with no more than 4 repeaters
between any two stations. Only 3 of the 5 segments can be populated
(i.e., contain nodes or hosts). In this case a "station" is a bridge,
router, or gateway. Thus, adding a bridge can allow additional
repeaters to be used on the LAN. What is a hub?
A
hub is a generic term used to describe a central connection point for
computers on a network. The basic function performed by a hub is to
receive signals from one computer and transmit them on to other
computers.
A
hub can be active or passive. An active hub acts as a repeater; it
regenerates and sends out a stronger signal. A passive hub is basically
just a junction box; it splits incoming signals for transmission across
the network.
The hub is the center of a star topology and allow computers to be added or moved on the network with relatively ease.
How does a hub work?
A
hub is basically a signal splitter; it takes the incoming bits from one
port and sends them out to all of the other ports. A eight port hub
would receive a packet on one of its ports and send copies out to each
of the other seven ports. Each host connect to the hub will view the
packet but only the host to which it is addressed will process it. This
can cause network traffic problems because a packet addressed to one
host is actually sent to all hosts (even though it is only processed by
the one it is addressed to).
What is switch?
A switch is an 'intelligent hub' that has the ability to determine the destination MAC Addresses
of a packet. Instead of passing the packet to all ports, the switch
forwards it only to the port to which it is addressed. Thus, a switch
can drastically reduce network traffic
A
switch maintains a list of MAC address associated with its various
ports that it uses to determine where to send the packet. Because it
operates on the MAC address rather than an IP address, a switch is
generally faster than a router.
8. What is a MSAU?
A
MSAU is a Multistation Access Unit that functions like a hub in a Token
Ring network. A MSAU has the ability to bypass a cable break or station
failure in order to maintain the integrity of the ring.
What is a concentrator?
A
concentrator or wiring concentrator is similar to a hub and the two
terms are often used interchangeably. It serves a central connection
point where a number of incoming cables converge. A hub or switch
performs the function of a concentrator.
In
its most simple form, a concentrator is a multi-port repeater. It
merges a number of incoming lines with a number of outgoing lines. Some
concentrators can control errors, determine the quality of cable, and
perform other administrative functions. Like a MSAU the concentrator in
a ring network keeps the ring intact even if workstations are removed.
What are "interconnectivity" devices and what functions do they perform?
A
concentrator or wiring concentrator is similar to a hub and the two
terms are often used interchangeably. It serves a central connection
point where a number of incoming cables converge. A hub or switch
performs the function of a concentrator.
Bridges,
routers, and gateways are interconnectivity devices. Their primary
function is to connect segments or multiple networks into a single,
heterogeneous system across which computers can communicate. These
devices are sometimes referred to collectively as "relays."
What is a bridge and what can it do?
A bridge is a relay or interconnecting device that is use to join to LANs.
Bridges,
routers, and gateways are interconnectivity devices. Their primary
function is to connect segments or multiple networks into a single,
heterogeneous system across which computers can communicate. These
devices are sometimes referred to collectively as "relays."
A bridge can:
- Link segments of a network together
- Filter traffic by reading packet addresses
- Link dissimilar networks (Ethernet and Token Ring) if higher level protocols are the same or can be translated
A bridge cannot:
- Determine the most efficient path to transmit data
- Provide traffic management functions (congestion bypassing)
The functions of a bridge may be performed by a server or an independent bridge device.
A general rule of thumb is that there should be no more than four bridges on a LAN.
How does a bridge pass traffic between LAN segments?
A
bridge checks the MAC address of each packet it receives. The bridge
examines the packet's destination address and compares it to the
routing table it maintains. Based on this comparison, the bridge
performs one of three tasks:
-
If the destination address is in the routing table and is located on
the same segment as the sender, the packet is dropped. (There is no
need to pass it across the bridge if it is addressed to a host on the
near side.)
- If the destination address is in the routing table and is
located on a different segment, the packet is forwarded to that
segment.
- If the destination address is not in the routing table, the packet is forwarded to all segments.
Note
that when a bridge receives a packet from one host that is addressed to
a host on the other side, the bridges passes the data frame across the
connection. When the bridge detects traffic that is addressed to a host
on the originator’s segment, it does not allow it to pass. In this
manner a bridge performs a filtering function that reduces the overall
traffic on the network.
Although
a bridge can learn the MAC addresses of the stations on the network, it
cannot determine the most efficient data path to send the data. This
job requires a router. Although
a bridge can learn the MAC addresses of the stations on the network, it
cannot determine the most efficient data path to send the data. This
job requires a router How does a bridge create a routing table?
The routing table for a bridge is different than a routing table used by a router.
The routing table used by a bridge is based on MAC addresses rather
than IP addresses. Unlike routers, bridges don't 'talk' to each other
to update their routing tables. However, most bridges can monitor and
"learn" the addresses of each station on the network. They use this
information to construct a routing table.
When the bridge receives a packet, it exams the packet's source MAC address
and uses this information to add to or update its routing table. A
bridge only needs to know which MAC addresses are on which segments so
it can properly forward the packets. When it examines a packet, it may
not know on which segment the destination address resides, but it is
does know from which segment the packet originated. So the source MAC
address and segment are added to the routing table. Over time the
routing table will be updated with all MAC addresses and segments. What is network partitioning?
If
network performance is being degraded by excessive traffic, one
possible solution is to partition the network into two or more
segments. A network can be partitioned by using a bridge. The bridge is
inserted between two segments of the LAN and as traffic flows across
the LAN, the bridge filters and forwards it according to the address.
Only traffic destined for another segment is allowed to "cross" the
bridge.
Partitioning is also referred to as segmenting a network. How does partitioning (segmenting) benefit a network?
When excess traffic starts to degrade performance, one solution is to partition or segment the network.
For
example, assume that a company network connects the accounting and
marketing departments which generate the following number of messages
during the course of a typical day: Marketing to Marketing: 200; Marketing to Accounting: 100; Accounting to Marketing 100; and Accounting to Accounting: 200.
Without
partitioning, all traffic will flow across both departments. Thus, 600
messages will be directed to each host. However, if the two departments
are partitioned by separating them with a a bridge, all of marketing’s
interdepartmental messages will stay on their side of the network. Only
messages addressed to accounting will cross the bridge to the
accounting segment. The reverse is also true; the marketing segment
will not be cluttered by internal messages from accounting. The result
is a 50% decrease in overall network traffic; each segment now only
processes 300 messages.
As
a general rule, if all you want to do is partition a network, a bridge
is a better choice than a router because it operates with lower
overhead. What are some of the potential problems with connecting Ethernet and Token Ring LANs with a bridge.
Bridges
are capable of connecting LANs that use different physical and
MAC-layer protocols, such as Ethernet and Token Ring. However, there
are several potential problems with these connections:
- Token ring has a mechanism for setting transmission priority. Ethernet does not.*
- Ethernet packets are smaller and structured differently than Token Ring packets
- Ethernet packet information is encoded differently than Token Ring packets
- Ethernet uses transparent bridging to identify network addresses and token ring uses source routing
*100VG-AnyLAN Ethernet can establish transmission priorities but by an different method than that used by a Token Ring network.
A
translational bridge can be used to eliminate may of the problems
associate with linking Ethernet and Token Ring LANs (e.g., packet
format differences, address detection methods, etc.) Among other
things, this type of bridge is able to remove data from one frame type
(e.g., Ethernet) and repackage it into another frame (e.g., Token
Ring). What are the benefits provided by a bridge?
A bridge is a relay or interconnecting device that can be used to provide the following capabilities:
- Expand the length of an existing network
- Increase the number of workstations on the network
- Reduce traffic congestion (network partitioning)
- Provide a connection to a dissimilar network (e.g., Ethernet to Token Ring)
- Move data across a intermediate network with a dissimilar protocol
What is transparent bridging and how does it compare to source routing?
Transparent bridging and source routing
are two learning techniques used by bridges to build a table of
addresses for all of the stations on a network. Without these
techniques, system administrators would have to load the addresses into
the bridge manually.
- Transparent Bridging is used in Ethernet networks.
Bridges learn station addresses by examining data frames as they pass.
The address table associates the source address of the data frame with
a network address. The table is reviewed continually and updated as the
network changes.
- Source Routing is used in Token Ring networks.
Bridges learn station addresses by having a source node send out
explorer packets. Multiple explorer packets are sent out over the
network to their destination. They then report back to the source node
which determines the most efficient path. The path information is
stored in the bridge and all subsequent transmission use this path.
Keep
in mind that the objective of both transparent bridging and source
routing is to prevent bridges from creating loops in a network. The
distinction is that transparent bridging is an Ethernet method that
blocks loops and source routing is a Token Ring method that avoids
loops.
What is a spanning tree algorithm?
The
spanning tree algorithm (SPA) is a process used to detect and close
circular traffic patterns (loops). It operates by closing down certain
ports on bridges that would provide multiple data paths through the
network.
SPA
identifies a "root" bridge and then determines the pathway through the
network to the root bridge based on the "least cost." Bridge ports that
provide redundant paths are disabled to prevent loops. However, these
ports may be assigned as backup in the event the primary port fails.
A
major distinction between a bridge and a router is that a router will
support multiple paths among networks. A bridge can only recognize one
path. A major distinction between a bridge and a router is that a router will support multiple paths among networks. A bridge can only recognize one path.
What is a router?
A
router is a relay device that is used to connect two or more networks,
either locally or through a WAN. The key feature of a router is its to
determine the shortest path to a destination. In addition, a router
offers "fault tolerance" capability in that it can route traffic across
an alternate link if the primary link is broken or busy.
Routers can transfer data
between two networks with dissimilar lower layer protocols (Physical
and Data Link). Thus, routers can connect Ethernet with Token Ring.
However, in order for a router to function, protocols at the Network
and higher layers must be identical. In addition, the protocol must be
'routable.' Some protocols like NetBEUI are not routable.
Routers
operate at the Network Layer of the OSI model. Unlike bridges, routers
look at IP addresses, not MAC addresses. Specifically, they look only
at the network ID of the address, not the host ID.
Routers do not pass broadcasts. A broadcast 'storm' can occur when many hosts are broadcasting at the same time.
What is a routing table?
A
routing table contains entries with the IP addresses of router
interfaces for other networks. It does not contain addresses for the
hosts on each network. It only stores the address of the router that
provides an interface to that network.
Typically
a routing table consists of four pieces of information: a network
address (the destination net ID); a net mask (to identify subnetting);
the address of the router for that network ID (near-side address); and
a metric (number of hops to that router).
For
example, the following command adds a static entry in the routing table
that allows packets to be forwarded to network 192.168.222.0 from
network 192.168.211.0. This entry would be added to the router
interfacing with network 192.168.211.0. Note the no subnetting is used
and the near-side address of the router providing access to
192.168.222.0 is 192.168.211.100.
ROUTE ADD 192.168.222.0 MASK 255.255.255.0 192.168.211.100
You can view static entries in a routing table by issuing the ROUTE PRINT command.
How does a router work?
A router uses the routing table stored in it's memory to make decisions about where and how to send packets.
The
router looks at the information in the packets it receives to examine
the network ID of the IP address. It checks the network ID against the
routing table to determine the destination. If the router can forward
the packet directly to the destination, it does so. If it cannot, it
finds the address of the router than serves as an interface for that
network. It then send the packet to that router for forwarding. If no
entry exists in the routing table, the router sends the packet to its
default gateway.
A
hop is a passage through a router. If a packet must travel through
three routers to get to its final destination, it is said to go through
3 hops.
When
passing packets through a router, the original source and destination
MAC addresses are removed and recreated. (But the original source and
destination IP addresses are not altered.) The source MAC address of
the sending host is replaced with that of the router and the new
destination MAC address is that the next router or, if the packet can
be forwarded directly, that of the host. The process of removing and
recreating MAC addresses requires processing resources. When
passing packets through a router, the original source and destination
MAC addresses are removed and recreated. (But the original source and
destination IP addresses are not altered.) The source MAC address
of the sending host is replaced with that of the router and the new
destination MAC address is that the next router or, if the packet can
be forwarded directly, that of the host. The process of removing and
recreating MAC addresses requires processing resources.
Can a PC with Windows NT Server function as a router?
Yes. A PC running Windows NT Server 4.0 can function as a 'poor man's' router if it is properly configured.
The
server must have two NICs, one configured with the IP address on one
network and the other configured with an IP address on the other
network. A server so configured is referred to as a multi-homed server.
Each workstation's default gateway is configured with the IP address of
the multi-homed server's local card. The only other step required is to
select the 'Enable IP-Forwarding' under the 'Routing' tab of the TCP/IP
property sheet on the multi-homed server. The multi-homed server will
now pass traffic between the two networks.
Although
not a very sophisticated router, an NT Server can perform the basic
function of moving packets from one network to another.
How do routers exchange information?
Dynamic
routers use what are called 'interior gateway protocols' to exchange
routing information. Two of the most common protocols are RIP (Routing
Information Protocol) and OSPF (Open Shortest Path First). RIP uses a
distance-vector (DVA) algorithm to calculate routing paths. DVA bases
routing decisions on the least number of hops and exchanges routing
tables among routers about every 30 seconds. OSPF uses a link-state
algorithm that requires more processing power than DVA but offers more
control. Routing tables are updated as necessary.
November 29 You are off to a good start. You know a little about your date and your date knows a little about you. The description of your blind date seems to be too good to be true – a perfect vision of your ideal partner. They have the right physical attributes and personal qualities. Your matchmaking friends are even more excited than you because they’re convinced you are perfect for one another. The date has been set. You can hardly wait!
The night arrives and you see your blind date walk through the door of the restaurant. So far so good. The introductions go very well. They are very attractive and have a great personality. They seem to like you too. You can sense each other’s nerves, and are very careful about saying the wrong thing and turning each other off. After about fifteen minutes of slightly awkward conversation mostly dominated by your friends, your date, who by the way is a nurse, says, “So, I hear you’re a successful pharmaceutical sales representative with one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country. That sounds so exciting. How did you get into pharmaceutical sales? You begin by talking about how you’ve always been interested in medicine, enjoy selling, and never saw yourself at a desk job. You explain how you joined the company when they launched one of the best selling nebulizers on the market. As you humbly mention that you grew your sales territory to rank as one of the highest in the country, the waitress interrupts to take your plates and asks if you’d like desert. Wow, the conversation just flowed. You even forgot you were on a date! Your date was so interested in what you had to say, and they responded so well to the great questions you asked them about their work and family. Your date can sense you are truly interested in them. In the first half hour, you both realized you have so much in common. Deep down inside you are praying they like you as much as you like them, and hope they aren’t seeing anyone else. By the end of the night, it seems your date feels the same way. You both agree to a second date – this time alone!
Okay, let’s rewind the tape. You’re not in pharmaceutical sales yet. But, that is what you want to be. You’ve just graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry with a concentration in Psychology. You’ve had your resume professionally developed and it’s time to send it out. You scour all the job boards and classified ads, and talk to everyone in your personal network. Things are looking up. In less than two weeks, you have lined up four promising interviews.
So, if everything is going so well, why are you so nervous? Is it because you’re afraid you are going to fail at making a great first impression? Take a deep breath. There is a way to overcome this fear -- and you hold the key. Remember that blind date? What was the hardest part? That’s right – it was the anticipation! Once you got there, everything went smoothly – especially when they asked you about your {future} job. Why did it go so well? Because it was about YOU! Know one knows you better than yourself, and that’s who they want to get to know better -- YOU. THEY WANT TO MEET YOU. THEY ALREADY LIKE YOU!
And therein lies the secret. The very fact that they have invited you for an interview means they have PRE-QUALIFIED YOU FOR THE JOB! Can you believe that? It’s true! They are hoping that you are as good in person and you are on paper. If you are, like your blind date, they’re going to pray that you’ll stop interviewing with other companies and accept their offer to join their company.
So how do you gain the confidence you need to overcome your interview jitters? First, believe in yourself. Know how talented and knowledgeable you are. Remember, your resume says you are – and that’s why they want to meet YOU. Next, do your homework. Learn about the company. Ask genuine questions to show how interested you are in what their company does, why the position is available, what the position is about, and what the potential is to grow with the company. Volunteer to tell them what you know about their company, using it as a lead-in for a question you might have or save it as a response to a question they may have. Do not fail to ask questions! Do not wait until the end and say, “No, I think you answered all my questions (that were silently in my head!). BE PROACTIVE in the interview. As long as you know who you are and know something about them, you should have no problem hitting it off. If for some crazy reason they decide to offer the position to someone else, don’t be discouraged. There are other fish in the sea. Think of it as a great experience and opportunity to practice your interviewing skills.
In summary, the interview is a meeting between two interested people. They already know about themselves. So, it’s about YOU. They want to meet YOU. They want to get to know YOU. Just be yourself, be interesting, polite, and show your interest in them. If it is meant to be (hey, remember, you might not like them. Did you ever think about that?), you will be invited to a second interview or will be offered the position after the first meeting.
Rank Company CEO Revenue (in crores)
1 Tata Consultancy Services S Ramadorai 5827
2 Wipro Ltd Azim Premji 5136
3 Infosys Technologies Nandan M Nilekani 4776
4 IBM India Abraham Thomas 4580
5 Satyam Computer Services B Ramalinga Raju 2729
6 Patni Computer Systems NK Patni 2542
7 Hewlett-Packard India Balu Doraisamy 2160
8 HCL Technologies Shiv Nadar 2103
9 Intel Technology India K Jaishankar 2082
10 Redington India Jitendra Kulkarni 1861
11 Cisco Systems (I) Pvt Ltd Rangnath Salgame 1850
12 HCL Infosystems Ajai Chowdhry 1559
13 Ingram Micro India SP Rajguru 1533
14 Moser Baer India Deepak Puri 1509
15 Samsung Electronics India Information & Telecommunication Vivek Prakesh 1409
16 Tech Pacific India 1230
17 Microsoft Corporation (India) Pvt Ltd Rajiv Kaul 916
18 Cognizant Technology Solutions Lakshmi Narayanan 839
19 Oracle India Shekhar Dasgupta 835
20 i-Flex Solutions Rajesh Hukku 805
21 Celtronix India ML Tandon 798
22 Sun Microsystems Bhaskar Pramanik 789
23 CMC Ltd R Ramanan 764
24 Mahindra British Telecom John Helleur 729
25 American Power Conversion Pankaj Sharma 675
26 Polaris Software Lab Arun Jain 646
27 TATA Infotech Farrokh K Kavarana 608
28 Digital GlobalSoft Ltd. Som Mittal 553
29 I-GATE GLOBAL SOLUTIONS Phaneesh Murthy 547 30 Perot Systems TSI Vineet
Nayar 544
31 Microtek International Ltd Anil Gupta 510
32 Texas Instruments India Dr Biswadip Mitra 484
33 CMS Computers RD Grover 480
34 NIIT Technologies Arvind Thakur 472
35 Birlasoft Atanu Banerji 434
36 HP-ISO V. Subrahmanyam 399
37 Acer India 396
38 Mphasis BFL Jerry Rao 394
39 Mastek Ashank Desai 383
40 Hexaware Technologies Atul Nishar 382
41 Siemens Information Systems Anil R Laud 380
42 Larsen &Toubro Infotech VK Magapu 369
43 Rolta India Kamal Singh 366
44 NIIT Ltd Vijay Thadani 358
45 SAP India Pvt. Ltd. Alan Sedghi 352
46 Datacraft India Nagendra Venkaswamy 350
47 Hughes Software Systems Arun Kumar 342
48 Honeywell Technology Solutions Lab Krishna Mikkilineni 328
49 Nortel Networks India Ashok Waliya 322 50 Infinite Computer Solutions
Navin Chandra 322
51 Zenith Computers Raj Saraf 315
52 PCS Industries AK Patni 307
53 Computer Associates India Ninad Karpe 294
54 Iris Computers Sanjiv Krishen 287
55 SIFY R Ramaraj 280
56 Tulip IT Services Lt. Col. HS Bedi 276
57 SES Technologies PK Krishnaprasad 274
58 Syntel (India) Bharat Desai 269
59 Zensar Technologies Ganesh Natarajan 267
60 TVS Electronics S Shreenivasa Rao 262
61 D-Link India K R Naik 250
62 WeP Peripherals Ram N Agarwal 243
63 Neoteric Informatique Paras Shah 238
64 Covansys India K Subrahmaniam 238
65 GTL Manoj Tirodkar 234
66 Savex Computers Anil Jagasia 231
67 Canon India Alan Grant 227
68 ICICI Infotech V Srinivasan 215
69 Sonata Software Ltd B. Ramaswamy 211
70 NeST Group N Jehangir 210
71 Mascon Global Sandy K Chandra 210
72 Philips Innovation Center Bob Hoekstra 207
73 Infotech Enterprieses Mohan Reddy 191
74 Epson India Etsuo Fujito 190
75 Xansa India Saurabh Srivastava 186
76 Jupiter International Alok Garodia 184
77 Network Solutions (NetSol) Sudhir D Sarma 179
78 Ramco Systems PR Venketarama Raja 171
79 Numeric Power Systems R.Chellappan 170 80 Juniper Networks India Pvt
Ltd Girdhar Java 170
81 Rashi Peripherals Suresh Pansari 166
82 Sasken Communication Technologies Rajiv C Mody 166
83 Aptech Promod Khera 161
84 Accel ICIM Systems & Services Ltd NR Panicker 156
85 CSC India Dr Arun Maheshwari 156
86 VisualSoft Technologies 156
87 Tata Elxsi Ltd Madhukar Dev 155
88 AMD Far East (India) Sanjeev Keskar 154
89 Pentamedia Graphics V Chandrasekaran 143 90 Kanbay India Cyprian
D'Souza 143
91 Mediaman Infotech Dushyant Mehta 142
92 Pentasoft Technologies 134
93 Mindtree Consulting Ashok Soota 131
94 Aftek Infosys Ranjit Dhuru 128
95 Supertron Electronics VK Bhandari 126
96 3D Networks SK Jha 126
97 Lipi Data Systems Mukul Singhal 125
98 KPIT Cummins Infosystems (Kpit Infosystems Ltd) Kishor Patil 125
99 Priya AK Bhuwania 125
100 Tata Technologies PR McGoldrick 115
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102 Cranes Software International Asif Kadder 114
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104 IRCTC MN Chopra 110
105 MRO-Tek S Narayanan 107
106 Geometric Software Solutions Manu Parpia 106
107 Tally Solutions Bharat Goenka 105
108 Frontier Business Systems Ravi Verdes 104
109 Keane India Parmindar S Miglani 100
110 Zylog Systems V Sudarshan 96
111 Sogo Computers G Jayamuni Rao 95
112 Aditi Technologies Pradeep Singh 90
113 Cadence Design Systems India Jaswinder S Ahuja 88
114 Subex Systems Subash Menon 88
115 Tata Interactive Systems Sanjaya Sharma 83
116 Softcell Technologies Sunil Dalal 83
117 Blue Star Infotech Pramod Bhalla 81
118 Intelligroup Asia MDS Bosco 81
119 Nucleus Software Exports Vishnu Dusad 80 120 Persistent Systems Anand
Deshpande 78
121 PC Solutions Pvt Ltd Devendra Taneja 76
122 Onward Novell Munesh Jalota (Country Manager) 75
123 Comsat Max Sudipta K Sen 73
124 Celetron Power India T Vasu 71
125 Team Computers Ranjan Chopra 70
126 Micro Max Technologies Pvt Ltd Rajesh Agarwal 70
127 Intex Technologies Narender Bansal 70
128 Future Software KV Ramani 69
129 OA Compserve R K Malhotra 67
130 Axes Technologies (India) Pvt Ltd S Udaya Kumar 66
131 FCS Software Solutions Dalip Kumar 64
132 DAX Networks Ashok Mirza 62
133 Multiple Zones India Manpreet Singh 60
134 DB Power Electronics (P) Ltd. Dilip Bhide 60
135 ORG Infomatics Ajoy Khanderia 55
136 VXL Instruments Ltd Tim Goldring 53
137 Quinnox Consultancy Services Udai Kumar 50
138 VSM Advance Automation Deepak Lomba, Raj Kumar Gupta 50
139 Comnet Vision (India) Pvt Ltd PK Sharma 50 140 SAS India Gourish
Hosangady 50
141 Quintegra Solutions Babu Thiagarajan 50
142 SSI Kalpathi S Suresh 49
143 RR Systems Bharat Bhushan 48
144 Netlink Business Systems Pvt Ltd Rajesh Bakshi 47
145 Park Electronik Ajaya Kumar 46
146 Kadam Marketing Anil Sachdeva 46
147 Artek Enterprises Anil Gupta 46
148 Jetking Infotrain Suresh Bharwani 45
149 Targus Technologies Pvt Ltd Col Balwinder Singh 44 150 Nelito Systems
JM Varma 44
151 RMSI Ajay Lavakare 44
152 Aztec Software and Technology Services V Chandrasekran 41
153 Syamntec India Unmesh Deshmukh 40
154 Fortune Marketing Manoj Gupta 40
155 Modi Peripherals Shyam Modi 40
156 ADP Wilco India Shakti Sagar 39
157 Netkraft Anand Sudarshan 38
158 Sierra Atlantic Software Services Sarath Sura 38
159 Infrasoft Technologies Hanuman Tripathi 36 160 San Computech Shudhir
Saluja 36
161 Elcom Trading Company Limited Somesh Narang 36
162 DCM Datasystems Pvt Ltd Sumant Bharat Ram 36
163 Electronics & Controls Power Systems Pvt Ltd K Ramachandran 35
164 Convergent Communications Venkat Kedalya 34
165 Microclinic India Tarun Seth 34
166 Value Point Systems RS Shanbhag 33
167 SQL Star International Pradeep shenoy 32
168 Onward Technologies Harish mehta 31
169 Trifin Technologies Ashish Agarwal 31 170 Vidur & Co Keshav Madhav 30
171 Gemini Infotech SP Agarwala 30
172 OSS Technologies D Deekshith 30
173 Softech Computers Ashok Taneja 29
174 Login Infotech Sanjay Shrivatsava 28
175 Pulse Systems NK Agarwal 28
176 Kale Consultants Vipul jain 27
177 Champion Computers Pvt Ltd Kapil Wadhwa 26
178 FCG Software Services Avinash Chandra Agrawal 25
179 Miraj Infotech AK Pandey 25
180 Spark Technology and Testing Pvt Ltd S Nautiyal 24
181 Linc Software Chandra Kumar 24
182 Binary Systems Pvt Ltd Harish Kumar Shetty 23
183 Red Hat India Javed Tapia 23
184 Trend Micro India Niraj Kaushik 23
185 Future Business Tech Jayesh Mehta 23
186 Mistral Software Anees Ahmed 22
187 QAI India Navyug Mohnot 22
188 Computer Land AK Singh 22
189 Ittiam Systems Srini Rajam 22
190 Consul Consolidated NP Krishnan 21
191 Digitronics Infosys Pvt Ltd Dinesh Kumar Gupta 20
192 Aryan Technologies GD Bhargava 20
193 Laser Soft Info Systems B Suresh Kamath 20
194 Visesh Infotecnics Sanjiv Bhavnani 20
195 KMG Infotech Pvt. Ltd. Subhash Bhatia 19
196 Crystal Impex Devang Shah 19
197 KLA Electronics RK Bansal 18
198 ADN Computers Gulshan Arora 18
199 Computer Empire Harish Puri 18
200 Geodesic Information Systems Kiran Kulkarni (MD) 18
A major area that has sprouted in recent times as a potential source of competitive advantage is Information Technology. Although, the initial investment required in IT is quite substantial, there is enough reason to believe that the returns are quite phenomenal in the long term.
There are several challenges that companies face while making a transition from the conventional ‘Brick and Mortal’ model to the IT based model. These may include the high initial cost, redundancy (and hence waste) of legacy systems, gelling with the organizational culture, opposition from conservative lobbies and concerns regarding future benefits. But the most prominent objection of most managers is about the high investment. Unquestionably, these investment decisions are difficult. They are often complicated by a slew of obstacles: costs that are difficult to estimate, benefits that might or might not materialize, requirements that evolve and change midstream, all contributing to significant delivery risk. But smart investments in IT also offer the promise of huge rewards. Not surprisingly, this has intensified the urgency to build I.T.-enabled capabilities. IT is being seen by many as a necessary and strategic investment. Before taking the plunge into the incorporation of I.T. in a company, several factors need to be studied i.e. Market-driving capabilities, Role and impact of IT, Current investment portfolio, I.T. cost and investment profile etc. This gives an insight into the feasibly and potential effectiveness of the investment. IT provides several tools to derive competitive advantage in the ‘Dog eat Dog’ business environment of the 21st century. These include e-commerce, ERP systems, knowledge management systems, e-procurement systems etc. Most of these systems tend to reduce operating costs, enhance productivity and efficiency, improve transparency and aid the management in taking decisions. Data warehousing and data mining may be employed to understand sales patterns, consumer behavior and map transactional efficiency. The security of the sensitive data can be ensured and threats of pilferage and corrupt practices are mitigated. In an organization IT could be incorporated in the form of three models: Data model, Cost model or the hybrid model. The hybrid model is the clear choice of the managers of today. It combines the best practices of both new age theories and the conventional or traditional organizations. IT can be successfully implemented in an organization only by following crucial dogmas such as internalization of IT in the organization, management of IT spending and proper prioritization, deployment of the best IT model and value management.
Most companies recognize that too much is at stake for any corporation to disregard the potential that I.T. represents in the emerging Information Age. While a corporation’s potential for leveraging I.T. to build competitive advantage will vary according to industry, competitive position and existing capabilities, there is absolutely no denying the fact that IT is here to stay as a major weapon for strategic and competitive advantage.
Introduction Every day chief executives around the world and their boards of directors make tough investment decisions. As diligent investors, they base their decisions on tangible results supported by detailed financial analyses aimed at building shareholder value. These same C.E.O.’s and directors must also, however, deal with a new category of investments that refuse to behave typically. These investments involve information technology — and they are growing in number, breadth and scope.
I.T. projects run the gamut from fixing the Year 2000, or “Y2K,” bug to upgrading worldwide networks, replacing legacy systems and developing Internet capabilities to order products and services. Unquestionably, these investment decisions are difficult. They are often complicated by a slew of obstacles: costs that are difficult to estimate, benefits that might or might not materialize, requirements that evolve and change midstream, all contributing to significant delivery risk. But smart investments in I.T. also offer the promise of huge rewards. Not surprisingly, this has intensified the urgency to build I.T.-enabled capabilities.
IT: A Weapon for Competitive Advantage
Together, the changing business environment and recent advances in Internet, database and network technologies are transforming the array of I.T. opportunities and challenges. In today’s world, opportunities to globalize, engaging customers and suppliers in real time and facilitating knowledge-sharing and best practices can be achieved in much less time than anyone ever could have imagined. This new ball game is literally transforming the corporate landscape. It is forcing corporations to rethink their strategies across entirely different sources of competitive advantage and time-to-market considerations.
Before taking the plunge into the incorporation of I.T. in a company, several factors need to be studied. This gives an insight into the feasibly and potential effectiveness of the step. • Market-driving capabilities
Those capabilities in which excellence yields a sustainable competitive advantage and allows the leaders to drive the market — Dell’s “build to order” business model, for example.
• Role and impact of I.T.
The way in which I.T. can deliver or support each market-driving capability.
• Current investment portfolio The prioritized investment opportunities, both I.T.-centric and non-I.T. - related, about which the corporation must make decisions.
• I.T. cost and investment profile
The detailed breakdown of the corporation’s budget for I.T., including ongoing costs and one-time investments.
Effect of IT on Organizations Ø Emphasis is shifting toward the potential value delivered by I.T. outside the corporation. Most corporations have completed significant E.R.P. software installations and network infrastructure projects as major improvements to their internal I.T. operations. We are now seeing a shift in I.T. projects to external opportunities that engage customers, suppliers and alliance partners as part of the corporation’s “extended enterprise.”
Ø Internet capabilities are affecting strategy, competitive positioning and business models of many corporations. The Internet has presented new opportunities and challenges for corporations to build competitive advantage. Competition and customer needs will continue to drive demand as corporations begin to reposition their capabilities to take advantage of new channels, new cost structures and new business models, most of which did not exist two years ago. The promise of electronic commerce also presents additional challenges in restructuring pieces of the existing order management, customer and supplier capabilities and their supporting infrastructure.
Ø Traditional value chains are being restructured by “disintermediating” the middleman. The Internet provides a low-cost, universal medium for suppliers to connect with customers. Whether existing businesses or distributors are vulnerable will depend to a large extent upon how well they provide alternative capabilities.
IT Tools for Competitive AdvantageMany companies view e-commerce as a tool of defense rather than offense. They feel obligated to do business on-line to protect market share, but they doubt the venture will ever turn a profit. They envy the explosive growth and extraordinary stock multiples of the pure Internet players, but they are afraid of cannibalizing their existing businesses and rendering legacy assets obsolete. This contradictory mix of skepticism and envy, fear and complacency, slows them down in an arena where the early-mover advantage is substantial and where halfhearted efforts commonly fail.
In fact, established companies well positioned to succeed at e-commerce. They possess critical assets that can give them an edge over start-up competitors. But to take advantage of those assets, incumbents need to take the offensive—and quickly. They must carefully assess their strengths and weaknesses, build on the former, and rapidly make up for the latter. And they need to understand e-commerce not as an end in itself but as the cornerstone of an integrated business system
2. Enterprise Resource Planning Systems
Throughout the 1990s, most large industrial companies installed enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems—that is, massive computer applications allowing a business to manage all of its operations. ERP promises huge improvements in efficiency—for example, shorter intervals between orders and payments, lower back-office staff requirements, reduced inventory, and improved customer service. By entering customer and sales data in an ERP system, a manufacturer can generate the next cycle’s demand forecast, which in turn generates orders for raw materials, production schedules, timetables for shifts, and financial projections while keeping close track of inventory.
For many businesses, installing ERP is traumatic. Following long, painful, and expensive implementations, some companies have difficulty identifying any measurable benefits. Yet companies shouldn’t bemoan the cost of their investment: the hard-won skills and capabilities they acquire during the ERP installation process will permit them to improve their ERP applications incrementally, and these improvements collectively add considerable value.
3. Electronic procurement On the buy side, attaching an e-procurement module to an ERP system can restrict purchases to preferred suppliers and cut out maverick spending by employees who have too little time to go through required procedures. Say an accountant needs a new computer. An e-procurement module allows that person to choose “computer supplies” from the procurement folder appearing on everyone’s desktop and to select the desired model from the company’s preferred supplier. The clincher is that the ERP system also receives and pays the invoice electronically, cutting out liaison with the accounts organization.
4. Continuous-relationship marketing
Electronic orders yield far more information about customers than over-the-counter sales do—not only who those customers are, but also what else they looked at and even, if one cares to track this, how much time they spent on each screen. An add-on application can combine customer data obtained from e-commerce with information in the existing ERP system, helping one cater to individual tastes and create lifelong relationships with customers.
5. Supply chain optimization
Production schedules can be generated by the manufacturer’s ERP system and we can compare them with information about current raw-materials costs. These applications can then automatically place orders with the supplier offering the best price in the right volume at the right time.
6. Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence Systems The purpose of Data Warehouse (DW) and Business Intelligence processes and systems is to unearth and exploit the valuable nuggets of information buried in mountains of operational data of scant informational value, retrieving them from company Databases distributed across disparate and heterogeneous platforms.
Specifically, Data Mining tools have become essential to understanding, maintaining, incentivizing and expanding a company’s customer base, through market segmentation, popularity rating analyses and targeted marketing campaigns.
Business Intelligence System (BIS), OLAP and Data Mining platforms form the backbone of “informed” decision-making support capability that is now vital to company managers who wish to secure a real competitive advantage from the data in their possession. By using specific, verticalized IT tools (BIS and OLAP), management can deliberately steer the company by acting on four basic levers: Economic/Financial, Strategic Processes, Internal People Training and Growth, and Customer Satisfaction.
7. Knowledge Management
The “core” of KM involves the acquisition, explication, and communication of mission-specific professional expertise in a manner that is focused and relevant to an organizational participant who receives the communication. The cost of setting up a KM infrastructure is quite large, especially for big organizations. However, the benefits far outweigh the costs in the long term.
IT Management Models
Most corporations adopt one I.T. management model based on their own priorities and strategies, but some use a hybrid approach, separating the scale-intensive functions from the value-oriented ones. The differences between approaches are clear: ► Cost Model
The cost model requires a commitment to maintaining an operating environment that relies on mature hardware, software and network architecture, with proven products that are stable and well understood by the staff.
► Value Model
The value model is predicated on meeting the specific needs of the business community, often trading cost efficiency for new capability-building activities. In this model, business executives either wield a great deal of influence or control their own I.T. funding and resources.
► Hybrid Model
The hybrid model evolves when corporations try to optimize on both the cost and value dimensions. The operating components and the capability-building resources are often separated, sometimes with different managers leading each. Over the past few years, we have seen more companies trying to use the hybrid model. This reflects the evolving partnership between the I.T. function and the business community, as well as the increasingly urgent need to look at a corporation’s I.T. spending and investment performance across major I.T. projects.
Look into the Hybrid Model Taking a hybrid approach creates more options for building competitive barriers that protect the profit stream. One such mechanism involves owning the hard to replicate assets associated with delivering after-sales support services to the customer.
Creating a hybrid approach requires a different mindset from the one familiar to most bricks and mortar companies. Whereas careful planning and deployment of resources in an often stable market are characteristic of a mature business, a company moving online must emphasize speed and experimentation.
Implementation of IT in Organizations ► Make I.T. a key part of the company agenda
The biggest decision the company can make is to elevate I.T. to the ranks of the top-priority, highest- visibility opportunities for the corporation. The visibility alone will help keep the management team focused on every opportunity to build competitive advantage.
► Manage for value creation
The C.E.O. and the management team must decide whether (and if so, to what extent) they want to control I.T. costs and/or build capabilities with I.T. The key here lies in recognizing that this decision drives the entire opportunity to build competitive advantage with I.T., so it must line up with the corporation’s overall market strategy..
► Manage I.T. spending and investment priorities
After determining the overall investment strategy and the proper role of I.T., the company and management team must drive the implementation of the investment projects with a focus on demonstrable results.
► Deploy the best I.T. management model
This decision must be explicit and tied to the corporation’s potential to build competitive advantage with I.T. Accordingly, one of the three models mentioned earlier could be implemented.
ConclusionMost companies recognize that too much is at stake for any corporation to disregard the potential that I.T. represents in the emerging Information Age. While a corporation’s potential for leveraging I.T. to build competitive advantage will vary according to industry, competitive position and existing capabilities, the issues that ultimately force C.E.O.’s to take action will likely come from customers and competitors.
Companies now have before them a vast array of I.T. opportunities that can affect virtually every function and every capability in the corporate portfolio. To capitalize on these opportunities, C.E.O.’s must understand how they can use I.T. to achieve many fundamental goals and thereby build shareholder value. The early winners have already figured out that tomorrow’s opportunities for competitive advantage will be driven by information and the ability to use it, in real time, across an increasingly complex, global landscape.
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