The topic of website security is seldom brought up among non-programmers and those who may not be technically inclined, yet if you operate a website, it is an issue of substantial concern to you.

Addressed in this article is a nearly universal problem, it affects almost every single PHP or CGI script I’ve ever seen. We won’t delve into the technical issues too far, this is intended for the web site owner, someone who might install the occasional PHP file or CGI script. I will assume you are not a software developer.

A general rule I like to follow when installing php scripts or web applications is this: If it doesn’t need to be on the web, it shouldn’t be there. This is obvious, but it has implications that are not always clear.

What we are mainly referring to is configuration and to a lesser extent, program libraries and source code. It may also apply to files and other resources that are controlled through a script interface. An example of this would be scripts that charge money for downloading files or set up newsletters.

Lets start with an example, we’ll call it program.php. In our example, program.php is a database application using mysql to store information.

For our script to do it’s job, it will need access to your mysql password and user-name. It may also need access to many other program files and so-forth.

During installation, a control panel probably asked for your mysql credentials, it may even have asked you to change the file permissions on a configuration file of some so

What it will do next, is write your database password and other private information to a configuration file. This usually happens without your knowledge, it is also where our problems begin.

Most people don’t catch this right away, if the configuration file is in the same directory (or sub-directory) it is web accessible. Quite often it is a php file, usually with write permissions turned on.

The extension .php does afford some degree of protection, under normal circumstances these files aren’t sent to a visitors browser but it is still unsafe.

If someone makes a slight mistake in the configuration or .htaccess file, it will dump the actual contents of “conf.php” to the users web browser, complete with your database password and other private information.

As anyone who has been around web servers very long can tell you, this is a common occurrence. I’ve personally seen it happen on several occasions.

Furthermore, many other web editing tools need to create backup files, resulting in something like config.php.BAK or perhaps config.php.tmp.

We now have a file ripe for hackers and other would-be intruders to gain access to your mysql database passwords as well as any other private information kept there.

What is most alarming is that almost every single off the shelf web based program exhibits this very problem in some form or another.

You may ask yourself why a competent software designer would do such a thing? Why is it so common?

The answer is simplicity and market value. Customers demand software that is easy to install. It is actually done this way for your convenience.

Scripts that store everything in one directory make it easy for you, the website owner, to install and manage. Web software customers have come to demand this sort of thing.

Most software designers are aware of this problem, this is why they often choose to write configuration into a .php file, it gives you some protection at the expense of introducing other potentially security problems we won’t cover here.

While java servlet technology provides WEB-INF/ (a secure place to store this type of information) most PHP or CGI environments do not offer such an environment.

Furthermore some web servers use something called “safe mode” which is a misguided attempt to make PHP “secure”, operating in this mode forces a software developer to write insecure programs in the manner I’ve just outlined.

For those of you who have inspected your website, good job! you’ve probably discovered you do have this problem. The next question is “What can be done”?

The correct approach is to relocate your configuration files (and any other information that shouldn’t be web accessible) to a place safely outside your document root (sometimes called your “web folder”) after you have done this, you shouldn’t be able to access the files with a web browser, not even with a password.

I generally like to use the HOME directory, but it doesn’t matter as long as it’s safely kept well away from the prying eyes of would-be hackers.

With many scripts, this is not very practical, particularly if you have already installed them. At this point, damage control may be your only option.

If you’re using apache, you can give yourself some added protection in the form of an .htaccess file, this is still not not secure, but it’s certainly better than nothing at all. In “safe” mode, this may be your only option.

There are also things you can do via the language itself, but I won’t cover them here.

After you have done this, it is important to make a note to yourself about it. When backing up your website, you will need to include not only the web pages, but these other files that you now have safely tucked outside your web directory.

If you are unable to solve the problem, (for example the web script won’t allow you to locate these files elsewhere) Simply being aware of it can go a long way toward protecting your website from future attackers. Now that you know, you can keep an eye out for any backup files that may have been created by other tools.

Try not to be too tough on whoever wrote the program, chances are they chose to do it this way for the convenience of their users. I can attest from first hand experience, if you don’t store configuration data this way, customers can become annoyed and rarely understand your reasoning.

Jamie H.

Author Bio

Jamie is an entrepreneur with GenieGate.com,
specializing in UNIX based consulting and web technology for small to mid-size companies.

No related posts.

Released in February of 2008, the Samsung J700 is a sliding mobile phone in shiny black casing that weighs only 92 grams. It’s quite affordable and, despite its cheaper price, the Samsung J700 packs in some very good mobile phone features. It comes with a 2-inch 65k color display and a maximum resolution of 128×160 pixels to better view the numerous features of this tri-band network mobile phone. At the side of the phone, there are several ports where a headset can be connected or a USB cable can be connected to sync with a PC. On the other side of the mobile phone, a dual volume key and memory card slot for the microSD can be found.  Slide up the phone and turn it around to catch a glimpse of the Samsung J700 1.3 megapixel camera. Its black casing ensures an elegant look that will not be smudged by fingerprints, keeping it clean. For purple lovers out there, the Samsung J700 also comes with a purple casing.

A Samsung J700 review isn’t complete without a review of its main mobile phone features. Be entertained with its sound and entertainment capabilities. Users will be able to download and play any game with this mobile including Java™ games. An FM radio and music player, which can play MP3, AAC, AAC+ and MIDI files, is also available to keep you dancing on your toes for up to 12 hours and 15 minutes of non-stop tunes.

Keep connected with its messaging, calling and connectivity features. Have no trouble sending out SMS messages to friends and colleagues and exchange photos and sound clips through multimedia messaging or

Spend hours talking on the Samsung J700, catching up with your family. Its standard rechargeable lithium ion battery allows for 2.5 hours of talk time or 250 hours on standby mode. Its tri-band network capability means it can be used in countries that cover a GSM 900, 1800 and 1900 networks, which includes Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. It doesn’t matter if the other person is in the next room or the next time zone. Talking to them is a breeze with this mobile phone. Store up to 1000 entries in the Samsung J700 phonebook to be able call any contact at the drop of a pin.

Check your email using its GPRS and WAP browser and transfer files via Bluetooth® or USB. Keep yourself in order with its organizing features, which include an alarm clock, calendar, clock and calculator.

And make new memories with its imaging features, including a 1.3 megapixel camera and a video recorder and player. It also comes with 10Mb of internal memory as well as a microSD™ memory card option that will never run out of space for the numerous photos and videos captured with the Samsung J700. The Samsung J700 can use either a 1GB or 2GB microSD™ memory card. The Samsung J700 also includes an image editor to tweak the photos taken with its camera.

The Samsung J700 mostly belongs in low-end markets as a mobile phone that anyone can afford. It packs in a lot of features but only offers a basic capacity of these features. Its sleek and elegant design can be deceiving but if all one needs is a mobile phone that can call or send messages just fine with the occasional media features, then the Samsung J700 is an affordable choice for them.

About the Author:
Find the best mobile phone deals and cheapest prices for the Samsung J700 at DialToSave. You can also read user submitted and editor written handset reviews, so take a look at the Samsung J700 Review today.

No related posts.

Nobody should lose their life or the life of a loved one to Asthma but sadly it happens. Each year, more than 4000 people do exactly that with the number rising each year.

Here’s 15 things about Asthma you need to know.

Stay Away From The Smokers: Or at the very minimum, avoid rooms full of cigarette smoke. If someone in the home smokes, it’s best if they are going to continue smoking to at least take it outside as the smoke can make the condition worse, especially for kids.

Put Another Log on The Fire, NOT: Same as cigarette smoke, a wood burning fireplace puts particles into the air which may further antagonize your asthma and lead to an attack. At the very lease, make sure your fireplace or stove is in good repair, air tight and everything is clean so nothing bothersome to your Asthma backs up into the room.

No Big Snacks Before Bedtime: Going to bed before allowing an adequate time for digestion can lead to an unwelcome visit of an Asthma attack. Especially important if you are one of those unlucky souls that battle with acid reflux as this can allow the stomachs fluids to back up and into your air way. You may try elevating your bed slightly and chew an antacid before calling it a night to help reduce the troubles caused from acid reflux.

Enjoy The Winter Through Your Window: Bitter cold air is a punishment waiting to happen. As nice as it may be to go out and throw snowballs at your unsuspecting friends and neighbors, those bitter cold days are b

Bring On The Snowball Ambush: Ok, so you’ve sat in the window drinking hot chocolate for hours and just can’t stand staying away from the raging snowball battle that is in full effect just outside of your perimeter and you feel it is your duty to come to the aid of your brave compadres. As you precisely gear up in battle attire that would pass any military inspection, don’t forget your most important weapon in the battle against Asthma, a scarf. Wrapping your nose and mouth keeps you from breathing the cold air directly and the air you are breathing has been warmed by your breath.

Sell Everything And Move: You’ve heard this before, move to a dry, warm climate like Arizona and live out the rest of your life taking in the painted pastel colors nature paints across the sky every evening for those Asthma sufferers that have been sentenced to live out their lives far, far away from everything they know and love. Now, unless you just want to get away from things, it is unnecessary to uproot and move across the country. While many years ago, the air was of a better quality than it is now and it your asthmatic condition may even be made worse there in some cases.

Correctly Adjust Your Cars A/C Settings: Placing the setting on recirculation rather than outside air can help keep the pollens and other asthma triggers out of your car where it belongs.

Shorten Your Grocery Shopping List: Certain foods are known to aggravate asthma symptoms, some of these foods are eggs, milk, seafood and nuts. If you feel these common foods may contribute to your asthma condition, try removing them from the menu and see if your condition improves.

Let Someone Else Do The Cooking: It’s not even necessary to eat these foods to bring on an asthma attack, just smelling the foods as they are cooking can be enough to trigger a reaction. You may be one of these people who enjoy cooking and can’t stand the thought of this. Several conditions have been mentioned before this point and more will be brought up later in this article. Not all of them may apply to your specific asthmatic condition. Pay attention to what you are doing and what is going on around you when an attack comes on. If you will take notes, a pattern may emerge and you will be more effective in controlling those contributing conditions.

Buy A Smaller Salt Shaker: If you’ve read through any other articles for other health problems people face, you may have started to notice by now that salt seems to keep popping up. While it certainly tastes great on a cold slice of watermelon among other things, salt could prove to be deadly to asthma sufferers. Studies have shown a significant relation between the amount of salt consumed and those that suffered fatal asthmatic incidents.

Avoid Certain Food Additives: Two additives in particular, metabisulfite and quite possibly MSG (Monosodium glutamate) can bring on an asthma attack. It’s common to find metabisulfite in shrimp, wine, beer and dried fruits. When dining out, you should ask your server whether MSG or metabisulfite as been added in food preparation, if it has, alert them to the fact that you are asthmatic and ask that it not be added to your meal.

Beware Of Aspirin: Asthma sufferers with polyps and sinusitis should avoid non-steroidal anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen or aspirin, these can make your asthma much worse and possibly even cause death. This sensitivity to aspirin can just suddenly develop so it’s best to be on the safe and opt for an acetaminophen based product instead.

Be Sure To Correctly Use Your Inhaler: Make sure you fully understand how to use your inhaler to receive maximum benefit of the medication. You should be holding the inhaler about an inch from your mouth and while taking a deep breath spray the inhaler. Continue taking in your breath after receiving your dose and then keep the dose in your lungs for several seconds before exhaling. You should not see any mist from the inhaler in your exhale.

Have A Hot Cup Of Java: If you ever find yourself in the position of not having your inhaler with you at a time you feel an asthma attack is imminent you should try and locate yourself a cup of coffee as quickly as possible. Allergists suggest a couple cups of strong coffee may help prevent the attack. Alternatively, you could take caffeine pills if they are more readily available, most pharmacies stock these supplements. While caffeine should not be considered a reliable substitute for your inhaler, caffeine and the asthma medication, Theophylline are nearly identical. Other known sources of caffeine strong enough to allow time to get to your medication are chocolate bars and hot chocolate.

Get Your Daily Dose Of Vitamin B6: Studies have shown that taking approx 50mg of B6 daily can aid in the reduction of the severity in asthma attacks. Though 50mg of B6 is considered a safe dosage, it is always advised that you consult with your Dr before starting any supplement regimen.

As I’ve stated above, Asthma tends to leave a trail of crumbs which you should be able to follow to it’s source. Rare is the case where Asthma simply appears from nowhere for no apparent reason. Keeping a log of attacks and making a note of anything that may have contributed to the attack can help you work to prevent future occurances by eliminating the sources.

The Herbal Remedies Store – Buy 2 Get 1 FREE on ALL herbal remedies. (Now offering *FREE shipping.)

Backed by our 1 year money back guarantee, our herbal remedies are formulated by experts in the field of natural health and are manufactured in an FDA-registered facility, using cGMP manufacturing practices and backed by our Full Spectrum Approach™ for maximum safety and effectiveness.

For the latest news and articles in homeopathic treatment or to browse our large selection of herbal remedies products, visit The Herbal Remedies Store now.

No related posts.

Reporters Note Book

Campaign Trail Diary

Tuesday – 11:30 A.M.

Nasua New Hampshire

- I’m sitting down at a lunch counter café in down town Nasua New Hampshire, nursing my tenth cup of coffee while waiting for Hillary Clinton to arrive. The short order cook is busy in the back flipping over egg’s and bacon on a hot grill as Sally, the lone waitress in this joint, is carrying plates in both hands and delivering it to the two burly looking steel workers sitting next to the entrance. Immediately they begin to gobble down their luscious, beautiful breakfast while I sat there and watched, trying to keep the excess saliva from drooling out of the corners of my mouth.

Sally, an old coot of a girl, is getting angrier at me by the minute because of my flagrant abuse of the free coffee refill policy. She has already sensed the scorch marks of poverty that radiate from my being and she knows that no matter how good the service or how big the smile, that there will be no substantial tip forth coming. In her eye’s I am no longer worthy of the courtesy of being asked for a refill. I must humiliate myself by standing up and getting it myself which is a signal to everyone else in the joint that I have no money. In their eye’s I’m not a hard working journalist trying to crank out the truth, I’m seen as a no good dead beat bum, which considering the publication I work for, is unfortunately very close to t

Sitting back down with my cup of steaming java, I shake sugar out of a clogged sugar jar and glance over at the other patrons sharing the counter space with me. I’m reminded by their cold stares that I’m a stranger here, and if not for the Constitution, I would probably be cast out and stoned to death in the public square. Reaching over for a roll in the bread basket I hear a small sub sonic boom as Sally smacked my hand with a fly swatter and scolded me by barking out, “He dead beat!. The rolls ain’t free “.

01:30 P.M.

Clinton people call and explain that Hillary ate some bad brisket and has been vomiting all morning. They apologize for any inconvenience and promise to send an autographed picture. Immediately following the call, the owner of the Café comes over and tells me to leave.

04:00 P.M.

I just picked up my expense envelope and discovered that my no good son-of-a-bitch of an editor gave me 100 dollars and a book of happy meal certificates to cover 10 days of hotels and meals. I’ve also been informed that my bus ticket is one way. No story, no return ticket.

Wednesday

09:30 A.M.

Went to the Clinton office downtown and tried to obtain press credentials. Clinton people said they never heard of the Washington Toast and call security to have me escorted out of the building.

11:00 A.M.

Showed up at a pro Hillary rally at a local high school and slip in a side entrance. Inside, I actually got close enough to see Hillary waving and shaking hands with the teeming throngs of cheering teenagers who were attending the staged, serve it up to the press rally. Thinking I had pulled off a coup, I tried to inch my way closer.

Upon my first step toward Hillary, I Felt a hand on my shoulder. Looking up I see four pairs of dark sunglasses. The lips under one pair of the sunglasses move and ask me for my non existent press credentials while the other pair of sunglasses rifle through my backpack, briefly pausing and gagging as they come across my used undies which had been fermenting in my bag for the past week. Following a brief verbal exchange where I tried to plead my case, I was ejected from the event. For some perverted reason that kept the undies.

Thursday

02:30 P.M.

It’s as cold as fuck outside, and since I didn’t bring a decent coat I spent most of my time looking for someplace warm to sit and write. I used the last of my happy meal certificates and bought a burger which I accidently dropped on the floor where it was stepped on and rendered uneatable by a four hundred pound big mac stuffing, size 15 shoe size wearing mother fucker. Sinking deeply into despair I ate my fries and a half eaten burger left by a previous occupant of my booth. By accepting this assignment with the Toast I knew that I had reached the rim of the toilet as far as my career was concerned, but I had to remember that no matter who I worked for, I was still a journalist and I had a responsibility to do the story.

02:20 P.M.

Ejected from the Mc Donalds.

4:00 P.M.

Trying to maintain my integrity as a journalist I decided to canvas the neighborhood to get peoples opinions on the up coming primaries. First door I knock on this old man comes from around back brandishing a shot gun and tells me to get the hell off of his property. Having no desire to pull buck shot out of my ass I departed the vicinity.

On my second attempt I knock on the door and as I’m standing there, I look down and this mutt looks up at me, opens his mouth, and throws up on my foot. The owner comes out and throws me out of the house for making her dog barf.

On my third try I knock and the door pushes open. I stick my head inside and there is a couple having sex on the floor. The surprised copulators looks up and the man looks down at the girl and say’s ” Who is this ? Is this the guy you’ve been doing on the side !” Immediately I depart the vicinity, but not fast enough. The angry man comes running out of the house pulling his pants up shouting something about cutting off my wee, wee as the guy with the shotgun comes running around the corner and let’s me have it with a load of rock salt. The pellets bore into my hind end as the adrenaline rush reached my feet and I ran all the way back to the center of town and back into the sanctuary of McDonald’s.

6:35 P.M.

Once again, ejected from McDonald’s.

9:35 P.M.

Desperation had set in. I was hungry and in need of shelter and some kind of support from my paper. During a brief telephone conversation with one of my editors I got support, but not the kind I was hoping for. I was told that if I did not get the story, that my return bus ticket was not guaranteed. No story, no return trip. When I asked them to wire me enough money for a hotel room they told me that they had taken care of it and to check my e-mail.

Thinking that maybe I had these guys figured wrong, I found the nearest electrical outlet, which happened to be located in a Laundromat and plugged in my lap top and went on line. The e-mail was a list of homeless shelters.

Friday September 15

11:10 A.M.

Thoughts of finishing this story are long gone. My story now is that of survival. I checked into a hotel last night, and the hotel manager is outside the door pounding and shouting about the maxed out credit card I gave him. I have no money and no where to go except out a window that is a three story drop to the ground. My story is coming apart at the seams.

06:35 P.M.

I’m sitting on a toilet in the restroom of the downtown Grey Hound bus station pounding out these garbled notes into my faltering lap top to use in my court battle against the Washington Toast. There is a guy pounding on the door of my stall telling me to hurry up cause he’s got to go, and a few moments ago a hand reached under from the stall next to me and tried to steal my back pack. I’m pretty sure I broke the guys hand when I stepped on it with my foot and he let out a loud scream as he ran away.

I have no where else to turn. I must now pop the cd, and find a pawn shop that will give me enough money for my lap top to buy a ticket out of here. And for all of you at the Toast, I promise you, I’m going to torch your office, if and when I find it considering, you never gave me an address.

Editors Note – Henry disappeared the day this story was found by a bum with a broken hand. If you know where Henry is, please send us a e-mail at dctoast@aol.com

www.washingtontoast.com

Joey Thomas is an award winning Photo/Journalist/Producer working in the Washington
D.C. market for the past 20 years. Beginning his career as an assignment editor for a local television
affiliate, Joey Thomas went on to work as a photographer/editor for CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS.
For the past five years he has been working as a freelance producer/photographer producing the
documentary on bio-terrorism title “Anthrax For Breakfast”, “Kids and Guns”, “24 Hours of
Daytona” and “The New Mash”. As a credentialed White House photographer and a general
assignment producer, Joey Thomas has covered most of the major breaking stories during the past
two decades. He has received awards for his coverage of the guerilla wars in Central America and
most recently received a Telly award for a documentary produced on the threat of biological
terrorism. He is also publisher of the washingtontoast.com a popular satire/humor website

No related posts.

By: meenu1
The terms web designer and web developer are used interchangeably in the media and advertisements. But, they are not the same thing. Design involves what the visitor sees on your website, development involves the siteâ??s functionality. This article explores the difference between these two disciplines.

A website contains several distinct aspects:

* Look and feel â?? primarily the graphics, color scheme, navigation elements, etc.

* Content â?? information, products, etc available on the site.

* Functionality â?? functionality includes interactive features that the web site provides to the visitors and the required infrastructure needed to provide them.

* Usability â?? the site from a visitorâ??s perspective and includes things like program interactions, navigation and usefulness.

Look And Feel

Look and feel includes overall appearance of the website. A Graphic designer decides on what colors and fonts to use and how to layout each of the sites pages. For more details visit to www.javascript-magic.com .The graphic designer needs to have a good appreciation for aesthetics and feeling for what combinations of colors and imagery will project the image that the website owner wants visitors to have of the site.

Content

Content is all of the text that is found on a website and includes everything from the privacy policy to a very persuasive sales letter extolling the benefits of a product and asking the visitor to part with their hard earned money and everything in between. If it is written text then it is part of the content. You need a copywriter and editor to create good content.

Functionality

Functionality includes all of the interactive aspects of a web site and includes animation. The common denominator is that programmers using the various web programming languages that work either on a web server or in a web browser create all of these functions.

Flash can be used to animate graphics. Perl, php and java are programming languages used on the web server to create sophisticated dynamic web pages. These pages can work independently but most commonly with a database to create all of the features we have come to expect from a website.

JavaScript is used in browser to create a lot of cool effects such as swapping images when a mouse moves over an image, â??ticker tapesâ??, links changing colors, etc. JavaScript works in the userâ??s web browser rather than on the web server.

There are also other â??backendâ?? applications that are transparent to the visitor such as form processing, content management and other administration programs that make it possible for non-programmers to maintain some aspects of the websiteâ??s data.

All of these programs have to be integrated into the HTML code to be used on the webpage.

Usability

Usability is the website viewed from the userâ??s point of view and involves mostly testing things like:

* Does the look and feel are actually portraying the proper image?

* Is the navigation is user friendly?

* Does the navigation lead the visitor to where the owner wants them to go?

* Does the site load quickly?

* Do the applications work properly?

Design Versus Development

Unfortunately, there is a lot of overlap and integration needed between web design and web development. When you toss in content creation and usability testing, it becomes a real mess.

Can a single individual do all of these things? There are some people who can do all of these things but most people only do one or two of the tasks.

Web design usually involves content creation and look and feel while web development involves creating the functionality and testing its usability.

Web designers need to be proficient with graphic design tools like Photoshop. Most also know HTML so they can implement their designs. However, using animation on the site and layout for the siteâ??s content are also part of the web designerâ??s responsibility. For more information logon to www.google-friendly-page.com .Many site owners provide the content for the website but a web designer needs to be able to edit and even rewrite the content if necessary. Web designers also normally do the usability testing for the navigation and site loading speed.

Web development programmers create the functionality for the website, but all of that functionality must be integrated into the HTML pages on the site. Alternatively, the HTML content could also be integrated into the program. Web developers also do usability testing on the site, at least for the functionality they create. So the programmer also needs to have some HTML knowledge as well.

In either case the web designer and web development programmer need to work together to assure that the website does everything that the site owner requested.

Bottom Line â?? Only large companies can afford to hire separate experts in graphic design, content creation, programming and usability testing when building a new website. In most other cases, the web designer and web development programmer are two different people who must work together to create a successful website.

www.html-lockdown.com www.instant-video-streamer.com


meenu1

No related posts.

By: Curt Miller
Working from home can indeed be extremely gratifying, but home businesses certainly present their own unique set of challenges.  The day’s first minutes and hours really do have a profound effect on the entire day’s productivity.  Here’s how to get the ball rolling down the right path with 6 fail proof ways to start the day on the right foot…

1.  Start Early

Imagine adding an extra hour or two of pristine quiet time to the beginning of your day.  Some find it incredibly inspiring to start the day by watching the morning sunrise.  Others just appreciate getting a few things done while basking in the peace and quiet before the kids are all up and at ‘em. 

I know it’s just way too easy to just roll over and hit the snooze button in the morning, but to make getting up early possible, try setting an alarm clock in the next room or someplace where you’ll actually have to get up and out of bed to turn it off.  All it takes is those initial 30 seconds of out of bed shock to wake up.  And of course going to bed at a reasonable time also helps.

2.  Launch a Routine

The old adage says it takes 21 days to form a habit, but you can do it in a week if you try.  Be consistent with your morning routine, doing the same thing every single workday morning.  I know it sounds monotonous, but we’re creatures of habit and after awhile, the process becomes uniquely comforting.

For home workers, treating work seriously is paramount, just like the traditional office experience.  But don’t fret… you can relax knowing that the after breakfast morning commute only involves a flight of stairs from the kitchen to the home office!

3.  Exercise for Energy

Wake up and get the adrenaline pumping.  There is no better way than vigorous exercise.  If you tend to be the groggy type, your mind will be as clear as a bell after a lively 30 minute morning walk.  Plus, exercise first thing in the morning is an excellent time to contemplate and mentally plan the day’s workflow.  If you can only embrace one of these six tips, exercising is undoubtedly the best one to get your day moving with momentum.

4.  Read Regularly 

Try wrapping up your daily morning exercise by reading a passage or a chapter from a book that’s inspiring to you.  You’ve seen the “heartwarming story of the day” books, but you might also consider a book pertinent to your niche in business – whatever works for you to get your mind racing and your creative juices flowing.

Consider this – only ten minutes of reading a day and you’ll find yourself finishing a non-fiction book about every two weeks.  That’s 26 books a year.  It’s been said that reading 3 books on one topic makes you an expert for that subject.  Imagine the possibilities.

5.  Hold the Mail 

As a stay-at-home worker, what’s your first distraction of the day?  For most of us, the answer is checking email or reading the news.  Read this, then click on that – one tangent leads to another and before long, lunchtime is already here.

The best thing you can do is hold off on all of your daily email, blogs, and news until a set time in the afternoon or later.  Once you train yourself to dive right in and begin with the most challenging task of the day right from the get go, you’ll find yourself getting more done before your second cup of morning java than you did in a whole day before adopting this methodology.

6.  Pencil a Plan

Okay, this step really comes at the end of the day, but it paves the way for starting off right tomorrow.  As soon as you’ve finished your set tasks for the day, make your list of 6 or so things to do tomorrow.  By completing this the day before, you’ll be able to hit the ground running in the morning instead of trying to figure out what you need to do next.  The list works especially well if you plan to reward yourself with leisure time or relaxation when you’ve finished your daily work.

Start the day on the right foot and before long, you’ll be succeeding like never before.  It pays to make morning time your best friend!

Curt Miller spends his time working at home online with his computer – showing others how to get paid to post classified ads.

No related posts.

This article is also available as a Podcast on “The ROOT Cause” available on iTunes. Written and Narrated by Barry Koplowitz.

This is the second of two articles discussing the topic of Test Environments and Testing Practices. The first one, “Baselining–Stress Testing–Performance Testing–Oh My–Part One–Environments,” focused on proper testing environment design. This article is focused on what you do with them once they have been created–Network and Application Testing.

When one is performance testing, what is REALLY being tested? Is it the Application, the Network, the Desktop, the WAN? Having done a performance test of one, do you then know something about the others? Not really.

What is the difference between Stress Testing, Load Testing and Baselining? Are they just different ways to say the same thing? No.

What, if any, is the consequence of using these terms interchangeably? After all, we all know what we mean–don’t we? It is common for various teams that are really trying to cooperate with each other to founder. Sometimes it is because they thought that they had all agreed with each other–but discovered that each of them had a very different understanding of what is was to which they had all agreed. Semantics matter. This is not limited to IT by any means, yet, this article is focused on IT–one very specific part of IT, namely the processes used by IT to Test Performance.

TESTING DEFINITIONS:

Baseline Testing: Focus is on how

Only a single user is tested. Best if can be done SAFELY during production hours. After all, that is when users will experience any issues. A baseline that tells how the transaction functions under ideal conditions will only make any production environment seem too slow.

- Test from each satellite location (if applicable).

- Use a Packet- Sniffer running locally to the test user. Something like Wireshark running on the

host PC–if using live test users.

- A packet-sniffer like WireShark listening to a port mirror in a switch in front of the device running the script–if using a form of virtual user.

- Capture the transaction while testing.

- Save capture, test again.

BESTline Testing: (Our Term), describes a test that is performed to determine the best possible time an application can be reasonably expected to provide.

- Attempts to eliminate all non-application issues such as the Network and WAN.

- Use workstation most local to first tier servers

- If possible, relocate switch port for workstation onto the same ASIC.

- If possible, recreate the second and other tiers, as locally to the first tier as possible.

Application Profiling: Provides a packet level and protocol level description of what is taking place with an application–across a network wire.

- How many TCP connections are used?

- What is the nature of the communication at the packet level?

- Many small connections or a few large connections?

- What form of SMB is used?

- What is the size of the files it “must” transport such as DLLs, EXEs, Java Applets, etc.

- What are the size of required Cookies and Tokens?

- HTTP usage For example, POST or GET? etc.

- URLs

- May also result in an Interpath Application Flow Diagram.

Application Profiling will be the topic of a dedicated article/podcast soon.

Performance Testing: Focus is on DEV, QA, or UAT.

Stress Testing: Attempts to see how much a system can handle before the system degrades below acceptable parameters or fails. Utilizes simulated users generated by a tool such as LoadRunner or some other tool that generates virtual users.

Load Testing: Different than Stress Testing in that it attempts to induce Minimal Load. Steered towards a specific target based on a Capacity Planning goal.

Single Transactional Testing: Attempts to see exactly what is happening in a transaction from the packet level.

- May involve many monitoring locations along the application’s pathway.

- Requires in-depth packet analysis, but provides the best possible vision of how the application is performing the transaction(s) in question.

If one team is planning a Stress Test, but calling it a Baseline Test– would it matter? Well, do they intend to try it in PROD? Ouch! You probably wouldn’t want any kind of load in PROD. What if they really meant Baseline, but said Stress Test? While their actions would be safe, someone would jump up on a chair and say, “Stop!” That could damage team rapport and cause long and unnecessary delays.

Creating valid testing environments and then designing appropriate test plans are critical to creating stable architecture and applications. Many IT organizations of all sizes do not have what they need in this regard.

What about a real lab? Do you do any form of Device Certification on new load balancers, or WAN Optimizers, or Switches, or Routers, or Firewalls, or NIDS, or other Testing Tools themselves? Accurate testing, (accurate being the key word here) is far less common than it should be.

Of course, now you have another question. What about Capacity Planning?

Barry Koplowitz founded Interpath Technologies Corporation in 1999. He was an instructor for Network General and NAI traveling around the USA teaching for Sniffer University and is a executive consultant to large enterprise environments in the area of Processes-Network/Application Analysis and Troubleshooting. He is the writer and host of The ROOT Cause podcast. http://www.interpathtech.com

No related posts.

Forrester’s Mike Gilpin wrote in his blog: – QUOTE – ‘Just as Greek philosophers tried to explain the ancient world in terms of the four classical elements of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air – with the fifth element of Aether defining the invisible context in which they exist – software architects in the digital world work in disciplines that are centered around four basic elements – Process, Service, Event, and Information. However, I think we need a “unifying theory” of the digital world that brings these four elements together more closely……. What’s the problem? Well, a process can also be viewed as a service, an event is also information, etc. Plus, you can’t always say that the layer below is consumed/used by the layer above – sometimes the relationship runs in the opposite direction. So is this a situation akin to wave/particle duality? For you non-Physics types, this is the discovery from quantum physics that light exhibits properties of both waves and particles, and so is really neither, purely – it is what it is, and sometimes it seems like a wave, and other times it seems like a particle.’ – UNQUOTE -

I think this is a very good basis for a discussion. Obviously I have a few remarks: On the subject of the wave/particle duality, there is no such thing. Simply because there is no particle. Mass is no more than another form of energy interaction. The duality is created by how you interact with the energy. The receiver is as important as the sender in defining what happens a

What the four elements of an application are seen as too depends on how you interact with them. While I agree with the need to structure applications, I personally feel that both BPM and SOA are overrated as flexible means to choose the interaction needed. Both require rigidity in implementation so why should they offer more agility? Just because they are standard? A standard is always a limitation and usually outdated. Yes, maybe they are more flexible than straight Java coding …

Process should not be seen as a rigid procedure but a goal-driven assembly of information (including CONTENT!!) based on metadata (from a repository), interfaced with data federation or backend services (from a registry with SOA or not), controlled by state/event progression (with complex event discovery), and constrained by business rules. That would be the four core elements I see. But you need two more things as a solid base like physics needs the aether (that even Einstein had to come back to). The state/event controlled process container has to be authorized by organizational role/policy (security) definitions and you need presentation services (into GUI and content!) to interact with the user. No role authorization & no presentation = no application!

Mike is right: all these elements need to be related to each other, but that depends on how you want to manage each individual application. In the ISIS Papyrus Platform we solved it by assembling applications in an object-relational database, allowing dynamic changes of relations at any time. There is no single exhaustive model that will work for everything. We need to give up reductionism in IT as in physics. I go with Nobel laureate Robert B. Laughlin who says that in nature complex systems are emergent and can not be causally predicted from its parts. I do agree with Mike that IT planners can learn something from physics (like everyone) and that is why emergent, chaotic social-computing on the Internet does more than all the hard-coded applications on this planet.

The social-computing thought takes us a step further. While we need to learn from nature, we need to remember at all times that we do applications for humans and not for a business or to create processes. Seen from a human perspective, BPM and SOA are to agility what communist and socialist governments are to freedom and free markets. Business users need to enjoy the freedom to perform processes any way they see fit to achieve the business goals. Obviously they need to stay inside the game rules of government which therefore requires full auditing and reporting.

Amazingly enough, the above are the development specs (just in less technical terms) for the Papyrus Platform, the first version of which I wrote in 1996.

Max J. Pucher is the founder and current Chief Architect of ISIS Papyrus Software, a globally operating company that specializes in Artificial Intelligence for business process and communication. He has written several books, frequently speaks and writes on IT and holds several patents.

No related posts.

ld you prefer – working for the rest of your life and getting paid with miserable monthly salary or working only once but continued to be paid for the rest of your life?

If you work only once and get paid many times over, you’re earning a “residual” income. Of course you would and should choose the latter.

Therefore in order to build wealth, you need to tap into “residual” income.

Very often this is also referred to as “passive” income because you could afford to be passive or non-active (i.e. not having to work) and still continue to receive income.

Many of us have been brought up to have only one major objective in life – that is to get a good job for life! We work hard in schools so that we could get good grades to advance to colleges and universities where we work even harder so that you could get a good and secured “job”. And this quest is never ending leading many to fall into the trap of “rat race” despite the fact that many could be drawing quite a handsome salary!

However many of these so-called “rich” employees are not “free’ to spend badly needed valuable time with members of their families because of their very demanding jobs. Even medical doctors could not really relax and enjoy a long vacation for fear of the loss of income or patients while their clinics remain closed.

With the huge and expanding audience (600 millions, at least), many companies have now aligned themselves with the Internet which has

Many programs have been designed for new Internet marketers who have no time or interest to learn HTML, Java, PHP and ASP. With a simple Control Panel, they are only a few clicks away from having a complete and professional website to start your online Internet home-based business! There is absolutely no worry about computer programming, webpage design and product creation! Affiliate programs make life so much easier now.

This includes credit card authorization, order fulfilment, product shipping, and customer service. Also, there is no worry about inventory. There is no staff to hire and pay, no merchant accounts to set up, and no costly and time-consuming application process for licenses and permits to go through.

Sometimes a fully functional website could be created free of charge. It captures visitors automatically and follows up with them 24 hours a day and 30 days per month for 365 days a year! The visitors’ names and email addresses are automatically recorded and follow-up automatically with a pre-written email marketing campaign. The following is a general guide one can follow in order to develop good habits for achieving one’s goals:

1) Create A Plan

We should have a plan to set an achievable short term, medium term and long term objectives, prepare a budget and stick to them as far as possible. Carry out periodical checking to determine any deviations from the plan and take the necessary remedial actions.

2) Good Organisation Skill

We need to download a lot of software, ebooks or PDF books from specific individuals or organizations for your continued education along with a lot of contacts that could be our potential leads or customers. We therefore need to have a systematic procedure to keep all these vital information and data in the right and proper folders for efficient and ease of retrieving without waste of time.

3) Be Consistent

Do not fall into the trap of countless of seemingly very attractive offers promises that you would inevitable encounter. Stay consistent with a handful of strategies that work and stick with them.

4) Be Focused

Once you have decided to start working online, you must stay focused and do not allow any distraction to affect your concentration. Stick to a schedule but do not get carried away and spend too much time in front of your PC because your loved ones, including deserve your attention and time too.

5) Be Steadfast And Persevere

Failures and disappointment would be inevitable. Do persevere as this is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes time to see the fruit of you effort although it’d definitely come. Use any failures to your advantage by learning from them.

See success in every failure and opportunity in every threat. Passive income from Internet business is a real possibility!

John Woon (Sung-Liang Woon) is a Rubber and Latex Consultant with about 30 years of experience. He is now also earning handsome income from the Internet working from home. Check this fantastic website to find out how he has ventured into Internet business: http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-9747 … Learn more about his website and blog at: http://www.johnwoon.com and http://healthysite.blogspot.com

No related posts.

he proposed specification is of a J2ME Profile that covers nine areas of game development:

1. 3D Modeling and Rendering for Games

2. 3D Physics Modeling for Games

3. 3D Character Animation for Games

4. 2D Rendering and Video Buffer Flipping for Games

5. Game Marshalling and Networked Communication

6. Streaming Media for Games

7. Sound for Games

8. Game Controllers

9. Hardware Access for Games

These nine areas above provide the core facilities of a game platform. To build that platform, the expert group intends to leverage existing APIs whenever possible. In the event that no existing APIs cover the required functionality (e.g. Physics Modeling for Games), the expert group will define new APIs or spin off new JSRs to define new APIs that the Games Profile will include by reference. In some cases modifications to existing APIs might be desirable to meet the unique requirements of a game platform. In this case one of two approaches will be taken:

1. A proposal describing requirements and suggested changes to an API will be made to the expert group responsible for the pertinent API. If the changes can be agreed to and can be adopted in a maintenance release in a timely fashion, the Games Profile expert group will work closely with the other expert group to produce the change. The Games Profile would then incorporate the maintenance revision of the existing API by reference.

2. If suitable modification to the existing API isn’t feasible then the Game Profile expert group will create

Game developers are extremely concerned about performance and as such look for ways to determine the capabilities of a particular platform This expert group will also investigate metrics that are relevant to games and look for ways to use those metrics in characterizing implementations.

2.2 What is the target Java platform? (i.e., desktop, server, personal, embedded, card, etc.)

A goal of the Games Profile is scalability across a range of devices. This profile is targeted at high-end consumer game devices (based on the CDC and Foundation Profile) and desktops (J2SE). However the expert group intends to focus on J2ME platforms with a likely reference implementation on the CDC.

2.3 What need of the Java community will be addressed by the proposed specification?

There is growing interest in targeting the Java platform for game development. Java technology has much to offer game developers, from improvements in reliability and time-to-market of game development efforts, to device independence and platform scalability. To date, however, there has not been a focus on optimizing Java technology for development and play of sophisticated games.

Most game development shops are small companies that cannot afford to focus efforts on more than one or two of today’s proprietary platforms. The resulting games are tied to specific devices, and are relatively fragile. Overall, game development and maintenance costs are skyrocketing. By defining a Java Games Profile we will create a standard through which game developers can better leverage their development investment, prevent lock-in, and broaden their target market.

2.4 Why isn’t this need met by existing specifications?

In order to program cutting-edge games for the Java platform the developer needs access to APIs representing functionality that is not supported by existing profiles and editions. The needs of game developers are radically different from those of the markets Java technologies have addressed to date. The Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition, defines API and functionality that are not necessary in a game programming environment (e.g. CORBA support, etc.). Conversely, many functions that are considered ancillary extensions to a desktop use are required for game development (i.e. audio codecs, streaming video, hardware assisted 3D graphics, etc.). Existing J2ME profiles forgo many unnecessary APIs, but further reduce functionality (e.g. 2D support) to reduce footprint.

2.5 Please give a short description of the underlying technology or technologies:

This Profile will be based on the Connected Device Configuration (CDC) and probably the Foundation Profile. In addition it will likely reference Java 3D and Java Media Framework APIs.

Additional APIs will probably be added to provide missing functionality such as physics modeling, animation , and game marshalling.

2.6 Is there a proposed package name for the API Specification? (i.e., javapi.something, org.something, etc.)

Where new game-specific APIs must be defined, the proposed package name is javax.games.*. Should additional APIs be required that are anticipated to be reusable in other contexts (other profiles) they will be defined in non-game-specific packages in javax.*.

2.7 Does the proposed specification have any dependencies on specific operating systems, CPUs, or I/O devices that you know of?

None.

2.8 Are there any security issues that cannot be addressed by the current security model?

None.

2.9 Are there any internationalization or localization issues?

None.

2.10 Are there any existing specifications that might be rendered obsolete, deprecated, or in need of revision as a result of this work?

None. As stated above, if minor extensions to an existing specification would permit the games profile to use the existing specification in its entirety, the games profile expert group will explore the possibility of extending the existing specification with the expert group of that specification.

2.11 Please describe the anticipated schedule for the development of this specification.

We intend to have a publicly reviewable draft in Summer 2001. Within a year of that a reference implementation and TCK should be available with a final specification.

2.12 Please describe the anticipated working model for the Expert Group working on developing this specification.

Details of the functionality identified for this JSR have purposefully been left indistinct to allow the expert group to design the best solutions for the needs of their industry. That work has already begun with the discussions held at the first Java Gaming Platform summit meeting, on Dec 6 & 7, 2000 at the Sun Santa Clara campus and will continue by means of a closed email list and further virtual or face to face meetings as required.

It is anticipated that portions of the APIs might be identified as useful more generally than in the context of the Games Profile. We anticipate that such APIs could be spun off into independent JSRs, with their own expert groups potentially drawing members from outside the community of game developers. Such JSRs would then be incorporated into the Games Profile by reference.

No related posts.