EVERY RUN IS A GIFT, RUN LONG RUN STRONG..

ITIL Roles and Responisbility

2011-12-23T12:49:00.001+08:00

Lifecycle Management Model

The figure below represents the five domains of ITIL’s IT Service Lifecycle along with the people, process and products required to make each domain fulfill its ‘silo of purpose’ within the IT organization.

IT Service Strategy – Planning the IT Services

Service Strategy deals with the strategic analysis, planning, positioning, and implementation relating to IT service models, strategies, and objectives. It provides guidance on leveraging service management capabilities to effectively deliver value to customers and illustrate value for service providers.
The following people, process and products combine to make this a functional operating unit with IT:

People

Service Definition Manager
Service Research Manager
Financial Analysis Manager
Service Marketing Manager
Service Forecast Manager

Process

Portfolio Management
Financial Management
Demand Management

Products

Service Request & Planning Tools
Service Knowledge & Configuration Management Tools

IT Service Design –Modeling the IT Services

Service Design translates strategic plans and objectives and creates the designs and specifications for execution through service transition and operations.

People

Security Engineering Manager
Desktop Engineering Manager
Network Engineering Manager
Systems, Servers & Storage Engineering Manager
Applications Engineering Manager

Process

Service Catalogue Management
Service Level Management
Capacity Management
Availability Management
Continuity Management
Information Security Management
Supplier Management

Products

Service Catalogue Tools
Service Level Management Tools
Capacity Planning Tools
Service Modeling Tools
Service Knowledge & Configuration Management Tools

IT Service Transition - Implementing the IT Services

Service Transition provides guidance on the service design and implementation, ensuring that the service delivers the intended strategy and can be operated and maintained effectively.

People

Security Asset Manager
Desktop Asset Manager
Network Asset Manager
Systems, Servers & Storage Asset Manager
Applications Asset Manager

Process

Support & Transition Management
Change Management
Asset & Configuration Management
Release & Deploy Management
Validation Management
Evaluation Management
Knowledge Management

Products

Asset Management Tool
Service provision Tool
Run Book Task Automation Tools
Service Knowledge & Configuration Management Tools

IT Service Operation – Managing the IT Services

Service Operation provides guidance on managing a service through its day-to-day production life. It also provides guidance on supporting operations by means of new models and architectures such as shared services, utility computing, web services, and mobile commerce.

People

Security Operation Manager
Desktop Operations Manager
Network Operations Manager
Systems, Server & Storage Operations Manager
Applications Operations Manager

Process

Event Management
Incident Management
Problem Management
Fulfillment Management
Access Management
Service Desk Function Management
Service Operations Function Management
Technical Operations Function Management
Application Operations Function Management

Products

Service Desk with Incident Management Tool
Problem Management Tool
Event Management Tool
Run Book Technology Troubleshooting Tool
Run Book Application Troubleshooting Tool
Service Knowledge & Configuration Management Tools

IT Continual Service Improvement – Measuring the IT Services

Continual Service Improvement provides guidance on measuring service performance through the service life-cycle, suggesting improvements in service quality, operational efficiency and business continuity.

People

Service Measurement Manager
Quality Measurement Manager
Compliance Measurement Manager
Security Measurement Manager
Resource Measurement Manager

Process

IT Governance Management (using COBIT best practices)
IT Resource Management (using PMI methods)
IT Quality Management (using Six Sigma methods)
IT Security Management (using ISO standards)

Products

Compliance Management & Measurement Tools
Service Knowledge & Configuration Management Tools

Conclusion

Utilize the five domains of IT as ‘silos of purpose’ that speed the journey toward IT operational excellence by building three capabilities into the Business/IT alignment model:

Align service delivery team members (internal & external) with each ITIL V3 domain, in addition to their respective departmental and technological functions.
Build out both the ITIL process and the ITIL domain areas for each functional unit.
Select and implement the products that will automate any or all aspects of each functional unit and ITIL domain workflow and task requirements.

Open BSD 4: Packet Filtering Rules

2011-12-21T03:20:00.002+08:00

Open BSD is a unix like computer operating system descended from BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution) a unix derivative, for some reason it also is being compared to Gentoo Linux as both works in portages. Functions are similar only the execution of the command is different. Some configurations I have made for a RAS/FW/VPN Packet Filtering Open BSD Server.

IP Address:

PUBLIC
10.10.10.50 (xl0)
        10.10.10.51 (alias)
        10.10.10.52 (alias)
        10.10.10.53 (alias)
        10.10.10.54 (alias)
        10.10.15.1 (xl3)
PRIVATE
    172.16.100.1 (xl1)
    172.16.103.1 (xl2)

Partition Information
/           4000M

Firewall Configuration

1.         Edit sysctl.conf file (/etc), set net.inet.ip.forwarding=1 to activate IP forwarding.
2.         Edit rc.conf file (/etc), set pf = YES to enable packet filtering.
3.         Reboot server to activate OpenBSD packet filtering.
4.         Create pf.conf file (/etc)
            a.       Pfctl –e à enable packet filtering
            b.      Pfctl –d à disable packet filtering
            c.       Pfctl –f /etc/pf.conf à load pf.conf file
            d.      Pfctl –sa à show everything it can show re pf

Interface Cards

Ethernet Interface (xl0) -> 10.10.10.51
                                     10.10.10.51 (alias)
                                     (xl1) à 172.16.100.1
                                     (xl2) à 172.16.103.1
                                     (xl3) à 10.10.15.1

Current Packet Filter (PF) Configuration

# PF RULES
#Joseph Abasolo
#11/26/11
# PLEASE ADD COMMENT AFTER EACH EDIT
# JFA / Change RADIUS Ip Redirection from 10.10.10.51 to 10.10.10.51 / 112611
#
#

#Interfaces
ext_if="xl0"
ext_if2="xl1"
ext_if3="xl2"
ext_if4="xl3"

#Private LAN / Networks
lan_net="172.16.100.0/24"
lan_net2="172.16.103.0/24"
lan_net3="203.177.43.1/29"

#Internal Servers
radius="172.16.100.11"
INT_DMZ_SV01="172.16.100.12"
INT_DMZ_SV02="172.16.100.13"
isp_clients="{X.X.X.X}"
GW_FW="{ Y.Y.Y.Y}"
Dedic_IP="B.B.B.B"

#TCP/UDP services
#tcp_services="{21,22,25,80,110,113,123,443,1812}"
tcp_services="{21,25,80,110,1812,6667,9999}"
udp_services="{1645,1646,6667,9999}"

#options
set loginterface $ext_if
#scrub all incoming packets
#scrub in all

#NAT / Redirection
nat on xl0 from $lan_net to any -> xl0
nat on xl2 from 172.16.103.4 to any -> xl0
nat on xl2 from 172.16.103.5 to any -> xl0

#############################
# RADIUS PACKET REDIRECTION #
############################

#Singtel / Viettel / Indotel / Epsilon
#rdr on xl0 proto udp from $isp_clients to 10.10.10.51 port 1645 -> $radius port 1645
#rdr on xl0 proto udp from $isp_clients to 10.10.10.51 port 1646 -> $radius port 1646
rdr on xl0 proto udp from $isp_clients to 10.10.10.51 port 1645 -> $radius port 1645
rdr on xl0 proto udp from $isp_clients to 10.10.10.51 port 1646 -> $radius port 1646

#PCCW_PR
rdr on xl3 proto udp from cli.ent.ip.add to 10.10.15.1 port 1645 -> $radius port 1645
rdr on xl3 proto udp from cli.ent.ip.add to 10.10.15.1 port 1646 -> $radius port 1646

#PCCW_BK
rdr on xl0 proto udp from cli.ent.ip.add to 10.10.10.51 port 1645 -> $radius port 1645
rdr on xl0 proto udp from cli.ent.ip.add to 10.10.10.51 port 1646 -> $radius port 1646

#ANY (for TESTING PURPOSES)
#rdr on xl0 proto udp from any to 10.10.10.51 port 1645 -> $radius port 1645
#rdr on xl0 proto udp from any to 10.10.10.51 port 1646 -> $radius port 1646

#############################
# END OF RADIUS CONFIG #
############################

# INT_DMZ_SV01MAILER REDIRECTION (SMTP)
rdr on xl0 proto tcp from any to 10.10.10.51 port 25 -> $INT_DMZ_SV01 port 25
rdr on xl0 proto tcp from any to 10.10.10.51 port 80 -> $INT_DMZ_SV01 port 80
rdr on xl0 proto tcp from any to 10.10.10.51 port 110 -> $INT_DMZ_SV01 port 110
rdr on xl0 proto tcp from any to 10.10.10.51 port 1812 -> $INT_DMZ_SV01 port 1812

#RADIUS (WWW)
rdr on xl0 proto tcp from any to 10.10.10.52 port 80 -> $radius port 80
rdr on xl0 proto tcp from any to 10.10.10.52 port 21 -> $radius port 21
rdr on xl0 proto tcp from any to 10.10.10.52 port 22 -> $radius port 22
rdr on xl0 proto tcp from any to any port 49152:65535 -> $radius port 49152:65535

#PROXY SERVER (FIREWALL ITSELF)
rdr on xl2 proto tcp from $lan_net2 to any port www -> 127.0.0.1 port 8888

#HOSTING / (FTP,SMTP,WEB)
rdr on xl0 proto tcp from any to 10.10.10.51 port 21 -> $INT_DMZ_SV02 port 21
rdr on xl0 proto tcp from any to any port 49152:65535 -> $INT_DMZ_SV02 port 49152:65535
rdr on xl0 proto tcp from any to 10.10.10.51 port 25 -> $INT_DMZ_SV02 port 25
rdr on xl0 proto tcp from any to 10.10.10.51 port 80 -> $INT_DMZ_SV02 port 80

#Redirection SSH
rdr on xl0 proto tcp from any to 10.10.10.51 port 22 -> $INT_DMZ_SV02 port 22
rdr on xl0 proto tcp from any to 10.10.10.51 port 6667 -> $INT_DMZ_SV02 port 6667
rdr on xl0 proto udp from any to 10.10.10.51 port 9999 -> $INT_DMZ_SV02 port 9999

###############################
## FILTER RULZ STARTS HERE ##
##############################
block in log on xl0 all
block out log on xl0 all

#allow loopback
pass quick on lo0 all

#IN RULEZ
pass in on $ext_if proto tcp from any to any port $tcp_services keep state
pass in on $ext_if proto udp from any to any port {domain,ntp} keep state

#allow ssh (remote access)
pass in on xl0 proto tcp from $GW_FW to any port ssh keep state
pass in on xl0 proto tcp from $Dedic_IP to any port ssh keep state
pass out on xl0 proto tcp from any to any port ssh keep state

#FTP for HostFree
pass in on $ext_if proto tcp from any to any port > 49151 keep state
pass out quick on xl1 proto tcp from any to $HostFree port 21 keep state
pass out quick on xl1 proto tcp from any to $radius port 21 keep state
pass out quick on xl1 proto tcp from any to $radius port > 49151 keep state

#allow RADIUS Packets (in/out) from Viettel to APC-SG-01
pass in on $ext_if proto udp from any to $lan_net port $udp_services keep state
pass out on $ext_if proto udp from any to $lan_net port $udp_services keep state

#allow RADIUS Packets (in/out) from Singtel to APC-SG-02
pass in on $ext_if4 proto udp from any to $lan_net port $udp_services keep state
pass out on $ext_if4 proto udp from any to $lan_net port $udp_services keep state

#allow ICMP IN
pass in on $ext_if inet proto icmp all icmp-type 8 code 0 keep state

#OUT RULEZ

#allow ICMP OUT
pass out on $ext_if inet proto icmp all icmp-type 8 code 0 keep state

#allow all TCP/UDP OUT
pass out on $ext_if proto tcp all keep state
pass out on $ext_if proto udp all keep state

Abit of Open BSD skill I learned and implemented :D

Solaris 10: Containers

2011-12-20T20:32:00.006+08:00

Containers are are terms used in Solaris for virtual machines, parang yung tutorial ko lang sa Vservers for Gentoo only difference is this one is for Sun Solaris.

1. Create ZFS file-system for zones

# zfs create rpool/export/zones
# zfs list

NAME USED AVAIL REFER MOUNTPOINT
rpool 39.1G 94.8G 96K /rpool
rpool/ROOT 5.79G 94.8G 21K legacy
rpool/ROOT/s10s_u9wos_14a 5.79G 94.8G 4.59G /
rpool/ROOT/s10s_u9wos_14a/var 1.20G 94.8G 1.20G /var
rpool/dump 16.0G 94.8G 16.0G -
rpool/export 803M 94.8G 23K /export
rpool/export/home 803M 94.8G 803M /export/home
rpool/export/zones 21K 94.8G 21K /export/zones
rpool/swap 16.5G 111G 16K -

2. To create new zone run “zonecfg –z ” command.

The output would be like this:

# zonecfg -z zone1

zone1: No such zone configured
Use 'create' to begin configuring a new zone.

zonecfg:zone1> create
zonecfg:zone1>
zonecfg:zone1> set zonepath=/export/zones/zone1
zonecfg:zone1> set autoboot=true
zonecfg:zone1> set ip-type=exclusive
zonecfg:zone1>
zonecfg:zone1> add net
zonecfg:zone1:net> set physical=nxge0
zonecfg:zone1:net> end
zonecfg:zone1>
zonecfg:zone1> add net
zonecfg:zone1:net> set physical=e1000g1
zonecfg:zone1:net> end
zonecfg:zone1>
zonecfg:zone1> add device
zonecfg:zone1:device> match=/dev/nxge0
zonecfg:zone1:device> end
zonecfg:zone1>
zonecfg:zone1> add device
zonecfg:zone1:device> match=/dev/e1000g1
zonecfg:zone1:device> end
zonecfg:zone1>
zonecfg:zone1> add capped-memory
zonecfg:zone1:capped-memory> set physical=2G
zonecfg:zone1:capped-memory> end
zonecfg:zone1>
zonecfg:zone1> add rctl
zonecfg:zone1:rctl> set name=zone.cpu-shares
zonecfg:zone1:rctl> add value (priv=privileged,limit=20,action=none)
zonecfg:zone1:rctl> end
zonecfg:zone1>
zonecfg:zone1> add rctl
zonecfg:zone1:rctl> set name=zone.max-lwps
zonecfg:zone1:rctl> add value (priv=privileged,limit=1000,action=deny)
zonecfg:zone1:rctl> end
zonecfg:zone1>
zonecfg:zone1> add rctl
zonecfg:zone1:rctl> set name=zone.max-swap
zonecfg:zone1:rctl> add value (priv=privileged,limit=1073741824,action=deny)
zonecfg:zone1:rctl> end
zonecfg:zone1>
zonecfg:zone1> info

zonename: zone1
zonepath: /export/zones/zone1
brand: native
autoboot: true
bootargs:
pool:
limitpriv:
scheduling-class:
ip-type: exclusive
hostid:
[max-lwps: 1000]
[cpu-shares: 20]
inherit-pkg-dir:
dir: /lib
inherit-pkg-dir:
dir: /platform
inherit-pkg-dir:
dir: /sbin
inherit-pkg-dir:
dir: /usr
net:
address not specified
physical: nxge0
defrouter not specified
net:
address not specified
physical: e1000g1
defrouter not specified
device
match: /dev/nxge0
device
match: /dev/e1000g1
capped-memory:
physical: 2G
[swap: 1G]
rctl:
name: zone.cpu-shares
value: (priv=privileged,limit=20,action=none)
rctl:
name: zone.max-lwps
value: (priv=privileged,limit=1000,action=deny)
rctl:
name: zone.max-swap
value: (priv=privileged,limit=1073741824,action=deny)

zonecfg:zone1> verify
zonecfg:zone1> commit
zonecfg:zone1> exit
#

3. To install zone run “zoneadm -z install” command

# zoneadm -z zone1 install

A ZFS file system has been created for this zone.
Preparing to install zone .
Creating list of files to copy from the global zone.
Copying <2985> files to the zone.
Initializing zone product registry.
Determining zone package initialization order.
Preparing to initialize <1174> packages on the zone.

Initializing package <0> of <1174>: percent complete: 0%
Initializing package <1> of <1174>: percent complete: 0%
Initializing package <2> of <1174>: percent complete: 0%
Initializing package <3> of <1174>: percent complete: 0%
Initializing package <4> of <1174>: percent complete: 0%
Initializing package <5> of <1174>: percent complete: 0%
Initializing package <6> of <1174>: percent complete: 0%
Initializing package <7> of <1174>: percent complete: 0%
Initializing package <8> of <1174>: percent complete: 0%
Initializing package <9> of <1174>: percent complete: 0%
Initializing package <10> of <1174>: percent complete: 0%
Initializing package <11> of <1174>: percent complete: 0%
Initializing package <12> of <1174>: percent complete: 1%
Initializing package <13> of <1174>: percent complete: 1%
Initializing package <14> of <1174>: percent complete: 1%
Initializing package <15> of <1174>: percent complete: 1%
Initializing package <16> of <1174>: percent complete: 1%
Initializing package <17> of <1174>: percent complete: 1%
Initializing package <18> of <1174>: percent complete: 1%
Initializing package <19> of <1174>: percent complete: 1%
Initializing package <20> of <1174>: percent complete: 1%
Initializing package <21> of <1174>: percent complete: 1%
Initializing package <22> of <1174>: percent complete: 1%
Initializing package <23> of <1174>: percent complete: 1%
Initializing package <24> of <1174>: percent complete: 2%
Initializing package <25> of <1174>: percent complete: 2%
Initializing package <26> of <1174>: percent complete: 2%
Initializing package <27> of <1174>: percent complete: 2%
Initializing package <28> of <1174>: percent complete: 2%
Initializing package <29> of <1174>: percent complete: 2%
Initializing package <30> of <1174>: percent complete: 2%
Initializing package <31> of <1174>: percent complete: 2%
Initializing package <32> of <1174>: percent complete: 2%
Initializing package <33> of <1174>: percent complete: 2%
Initializing package <34> of <1174>: percent complete: 2%
Initializing package <35> of <1174>: percent complete: 2%

.
.

Initializing package <1162> of <1174>: percent complete: 98%
Initializing package <1163> of <1174>: percent complete: 99%
Initializing package <1164> of <1174>: percent complete: 99%
Initializing package <1165> of <1174>: percent complete: 99%
Initializing package <1166> of <1174>: percent complete: 99%
Initializing package <1167> of <1174>: percent complete: 99%
Initializing package <1168> of <1174>: percent complete: 99%
Initializing package <1169> of <1174>: percent complete: 99%
Initializing package <1170> of <1174>: percent complete: 99%
Initializing package <1171> of <1174>: percent complete: 99%
Initializing package <1172> of <1174>: percent complete: 99%
Initializing package <1173> of <1174>: percent complete: 99%
Initialized <1174> packages on zone.
Zone is initialized.
Installation of <1> packages was skipped.
The file contains a log of the zone installation.
#

I removed some of the output 2% to 97% less space... :D

7.To connect zone console run “zlogin -C ” command.

# zlogin -C zone1

[Connected to zone 'zone1' console]

Hostname: zone1

Loading smf(5) service descriptions: 1/157 .......... 157/157

Reading ZFS config: *done.

What type of terminal are you using?

....

8. Fill up information required for hostaname, IP adrees etc...

9. To disconnect zone console type “~.” Keyboard combination.

# zlogin -C zone1
[Connected to zone 'zone1' console]
Zone1 console login: ~.
[Connection to zone 'zone1' console closed]
[15:55:33 root@JUICESEEP_BOX:/ ]#

10. To cleanly shutdown the zone, run “zlogin shutdown” command.

Solaris 10: Patching

2011-12-20T20:11:00.001+08:00

OS Patching

1. PATCHSET Description

patchset is provided as a single zip file. For example, the zip file is named:

10_Recommended_CPU_2011-10.zip

Once the zip file has been downloaded, it may be extracted. For example, to extract this patchset in the current working directory, run:

# unzip -q 10_Recommended_CPU_2011-10.zip

2. PATCHSET Size

This patchset is delivered as a single zip file. The size of this file is approximately 1.9G.
In uncompressed form, the size of the patchset is approximately 4.8G.
SYSTEMS WITH LIMITED DISK SPACE SHOULD *NOT* INSTALL PATCHES.

3. Install Instructions

It is recommended to read each patch README before installing this patchset.
patchset can be installed on the active boot environment, or to an inactive boot environment using either the "-B" Live Upgrade flag, or the "-R" alternate root flag. The "-R" alternate root flag can be used to patch alternate boot environments that have been created manually and not necessarily via Live Upgrade.

Patching an inactive boot environment is recommended, because the downtime associated with patching is reduced and there's a simple fallback option if needed: reboot back into the original boot environment. Patching an inactive boot environment removes the need to follow a significant number of Special Install Instructions that would be required if you patched the active boot environment.

The install script will only execute when the passcode specified. passcode is provided in README file. This is a safety mechanism to ensure you have read README.

# cd 10_Recommended
# ./installpatchset -h

usage: installpatchset [-d] [-h] [-R alt-root-path|-B alt-boot-env]
[--apply-prereq] --
[-d] - don't save undo packages
[-h] - display this usage message
[-B alt-boot-env] - specify LU boot environment as target
[-R alt-root-path] - specify alternate root as target
[--apply-prereq] - apply prerequisite patches only
-- - passcode required for script execution
# ./installpatchset --

Setup ........
Recommended OS Patchset Solaris 10 SPARC (2011.09.14)
The patch set will complete installation in this session. No intermediate
reboots are required.

Travel: Old City of Hue, Viet Nam

2011-11-28T07:27:00.000+08:00

Old City of Hue, Viet Nam

Living Outside the Box

2011-08-17T00:30:00.000+08:00

Living in another country can be a cherished experience, but new research suggests it might also help expand minds. This research, published by the American Psychological Association, is the first of its kind to look at the link between living abroad and creativity.

“Gaining experience in foreign cultures has long been a classic prescription for artists interested in stimulating their imaginations or honing their crafts. But does living abroad actually make people more creative?” asks the study’s lead author, William Maddux, an assistant professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD and a former visiting assistant professor and post-doctoral fellow at the Kellogg School.

“It’s a longstanding question that we feel we’ve been able to begin answering through this research”

Maddux and Adam Galinsky, the Morris and Alice Kaplan Professor of Ethics and Decision in Management at the Kellogg School, conducted five studies to test the idea that living abroad and creativity are linked. The findings appear in the May issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association.

In one study, MBA students at the Kellogg School were asked to solve the Duncker candle problem, a classic test of creative insight. In this problem, individuals are presented with three objects on a table placed next to a cardboard wall: a candle, a pack of matches and a box of tacks. The task is to attach the candle to the wall so that the candle burns properly and does not drip wax on the table or the floor. The correct solution involves using the box of tacks as a candleholder — one should empty the box of tacks and then tack it to the wall placing the candle inside.

The solution is considered a measure of creative insight because it involves the ability to see objects as performing different functions from what is typical (i.e., the box is not just for the tacks but can also be used as a stand). The results showed that the longer students had spent living abroad, the more likely they were to come up with the creative solution.

In another study, also involving Kellogg School students, the researchers used a mock negotiation test involving the sale of a gas station. In this negotiation, a deal based solely on sale price was impossible because the minimum price the seller was willing to accept was higher than the buyer’s maximum. However, because the two parties’ underlying interests were compatible, a deal could be reached only through a creative agreement that satisfied both parties’ interests.

Here again, negotiators with experience living abroad were more likely to reach a deal that demanded creative insight. In both studies, time spent traveling abroad did not matter; only living abroad was related to creativity.

Maddux and Galinsky then ran a follow-up study to see why living abroad was related to creativity. With a group of MBA students at INSEAD in France, they found that the more students had adapted themselves to the foreign cultures when they lived abroad, the more likely they were to solve the Duncker candle task.

“This shows us that there is some sort of psychological transformation that needs to occur when people are living in a foreign country in order to enhance creativity. This may happen when people work to adapt themselves to a new culture,” said Galinsky.

Although these studies show a strong relationship between living abroad and creativity, they do not prove that living abroad and adapting to a new culture actually cause people to be more creative. “We just couldn’t randomly assign people to live abroad while others stay in their own country,” said Maddux.

To help get at this question of what causes someone to be creative, the authors tried a technique called “priming.” In two experiments, they asked groups of undergraduate students at the Sorbonne in Paris to recall and write about a time they had lived abroad or adapted to a new culture; other groups were asked to write about other experiences, such as going to the supermarket, learning a new sport or simply observing but not adapting to a new culture.

The results showed that priming students to mentally recreate their past experiences living abroad or adapting to a new culture caused students, at least temporarily, to be more creative. For example, these students drew space aliens and solved word games more creatively than students primed to recall other experiences.

“This research may have something to say about the increasing impact of globalization on the world, a fact that has been hammered home by the recent financial crisis,” said Maddux. “Knowing that experiences abroad are critical for creative output makes study abroad programs and job assignments in other countries that much more important, especially for people and companies that put a premium on creativity and innovation to stay competitive.”

— Audrey Hamilton

Reference
http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/News_Articles/2009/galinskyresearch.aspx?goback=.gde_119435_member_30362187

Dealing with Stress 1

2011-02-24T23:32:00.000+08:00

Every day, I can CHOOSE to be happy or sad, stressed or relaxed, etc. If things are getting hectic I ask myself, "What can I do about it today, right now?" Sometimes, the answer is "nothing." When that happens, I just try to go on about the business of taking care of what I CAN do, today, right now.

The future hasn't happened, and the past is not going to happen again. In the words of Ram Dass, "Be here now." You can start by recognizing and accepting when a situation is beyond your control.

You have to understand that the mind does not like any discipline. It loves its freedom more than anything else, and will try to stand in your way whenever and however it can.

Always remember that the choice is yours: to be a slave to the mind and its whims, or to be its master. It may be hard to accept the idea that the mind is only some kind of a machine and that you are not the mind. It is an instrument, which has its value if used correctly, but at the present, man is ruled by this instrument. You are not the mind and its thoughts; they are just some kind of power that you are using. By mental exercises it is possible to train the mind and master it. It should be put it in its proper place, as a servant to you not as your boss and master.

7 ways to succeed as a project manager

2011-01-17T14:13:00.003+08:00

My mentor Mr Vinai shared me something to look unto on how to become a better project manager some of his expert advise are the 7 ways to succeed as a project manager. It was also published in the newspaper I am not sure what date and publication (Vinai should know about this).

Anyway I hope people who are looking for PMP materials and PMP aspirants like me can learn alot from this share.

1. Learn to use project management tools effectively

A variety of wonderful project management software tools exist today that helps in keeping track of the numerous tasks, their sequence, the critical path, the dependency on other people, and major milestones. Such tools are essential to plan, manage and track any kind of project today.
If you are new to project management or new to project management tools, you are incurring a double risk to the project. Make sure you get familiar and know how to use the tools effectively, as they will aid you in your projects immensely.
They also show that you have given some time to planning and you can use the project plan to present progress and communicate to management or team members.

2. Be able to give and receive criticism

Giving criticism effectively is not easy. There is a fine line between upsetting your team member and offering constructive feedback that will help the team member and the project. Likewise, the ability to receive criticism and take it positively is crucial for project managers.
It is easy to avoid criticism. Say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing. If your are going to move mountains, you are going to have to accept a little flak.
You can attend short workshops on how to give constructive feedback to help you in this area.

3. Be receptive to new ideas & procedures

Nobody knows everything. Sometimes we are so busy making ends meet, that we are not able to look at the big picture or think out of the box. Develop a culture where your team members continuously look for new ideas, new ways to make things better and discuss with you.

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
– George Bernard Shaw, “Man and Superman”

4. Address issues immediately

If two members of your project team can't stand each and cooperation is vital to the success of the project, address the issue head on. Either find a way that they can work professionally, or modify roles and assignments, or do what makes most sense. But don't let the issue linger on, as it will come back to haunt you, and cause greater stress later on. Issues seldom disappear on their own.
This also relates to your decision making skills. Are you a quick decision maker, or do you keep thinking forever, waiting to make the best decision? Remember, no decision is good or bad at the time of making it. Only time can tell if it was a good decision or not. So why wait? Evaluate the best alternative, and proceed.
You can always adjust course along the way and steer accordingly to your destination anyway.

5. Manage Your Time Well

Organize your desk, your projects, your email and your time well. There are too many things vying for your attention at any given time. Make sure you spend your time on the things that matter the most. A very good book on this topic is First Things First, by Steven Covey.
In the same vein, most of the manager's time is spent in meetings. Make sure you have a clear agenda for the meetings you organize, list what decisions need to be made, and work with a fixed, short time period to end the meeting with a decision. Start the meeting on time, and end on time too!

6. Delegate. Don't micro-manage

One of the dilemma most newbie project managers find is that it takes ages to get some team members to understand what they need to be done.. The project manager get frustrated with explaining the same thing again and again, and keep getting a completely different output than what they expected. So they end up doing it themselves. The more they do things themselves, the less time they have to manage and track the project.
This is a Catch22 situation. If you will not invest time in building the knowledge and skills of your team, you can never expect to achieve major success. There is only a certain amount of work you can do yourself. Make sure your team complements you, and can deliver quality work on their own. If required, send them for training, attach mentors or buddies to help them learn the ropes quickly.

7. Track and Communicate often

Track the progress often, and communicate to all stakeholders. Regular communication keeps everyone happy, and they continue to have the trust in you as an effective and efficient project manager, who stays on top of things.

You can use standard forms or templates for updating progress. We also offer a number of free templates for project management, planning, communicating etc. to all our workshop participants. These templates make the tasks of the project manager easier, as all the required columns are pre-defined, and you have to do is to fill in the blanks.

10 types of human error

2011-01-17T14:03:00.001+08:00

Information that I got is from human resources slides from a company which i use to work before, explaining the most common errors defined and explained.

• Forgetfulness (not concentrating)
• Errors in mis-communications (jump to conclusions)
• Errors in identification (view incorrectly...too far away)
• Errors made by untrained workers
• Willful errors (ignore rules)
• Inadvertent errors (distraction, fatigue)
• Errors due to slowness (delay in judgment)
• Errors due to lack of standards (written & visual)
• Surprise errors (machine not capable, malfunctions)
• Intentional errors (sabotage - least common)

RHEL Yum Repository

2011-01-13T21:53:00.000+08:00

Its been a year since I visited my blog, this was very helpful to me before on my running update server, sharing the idea..enjoy

1. Create the Directories:

mkdir -pv /var/www/html/yum/{base,updates}

2. Copy the RPMs from the CDs/DVD to /var/www/html/yum/base

3. Create the base repository headers:

"createrepo /var/www/html/yum/base"
This might take some time, depending upon the speed of your processor(s) and HD. On successful conclusion, createrepo should create a directory /repodata. The contents should be:
filelists.xml.gz, other.xml.gz, primary.xml.gz, repomd.xml

4. Select a rsync mirror for updates:

A list is at http://fedora.redhat.com/download/mirrors.html and these are identified with “rsync.” For example: "rsync://distro.ibiblio.org/fedora-linux-core/". The mirrors share a common structure for updates. Simply append /updates//. Using FC4, this becomes:

5. Rsync to create the updates-released repository:

"rsync -avrt rsync://distro.ibiblio.org/fedora-linux-core/updates/4/i386 \
--exclude=debug/ /var/www/html/yum/updates"

This will create a complete update repository at /var/www/html/yum/updates/i386. The repodata directory will be created with all of the headers.

At this point you can create a cron job for the rsync command, above. Only new updates and headers will be downloaded to your repository.
6. Edit /etc/yum.conf:

[updates-released]
name=Fedora Core $releasever - $basearch - Released Updates
#mirrorlist=http://fedora.redhat.com/download/mirrors/updates-released-fc$releasever
baseurl=http://192.168.0.xx/yum/updates/$basearch/
enabled=1
gpgcheck=1

[base]
name=Fedora Core $releasever - $basearch - Base
baseurl=http://192.168.0.xx/yum/Fedora/core/$releasever/base/RPMS
#mirrorlist=http://fedora.redhat.com/download/mirrors/fedora-core-$releasever
enabled=1
gpgcheck=1

On the machine with the repository, substitute localhost for the IP address.

10Km Standard Charter 2009 Run Singapore

2009-12-10T03:08:00.032+08:00

my running friend..mallows single no more

100meters before the finish line

hots thanks to jo ann, jolly and ces ^_^v

15Km Run for a cause November 22 2009

2009-11-22T19:24:00.009+08:00

fun run for special children, bedok reservoir

Nike + 10K Marathon

2009-11-12T11:23:00.009+08:00

root password guide (CABADEBEH!)

2009-07-14T11:03:00.015+08:00

password reset for cabadebeh!

I dedicate this How-To for Mr. Boexlekl . Just follow the guide..

When you lost your root password in Centos/RHEL/Fedora systems you should first have access to the console.

Power on, or reboot as needed.

and as soon as you get this screen (or similar depending your system and configurations)

Now you should press 'e' and you will get this screen.

Select the image you would like to boot, and press 'e' again, and as soon as you get the next screen

Insert an space and the number one '1' as shown in the image.

After that press ENTER and 'b' and ENTER again.

Your will now have your System booted as a single user and you will have no need to enter a password.

Now you can change the password like this

#passwd

#reboot

Ikaw na ang maging taong talapipak!

infrastructure

2008-03-30T15:07:00.017+08:00

but we are wearing HP jackets, because where we work
the company cannot afford its own employees a free one.