IgniTech - Vinoth

Change XP password via command line

2011-09-27T20:24:00.002+05:30

I submitted this quick tip to Lifehacker in the past. If you feel the need to change your Windows password, you don’t need to go through any Control Panel menus and whatnot. You can change any user’s password via the command line, as long as you have administrative access. A good example of when to use this tip would be after a fresh install of XP. One of the first things you should do is lo into the default Administrator account and set a password. That requires booting into Safe Mode as Administrator, setting a password, then booting back into Normal mode as your own user. Instead, go to Start > Run > “cmd” [Enter], then enter:

net user

This will set the password you supplied as the password for the user you entered. You can also do:

net user *

This will prompt you for a password, then have you confirm it.
NOTE: you need administrator access to change the password via this command. However, if you are an administrator, you can change the password for any account on the machine. As you can see, this is a very powerful command, but it can also pose as a security threat.

PHP Exception Handling

2011-03-04T15:07:00.000+05:30

Exceptions are used to change the normal flow of a script if a specified error occurs

What is an Exception?

With PHP 5 came a new object oriented way of dealing with errors.

Exception handling is used to change the normal flow of the code execution if a specified error (exceptional) condition occurs. This condition is called an exception.

This is what normally happens when an exception is triggered:

The current code state is saved
The code execution will switch to a predefined (custom) exception handler function
Depending on the situation, the handler may then resume the execution from the saved code state, terminate the script execution or continue the script from a different location in the code

We will show different error handling methods:

Basic use of Exceptions
Creating a custom exception handler
Multiple exceptions
Re-throwing an exception
Setting a top level exception handler

Note: Exceptions should only be used with error conditions, and should not be used to jump to another place in the code at a specified point.

Basic Use of Exceptions

When an exception is thrown, the code following it will not be executed, and PHP will try to find the matching "catch" block.

If an exception is not caught, a fatal error will be issued with an "Uncaught Exception" message.

Lets try to throw an exception without catching it:

//create function with an exception
function checkNum($number)
  {
  if($number>1)
    {
    throw new Exception("Value must be 1 or below");
    }
  return true;
  }

//trigger exception
checkNum(2);
?>

The code above will get an error like this:

Fatal error: Uncaught exception 'Exception'
with message 'Value must be 1 or below' in C:\webfolder\test.php:6

Stack trace: #0 C:\webfolder\test.php(12):
checkNum(28) #1 {main} thrown in C:\webfolder\test.php on line 6

Try, throw and catch

To avoid the error from the example above, we need to create the proper code to handle an exception.
Proper exception code should include:

Try - A function using an exception should be in a "try" block. If the exception does not trigger, the code will continue as normal. However if the exception triggers, an exception is "thrown"
Throw - This is how you trigger an exception. Each "throw" must have at least one "catch"
Catch - A "catch" block retrieves an exception and creates an object containing the exception information

Lets try to trigger an exception with valid code:

//create function with an exception
function checkNum($number)
  {
  if($number>1)
    {
    throw new Exception("Value must be 1 or below");
    }
  return true;
  }

//trigger exception in a "try" block
try
  {
  checkNum(2);
  //If the exception is thrown, this text will not be shown
  echo 'If you see this, the number is 1 or below';
  }

//catch exception
catch(Exception $e)
  {
  echo 'Message: ' .$e->getMessage();
  }
?>

The code above will get an error like this:

Message: Value must be 1 or below

Example explained:

The code above throws an exception and catches it:

The checkNum() function is created. It checks if a number is greater than 1. If it is, an exception is thrown
The checkNum() function is called in a "try" block
The exception within the checkNum() function is thrown
The "catch" block retrives the exception and creates an object ($e) containing the exception information
The error message from the exception is echoed by calling $e->getMessage() from the exception object

However, one way to get around the "every throw must have a catch" rule is to set a top level exception handler to handle errors that slip through.

Creating a Custom Exception Class

Creating a custom exception handler is quite simple. We simply create a special class with functions that can be called when an exception occurs in PHP. The class must be an extension of the exception class.
The custom exception class inherits the properties from PHP's exception class and you can add custom functions to it.

Lets create an exception class:

class customException extends Exception
  {
  public function errorMessage()
    {
    //error message
    $errorMsg = 'Error on line '.$this->getLine().' in '.$this->getFile()
    .': '.$this->getMessage().' is not a valid E-Mail address';
    return $errorMsg;     }
  }

$email = "someone@example...com";

try
  {
  //check if
  if(filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL) === FALSE)
    {
    //throw exception if email is not valid
    throw new customException($email);
    }
  }

catch (customException $e)
  {
  //display custom message

echo $e->errorMessage();
}
?>

The new class is a copy of the old exception class with an addition of the errorMessage() function. Since it is a copy of the old class, and it inherits the properties and methods from the old class, we can use the exception class methods like getLine() and getFile() and getMessage().

Example explained:

The code above throws an exception and catches it with a custom exception class:

The customException() class is created as an extension of the old exception class. This way it inherits all methods and properties from the old exception class
The errorMessage() function is created. This function returns an error message if an e-mail address is invalid
The $email variable is set to a string that is not a valid e-mail address
The "try" block is executed and an exception is thrown since the e-mail address is invalid
The "catch" block catches the exception and displays the error message

Multiple Exceptions

It is possible for a script to use multiple exceptions to check for multiple conditions.

It is possible to use several if..else blocks, a switch, or nest multiple exceptions. These exceptions can use different exception classes and return different error messages:

class customException extends Exception
{
public function errorMessage()
{
//error message
$errorMsg = 'Error on line '.$this->getLine().' in '.$this->getFile()
.': '.$this->getMessage().' is not a valid E-Mail address';
return $errorMsg;
}
}

$email = "someone@example.com";

try
  {
  //check if
  if(filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL) === FALSE)
    {
    //throw exception if email is not valid
    throw new customException($email);
    }
  //check for "example" in mail address
  if(strpos($email, "example") !== FALSE)
    {
    throw new Exception("$email is an example e-mail");
    }
  }

catch (customException $e)
  {
  echo $e->errorMessage();  }

}

catch(Exception $e)
  {
  echo $e->getMessage();
  }
?>

Example explained:

The code above tests two conditions and throws an exception if any of the conditions are not met:

The customException() class is created as an extension of the old exception class. This way it inherits all methods and properties from the old exception class
The errorMessage() function is created. This function returns an error message if an e-mail address is invalid
The $email variable is set to a string that is a valid e-mail address, but contains the string "example"
The "try" block is executed and an exception is not thrown on the first condition
The second condition triggers an exception since the e-mail contains the string "example"
The "catch" block catches the exception and displays the correct error message

If there was no customException catch, only the base exception catch, the exception would be handled there

Re-throwing Exceptions

Sometimes, when an exception is thrown, you may wish to handle it differently than the standard way. It is possible to throw an exception a second time within a "catch" block.
A script should hide system errors from users. System errors may be important for the coder, but is of no interest to the user. To make things easier for the user you can re-throw the exception with a user friendly message:

class customException extends Exception
  {
  public function errorMessage()
    {
    //error message
    $errorMsg = $this->getMessage().' is not a valid E-Mail address.';
    return $errorMsg;
    }
  }

$email = "someone@example.com";

try
  {
  try
    {
    //check for "example" in mail address
    if(strpos($email, "example") !== FALSE)
      {

//throw exception if email is not valid
      throw new Exception($email);
      }
    }
  catch(Exception $e)
    {
    //re-throw exception
    throw new customException($email);
    }
  }

catch (customException $e)
  {
  //display custom message
  echo $e->errorMessage();
  }
?>

Example explained:

The code above tests if the email-address contains the string "example" in it, if it does, the exception is re-thrown:

The customException() class is created as an extension of the old exception class. This way it inherits all methods and properties from the old exception class
The errorMessage() function is created. This function returns an error message if an e-mail address is invalid
The $email variable is set to a string that is a valid e-mail address, but contains the string "example"
The "try" block contains another "try" block to make it possible to re-throw the exception
The exception is triggered since the e-mail contains the string "example"
The "catch" block catches the exception and re-throws a "customException"
The "customException" is caught and displays an error message

If the exception is not caught in its current "try" block, it will search for a catch block on "higher levels".

Set a Top Level Exception Handler

The set_exception_handler() function sets a user-defined function to handle all uncaught exceptions.

function myException($exception)
{
echo "Exception: " , $exception->getMessage();
}

set_exception_handler('myException');

throw new Exception('Uncaught Exception occurred');
?>

The output of the code above should be something like this:

Exception: Uncaught Exception occurred In the code above there was no "catch" block. Instead, the top level exception handler triggered. This function should be used to catch uncaught exceptions.

Rules for exceptions

Code may be surrounded in a try block, to help catch potential exceptions
Each try block or "throw" must have at least one corresponding catch block
Multiple catch blocks can be used to catch different classes of exceptions
Exceptions can be thrown (or re-thrown) in a catch block within a try block

A simple rule: If you throw something, you have to catch it.

Ingres OpenROAD

2011-02-12T15:50:00.000+05:30

OpenROAD stands for "Open Rapid Object Application Development".

Ingres OpenROAD is a rapid application development and flexible deployment solution. With Ingres OpenROAD, developers can quickly build and deploy sophisticated high performance and high availability business applications on a variety of platforms, accessing a broad range of data sources. As a result, you can react to business changes faster and protect your investment in existing mainframe and client server data and applications.

Rapidly and cost effectively build applications that meet today's high performance and availability needs
Quickly deploy those applications across a variety of platforms
Protect existing system and database investments by integrating them with new applications
Re-use existing and third-party components, speeding development further
Decouple business logic from presentation and database functions increasing performance and availability incrementally and inexpensively
Re-deploy applications to other platforms without changing code
Easily expose business logic as a web service

It is a 4GL development language which include a suite of development tools, with built in IDE (Written in OpenROAD), Code Repository, allowing applications to be developed and deployed on Microsoft and UNIX/LINUX platforms.

OpenROAD started out life in the early nineties as a product called Windows 4GL. When Ingres was re-badged as OpenIngres, the new name of OpenROAD was born. Since that time it has been through a number of major developments; the current version is OpenROAD 2006.

OpenROAD 4.1 introduced an interface to ActiveX controls, providing access to ActiveX control attributes and methods within the language for the brave. This mechanism often requires 'Wrapper' DLLs to be written to handle data type issues, one of which being a 2000 character limit on strings of text.

Ingres (database)

Ingres is a commercially supported, open-source SQL relational database management system intended to support large commercial and government applications. Ingres is fully open source with a growing global community of contributors, but Ingres Corporation controls the development of Ingres and makes certified binaries available for download, as well as providing worldwide support.

Ingres was first created as a research project at the University of California, Berkeley, starting in the early 1970s and ending in the early 1980s. The original code, like that from other projects at Berkeley, was available at minimal cost under a version of the BSD license. Since the mid-1980s, Ingres has spawned a number of commercial database applications, including Sybase, Microsoft SQL Server, NonStop SQL and a number of others. Postgres (Post Ingres), a project which started in the mid-1980s, later evolved into PostgreSQL.

Ingres is ACID and is fully transactional (including all DDL statements).

Ingres 9.3 was released on October 7, 2009,it is a limited release targeted at new application development on Linux and Windows only. Ingres 9.3 is not an upgrade path for existing Ingres installations or applications.

Ingres 10 was released on October 12, 2010, which is a full release, supporting upgrade from earlier versions of the product. Currently available on 32- and 64-bit Linux, 32-bit Windows and Solaris Sparc.

Language structure

The syntax of OpenROAD is very closely linked to that of the Ingres database, with direct support for embedded SQL. In a similar way to other event based programming languages, code can be placed in groups for related windows/system events.
The syntax is similar to Microsoft Visual Basic, allowing OpenROAD users to quickly adapt to Visual Basic with the help of Intellisense.
Intellisense is still not available (Q2 of 2008) in the OpenROAD IDE, however editors like TextPAD have syntax files that allow colour coding of source files using key word recognition.
OpenROAD comes with system classes with following functionality:

application source (allows to dynamically fetch, create, modify source artifacts)
database access
data types (scalar and complex)
runtime control
visual forms (incl. common widgets and controls)

Features

object oriented language: class, simple inheritance (no interfaces, currently no constructor/destructor but planned for version 5.0)
Cross platform support
Integrated Debugger/IDE
Integrated Application Server
Support for Windows CE development (V5.0)
Support for VB.Net/Java Integration

Platforms

OpenROAD application can be deployed on the following clients :- Thin Client (Web), Windows, and various flavours of Linux/Unix.
It has support for n-tier systems by using the OpenROAD Application Server. The Application Server can be deployed on Windows or Linux/Unix platforms.
It has built in support for the Ingres database, or one of the following using a product called Enterprise Access: Oracle, SQL Server or DB2, which allows the client to use the same SQL syntax for all target databases.

Mainframe

2010-09-30T00:44:00.000+05:30

Introduction

We all know a PC, probably heard of supercomputers. But mainframes are not so known.

When you watch television and see a movie with a big machine, or hear people talking to each other (at college) about a mainframe do you sometimes wonder what that is? What they are talking about? Then this page is intended for you.

This page is the first in a future series to explain what a mainframe is and how it evolved in history. Who were the pioneers and what companies were, and still are, involved.

How did and how do they look like? On this page are a few pictures of the earliest mainframes.

When you think of a mainframe do you think of a large computer? Right!

But how large is it and what does it do, and what is its place in the family of computers we know.

	Quantum computers
	Grid computers
	Supercomputers
	Mainframes
	Mini computers
	Microcomputers
	Terminals
	Embedded computers

The ranking of a mainframe is as you can see almost at the top. (quantum computers are hardly out of the laboratories)

A mainframe is simply a very large computer. And totally different from what you have on your desk. Don't say: what seems to be a mainframe today is on your desktop tomorrow. Apart from the CPU's (processors) that is far from true.

Mainframe is an industry term for a large computer. The name comes from the way the machine is build up: all units (processing, communication etc.) were hung into a frame. Thus the maincomputer is build into a frame, therefore: Mainframe

And because of the sheer development costs, mainframes are typically manufactured by large companies such as IBM, Amdahl, Hitachi.
Their main purpose is to run commercial applications of Fortune 1000 businesses and other large-scale computing purposes.
Think here of banking and insurance businesses where enormous amounts of data are processed, typically (at least) millions of records, each day.

But what classifies a computer as a mainframe?

A mainframe has 1 to 16 CPU's (modern machines more)
Memory ranges from 128 Mb over 8 Gigabyte on line RAM
Its processing power ranges from 80 over 550 Mips
It has often different cabinets for
- Storage
- I/O
- RAM
Separate processes (program) for
- task management
- program management
- job management
- serialization
- catalogs
- inter address space
- communication

Historically, a mainframe is associated with centralized computing opposite from distributed computing. Meaning all computing takes (physically) place on the mainframe itself: the processor section.

(3)

Refer to mainframe.in for lots of links to other mainframe related sites.

Chronology

Building mainframes started with the MarkI soon to be followed by tens of other types and manufacturers. But as said earlier, because of the development costs only governments and large firms could pay for the development of such behemoths.
Have a look at some early mainframes:

Mainframe	Year
ENIAC	1942
MarkI	1944
BINAC	1949
Whirlwind	1960
UNIVAC	1952
IBM 701	1953
IBM 360	1963

1939

Atanasoff-Berry Computer created at Iowa State.

1940

Konrad Zuse's -Z2 uses telephone relays instead of mechanical logical circuits

1942

1943

Colossus - British vacuum tube computer

1944

Eniac (electronic numerical integrator and calculator ) in operation at the Moore School. Te NIAC has thirty separate units, plus power supply and forced-air cooling, weighed over thirty tons. Its 19,000 vacuum tubes, 1,500 relays, and hundreds of thousands of resistors, capacitors, and inductors consumed almost 200 kilowatts of electrical power.

Manchester Mark1

1945

John von Neumann writes "First Draft of a Report on the EDVAC" in which he outlines the architecture of a stored-program computer. This report changed the direction of computer development away from punched paper tape.

1946

J. Presper Eckert & John Mauchly, ACM, AEEI

1947

Harvard Mark II (Magnetic Drum Storage)

1948

whirlwind
Whirlwind at MIT
Manchester Mark I (1st stored-program digital computer.
Remington engineers complete the Model 3, a one of a kind concept computer.
GE Electronics Laboratory in Syracuse wins an order for a USAF tube computer, named OARAC.

1950

Univac I
Univac I first deliverey to the US Census Bureau

1951

The first UNIVAC I mainframe computer was delivered to the Census Bureau. Unlike the ENIAC, the UNIVAC processed each digit serially. But its much higher design speed permitted it to add two ten-digit numbers at a rate of almost 100,000 additions per second. Internally. It was the first mass-produced computer. The central complex of the UNIVAC was about the size of a one-car garage: 14 feet by 8 feet by 8.5 feet high. It was a walk-in computer. The vacuum tubes generated an enormous amount of heat, so a high capacity chilled water and blower air conditioning system was required to cool the unit. The complete system had 5200 vacuum tubes, weighed 29,000 pounds, and consumed 125 kilowatts of electrical power.

1955
IBM 704 announced. It was the first large-scale commercially available computer system to employ fully automatic floating point arithmetic commands. It was a large-scale, electronic digital computer used for solving complex scientific, engineering and business problems and was the first IBM machine to use FORTRAN. The 704 and the 705 were the first commercial machines with core memories.
IBM 705 announced. Developed primarily to handle business data, it could multiply numbers as large as one billion at a rate of over 400 per second. In a 1954 IBM publication, the 705 was credited with "Forty thousand or twenty thousand characters of high-speed magnetic core storage; Any one of the characters in magnetic core storage can be located or transferred in 17 millionths of a second; Any one of these characters is individually addressable."
Honeywell computer business was originated from the Datamatic Corporation, founded in Newton MA, as a joint-venture by Raytheon and Honeywell, to produce large-scale computer systems. Raytheon sells its 40% interest to Honeywell in 1957

1952

Illiac I, Univac I at Livermore predicts 1952 election,
AVIDAC built at Argonne
The Remington (later SperryRand) Model 409 is delivered to the Internal Revenue Service facility in Baltimore.
MANIAC (mathematical analyzer, numerical integrator and computer) built at Los Alamos by Metropolis. It is responsible for the calculations of Mike, the first hydrogen bomb. This machine is followed by MANIAC II,
IBM-builds the STRETCH supercomputer and a series of commercial super computers that have made the Laboratory the world's largest scientific computing center.

IBM 701
The IBM 701 Electronic Data Processing Machine announced by IBM President Thomas J. Watson, Jr. was IBM's first commercially available scientific computer and the first IBM machine in which programs were stored in an internal, addressable electronic memory. It was the first of the pioneering line of IBM 700 series mainframe computers, including the 702, 704, 705 and 709. The computer consisted of two tape units (each with two tape drives), a magnetic drum memory unit, a cathode-ray tube storage unit, an L-shaped arithmetic and control unit with an operator's panel, a card reader, a printer, a card punch and three power units. The 701 could perform more than 16,000 addition or subtraction operations a second, read 12,500 digits a second from tape, print 180 letters or numbers a second, and output 400 digits a second from punched-cards.

1953

Edvac
IBM's drum memory 650 computer, announced. It sells for $200,000 to $400,000 and is a great success: more than 1800 will be sold or leased. The basic IBM 650 has 2000 words of memory and 60 words of core memory. It will be the first computer on which IBM makes a meaningful profit.

First IBM 701 delivered.

IBM 701

1954

IBM 650 (first mass-produced computer) o the market.
FORTRAN developed by John Backus.
ORACLE-Oak Ridge Automated Computer And Logical Engine.
Texas Instruments introduces the silicon transistor.
Univac II introduced.

1956

IBM 704

1956

MANIAC 2, DEUCE (fixed head drum memory), clone of IAS
The Air Force accepts the first UNIVAC Solid State Computer. The machine was one of the first to use solid state components in its central processing unit. Remington Rand was not able to market a commercial version for three years. The UNIVAC Solid State Computer came in two versions: the Solid State 80 handled IBM-style 80 column cards, while the Solid State 90 was adapted for Remington Rand's 90 column cards. A Solid State system consisted of the CPU and drum memory, card reader, card punch, and printer. There was the option of adding a tape controller and up to ten UNISERVO II tape drives. The drives could read both mylar tape and the old UNIVAC metallic tape: the mode was selected by a switch on the front of the drive. Actually a hybrid, the CPU had twenty vacuum tubes, 700 transistors, and 3000 FERRACTOR amplifiers.

1957
Installation of the first Honeywell Datamatic D-1000 to Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan.

1958
Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Musasino-1: 1st parametron computer, Jack Kilby-First integrated circuit prototype; Robert Noyce works separately on IC's, NEC 1101 & 1102

Introduction of Honeywell H-800 first shipped in 1960.
Delivery of first GE ERMA system. Two years later it is renamed GE-210. It was also sold by NCR as NCR-204.

1959

The fully transistorized IBM 7090 computer system delivered. The system had computing speeds up to five times faster than those of its predecessor, the IBM 709. It was both a scientific and business machine. It was finally withdrawn from production in 1969

The IBM 1401 is called the Model T of the computer business, because it is the first mass-produced digital, all-transistorized, business computer that can be afforded by many businesses worldwide. The basic 1401 is about 5 feet high and 3 feet across. It comes with 4,096 characters of memory. The memory is 6-bit (plus 1 parity bit) CORE memory, made out of little metal donuts strung on a wire mesh at IBM factories. The 1401 has an optional Storage Expansion Unit which expanded the core storage to an amazing 16K. The 1401 processing unit can perform 193,300 additions of eight-digit numbers in one minute. The monthly rental for a 1401 is $2,500 and up, depending on the configuration. By the end of 1961, the number of 1401s installed in the United States alone will reach 2,000 -- representing about one out every four electronic stored-program computers installed by all manufacturers at this time. The number of installed 1401s will peak at more than 10,000 in the mid-1960s, the system will be withdrawn from marketing in February 1971.(5)

1960

Paul Baran at Rand develops packet-switching, NEAC 2201,
Whirlwind-air traffic control,
Livermore Advanced Research Computer (LARC),
Control Data Corporation CDC 1604,
First major international computer conference

Stretch
UNIVAC announces the 1107 (completed in 1962) with the EXEC I operating system which occupied about 8K of the 1107's 32K of memory. The machine is intended to support true multiprogramming: sharing CPU time among several batch runs.
Introduction of Honeywell 400
Decision to launch the GE Mosaic line, a family of four 24-bits computers. The lower models will be announced as GE-415, GE-425 and GE-435. They will be known as Compatible GE-400 series.

1961

IBM Stretch-Multiprogramming

IBM 7040 and 7044 computer systems announced.

1962

First use of virtual memory in a mainframe computer.⁽⁴⁾
Control Data Corporation opens lab in Chippewa Falls headed by Seymour Cray,
Telestar launched,
Atlas-virtual memory and pipelined operations.

Timesharing-IBM 709 and 7090
Introduction of Honeywell 1800 (first shipps in 1964).
IBM's 1440 Data Processing System is a low-cost compact electronic computer designed specifically for small and medium-size business firms.
IBM 7094 computer announced. With a memory reference speed of two microseconds (millionth of a second), the 7094 could in one second perform 500,000 logical decisions, 250,000 additions or subtractions, 100,000 multiplications or 62,500 divisions. The 7094 internally performed mathematical computations 1.4 to 2.4 times faster than the IBM 7090, A typical 7094 sold for $3,134,500. IBM provided customers with a complete package of 7090/7094 programs, including FORTRAN and COBOL programming languages, input-output control system and sorting, without charge. The 7094 was withdrawn from marketing in 1969.(5)

1963

Introduction of Honeywell H-200, a machine targeting the IBM 1401, with a similar architecture and a "Liberator" program translator.

1964

IBM 360
IBM 360-third generation computer family.
Burroughs B5000 mainframe introduced. The system can be considered the first of the "third generation" of computer systems. The most remarked-upon aspects are its use of a hardware-managed stack for calculation, and the extensive use of descriptors for data access. It includes virtual memory -- perhaps the first commercial computer to do so -- as well as support for multiprogramming and multiprocessing.(5)
CDC (Computer Data Corp.) 6600 shipped; 100 nsec cycle time.
First GE Time-sharing operation at Dartmouth College of the DTSS Dartmouth time-sharing system on a GE-265 (GE-225 + Datanet-30)
The Burroughs B5500 has multiprogramming and virtual memory capabilities, and is three times faster than the B5000.

1965

The Sage System,
IBM ships the midrange 360 model 40 computer which had COBOL and FORTRAN programming languages available as well as the stock Basic Assembly Language (BAL) assembler.
Introduction of GECOS-II, a multi-programming operating system for the GE-600

1966

The Burroughs B6500, an improved version of the B5500.

1967

First IBM 360/Model 91 shipped to NASA GSFC.

1969

First shipment of the CDC 7600 computer system.
First shipment of IBM 360 Model 85. The 360 family was intended to have 3 operating systems:

* DOS/360 operating system for the small machines. It could run two "real-time" sessions and one batch session.
* OS/360 operating system for the midrange and high end.
* TSS/360 operating system for Time-sharing Multi-user system

Introduction of Honeywell model 115 in the H-200 product line. The line is renamed H-2000 after models 115/2, 1015 and 2015 introduced in January 1971, and model 2020 and 2030 in December 1972 after the GE merger. The line is eventually merged into Series6 0 NPL through a H-200 mode (emulator) on level 64. Introduction of GE-655 that is better known as H-6000 after 1970.

1970

Burroughs announces the 700 series. The first B6700 computer systems were installed during 1971. It was the first Burroughs machine with dynamic linking of programs at runtime. The B6700 line started out with one CPU and one i/o processor and could be expanded up to a maximum of three CPUs and two i/o processors.
Formal acquisition of Bull-General Electric by Honeywell. BGE takes the name of Honeywell-Bull.
IBM announces a family of machines with an enhanced instruction set, called System/370. The 370s proved so popular that there was a two-year waiting list of customers who had ordered a systems.
A giant dies: Announcement of the cession of the world-wide GE computer business, except time-sharing to Honeywell.

1971

US Air Force orders several Honeywell H-6000 WWMCCS (World Wide Military Command and Control System), a $3.5M contract.
First shipments of IBM S/370 Models 155 and 165 as well as the S/360 Model 195.

1973

Introduction of virtual memory on IBM S/370 Models 158 and 168.

1975

Amdahl 470 V/6 computer system delivered to NASA.

1977

The Burroughs Scientific Processor was developed, and announced.
IBM 3033 computer system announced

1979

The Burroughs 900-level systems are introduced.

1985

The most powerful IBM computer system of its time, the 3090 high-end processor of the IBM 308X computer series incorporated one-million-bit memory chips, Thermal Conduction Modules to provide the shortest average chip-to-chip communication time of any large general purpose computer. The Model 200 (entry-level with two central processors) and Model 400 (with four central processors) IBM 3090 had 64 and 128 megabytes of central storage, respectively. At the time of announcement, the purchase price of a Model 200 was $5 million. A later six-processor IBM 3090 Model 600E, using vector processors, could perform computations up to 14 times faster than the earlier four-processor IBM 3084.(5)

1990

The ES/9000 models came out with fiber-optical I/O channels (ESCON), and IBM began using the name System/390. The ES/9000s exploited new technologies, such as high-speed fiber optic channels with IBM's new ESCON architecture, ultra-dense circuits and circuit packaging that provided higher performance, extended supercomputing capabilities and twice the processor memory previously available. The line spanned a 100-fold performance range increase from the smallest (model 120) to the most powerful (model 900 six-way multiprocessor). Basic purchase prices for the air-cooled processors of ES/9000 ranged from approximately $70,500 to $3.12 million. Basic purchase prices for the water-cooled models ranged from $2.45 million to $22.8 million.(5)

1999

IBM releases a new generation of S/390.

From the late 1990's mainframe manufacturers start to leave the mainframe market, thinking mainframe business to be less profitable. And then there is virtually only one manufacturer of major importance left: IBM. And as the single (most important) manufacturer IBM can dictate its own prices and sales goes up as well as profits. Not surprisingly IBM's innovations in new mainframe architecture leaves the rest far behind.
In due time this is observed by other computer manufacturers and since 2001 competition gets stronger again.

2002

The IBM S/390 G5/G6 enterprise server family has up to 256 channels, from 2 to 8 Cryptographic Coprocessors, from 8 to 32 Gigabytes of memory, and can run under OS/390, MVS, VM, VSE, or TPF operating systems. It can also host an unbelievable amount of hard drive storage.

2004

The 3/4 ton IBM eServer zSeries 890, dubbed the "Baby Shark" can host up to 32 GBytes of memory.

The four PCIX Crypto Coprocessor (and optional PCI Crypto Accelerators) on the z890 have seven engine levels, giving a total of 28 capacity settings overall.
With it's advanced virtualization technology the 64-bit z890 can run several operating systems at the same time including z/OS, OS/390®, z/VM®, VM/ESA®, VSE/ESA, TPF and Linux for zSeries and Linux for S/390®.
The z890 is upgradeable within z890 family and can also upgrade to z990 from select z890 configurations.
Configured with the new Enterprise Storage Server Model 750 which handles from 1.1TB up to 4.6TB of data, the x890 makes an awesome server.

Construction

In the early days output came via a paper tape.

Later by an array of burning lamps and when the vacuumtube technology became sophisticated enough to build a CRT output came by means of spots on the screen (see williams tube).

Operating systems

At first there was no operating system. Most machines were hard wired. Programming it meant rewiring panels and setting hundreds of switches to have the machine calculate a table.
The next years when programming languages became available and memory was no longer a problem programmers created operating systems. You no longer had to be an electrical engineer to program a machine like that.
That made it possible for scientists and other users to quickly make a program and get the results.
To take care of all this a mainframe needs a sophisticated Operating System.
And as you look at it closely also quite different from what you find on your desktops machine. Almost always text based terminals (no graphics) are connected to it. Also PC's can be connected to a mainframe with a special interface program - often called 3270 emulation.
But a mainframe does have some particular properties:

It manages a large number of users
Distributes the sheer workload that can be handled by the machine over different processors and in/output devices.
All processes are running on the host and not on your terminal.
Output is sent to your terminal through a program running (in background) on the host(mainframe). Nothing else goes over the line. It is like you are connected to a large computer by long wires. That is also the reason why it seems that your keyboard typing sometimes appears slower on your monitor then you actually type

Operating systems for mainframes are few in number: UNIX, Linux, VMS, Z/OS, Z/VM, VSE/ESA. The latter three are of IBM origin and all three: VMS, Linux and Unix also run on IBM mainframes(2)
However there are some dialects of VMS, Linux, and Unix running on different machines.

Programming mainframes

When the first programming languages like Cobol, Fortran and Algol were created every large company and institution could hire people to do the programming of administration or complicated scientific calculations. The atomic bomb project in Los Alamos was a prime example of doing calculations using computers, without it the project never had succeeded in time.

Pioneers

Many scientists have contributed to the mainframe computer as it is now. Things did not go as smooth and fast as it goes nowadays. Sometimes many items, mechanisms, or materials still had to be invented before things really got on their way. On line memory was a crucial phase in developing large computers. Also when timesharing was invented in the late 60's mainframe use exploded.

Companies

To create a mainframe one needed at least a few hundred thousand dollars to build the first types.
Later types of the 60' and 70's required a few million dollars and now depending on what capacities you need mainframes range between two three hundred to several tens of millions
It is reasonable to say that small companies can not afford to spent that kind of money to develop one machine or prototype.

Firms like:
Ahmdal (Hitachi)
Bull
Comparex (Hitachi)
DEC (Compaq)
Fujitsu
Hitatchi
IBM
ICL (Hitachi)
NEC
Siemens
Unisys
Sun

and the like were the only ones financially capable of developing mainframe machines.
As mainframe markets shrunk some companies were assimilated by their peers and other congregated into even larger firms.

Conclusion

A (modern) mainframe is still a very large machine, sometimes tens of square meters. Has usually more than one processor and loads of memory: often running between a few mega- to several hundreds Gb of RAM.
It has tons of disk space and other storage facilities in large size and quantities that are not normally found with mini or micro computers. And although it looks like hundreds of users are using the machine simultaneously it is all governed by a sophisticated time sharing system, hence: serialization. (per processor)

IBM 701 (1952)

Top 10 IT certifications in demand

2010-04-27T16:16:00.000+05:30

Bangalore: IT certifications have always been popular among IT pros to bag the right job or seek the right jump. With the economy back in green, IT jobs too are back. Keeping this in mind, technology research firm Foote Partners recently listed IT certifications that could be considered "hot" in the coming months.

VMware Certified Professional: With virtualization technology becoming hot, it is little surprising that VCP program is in demand. Research shows that enterprises often face lack of required expertise specific to virtualization.

Certified Information Systems Auditor: CISA is a professional certification for Information technology audit professionals sponsored by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). Candidates for the certification must meet requirements set by ISACA.

GIAC Security Audit Essentials: This is for professionals planning to enter the information security industry who are tasked with auditing organization policy, procedure, risk, or policy conformance.

Certified Information Security Manager: CISM is a certification for information security managers awarded by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).

Check Point Certified Security Expert: Designed for experienced security professionals, Check Point CCSE certification is claimed to be one of the most respected vendor-specific security certification. CCSE is an advanced Core security certification built on CCSA NGX, confirming in-depth skills and expertise in managing and supporting Check Point products.

Check Point Certified Security Administrator: Another Check Point-specific certification, CCSA aims to validate a security administrator's ability to maintain day-to-day operation of vendor's security solutions and ensure secure access to information across the network.

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (Security): MCSE certification provides an individual's skills in designing, implementing, and administering infrastructure for business solutions based on Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows 2000 Server.

Certified Wireless Security Professional: CWSP is claimed to be an advanced level certification that measures the ability to secure any wireless network. A wide range of security topics focusing on the 802.11 wireless LAN technology are covered in the coursework and exam, which is vendor neutral.

GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst: GCIA is an information security certification entity that specialises in technical and practical certification as well as new research in the form of its GIAC Gold program. SANS Institute founded the certification in 1999.

Cisco Certified Network Professional: Another vendor specific certification, Cisco Certified Network Professional or CCNP aims to validate the ability to plan, implement, verify and troubleshoot local and wide-area enterprise networks and work collaboratively with specialists on advanced security, voice, wireless and video solutions.

Top Hacking Tools

2010-04-11T20:13:00.000+05:30

Top Hacking Tools

Top 10 Linux Tools 1. nmap - Nmap ("Network Mapper") is a free open source utility for network exploration or security auditing. It was designed to rapidly scan large networks, although it works fine against single hosts. Nmap uses raw IP packets in novel ways to determine what hosts are available on the network, what services (application name and version) those hosts are offering, what operating systems (and OS versions) they are running, what type of packet filters/firewalls are in use, and dozens of other characteristics. Nmap runs on most types of computers and both console and graphical versions are available.

2. Nikto - Nikto is an Open Source (GPL) web server scanner which performs comprehensive tests against web servers for multiple items, including over 3200 potentially dangerous files/CGIs, versions on over 625 servers, and version specific problems on over 230 servers. Scan items and plugins are frequently updated and can be automatically updated (if desired).

3. THC-Amap - Amap is a next-generation tool for assistingnetwork penetration testing. It performs fast and reliable application protocol detection, independant on the TCP/UDP port they are being bound to.

4. Ethereal - Ethereal is used by network professionals around the world for troubleshooting, analysis, software and protocol development, and education. It has all of the standard features you would expect in a protocol analyzer, and several features not seen in any other product.

5. THC-Hydra - Number one of the biggest security holes are passwords, as every password security study shows. Hydra is a parallized login cracker which supports numerous protocols to attack. New modules are easy to add, beside that, it is flexible and very fast.

6. Metasploit Framework - The Metasploit Framework is an advanced open-source platform for developing, testing, and using exploit code. This project initially started off as a portable network game and has evolved into a powerful tool for penetration testing, exploit development, and vulnerability research.

7. John the Ripper - John the Ripper is a fast password cracker, currently available for many flavors of Unix (11 are officially supported, not counting different architectures), DOS, Win32, BeOS, and OpenVMS. Its primary purpose is to detect weak Unix passwords. Besides several crypt(3) password hash types most commonly found on various Unix flavors, supported out of the box are Kerberos AFS and Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 LM hashes, plus several more with contributed patches.

8. Nessus - Nessus is the world's most popular vulnerability scanner used in over 75,000 organisations world-wide. Many of the world's largest organisations are realising significant cost savings by using Nessus to audit business-critical enterprise devices and applications.

9. IRPAS - Internetwork Routing Protocol Attack Suite - Routing protocols are by definition protocols, which are used by routers to communicate with each other about ways to deliver routed protocols, such as IP. While many improvements have been done to the host security since the early days of the Internet, the core of this network still uses unauthenticated services for critical communication.

10. Rainbowcrack - RainbowCrack is a general propose implementation of Philippe Oechslin's faster time-memory trade-off technique. In short, the RainbowCrack tool is a hash cracker. A traditional brute force cracker try all possible plaintexts one by one in cracking time. It is time consuming to break complex password in this way. The idea of time-memory trade-off is to do all cracking time computation in advance and store the result in files so called "rainbow table".

Top 10 Windows Tools 1. Cain & Abel - Cain & Abel is a password recovery tool for the Microsoft Windows Operating System. It allows easy recovery of various kind of passwords by sniffing the network, cracking encrypted passwords using Dictionary, Brute-Force and Cryptanalysis attacks, recording VoIP conversations, decoding scrambled passwords, revealing password boxes, uncovering cached passwords and analyzing routing protocols.

2. SuperScan - SuperScan is a powerful TCP port scanner, pinger, resolver. SuperScan 4 (Current Version) is a completely-rewritten update of the highly popular Windows port scanning tool, SuperScan.

3. GFI LANguard Network Security Scanner - GFI LANguard N.S.S. is a network vulnerability management solution that scans your network and performs over 15,000 vulnerability assessments. It identifies all possible security threats and provides you with tools to patch and secure your network. GFI LANguard N.S.S. was voted Favorite Commercial Security Tool by NMAP users for 2 years running and has been sold over 200,000 times!

4. Retina - Retina Network Security Scanner, recognised as the industry standard for vulnerability assessment, identifies known security vulnerabilities and assists in prioritising threats for remediation. Featuring fast, accurate, and non-intrusive scanning, users are able to secure their networks against even the most recent of discovered vulnerabilities.

5. SamSpade - SamSpade provides a consistent GUI and implementation for many handy network query tasks. It was designed with tracking down spammers in mind, but can be useful for many other network exploration, administration, and security tasks. It includes tools such as ping, nslookup, whois, dig, traceroute, finger, raw HTTP web browser, DNS zone transfer, SMTP relay check, website search, and more.

6. N-Stealth - N-Stealth is a commercial web server security scanner. It is generally updated more frequently than free web scanners such as whisker and nikto, but you have to pay for the privilege.

7. Solarwinds - Solarwinds contains many network monitoring, discovery and attack tools. The advanced security tools not only test internet security with the SNMP Brute Force Attack and Dictionary Attack utilities but also validate the security on Cisco Routers with the Router Security Check. The Remote TCP Reset remotely display all active sessions on a device and the Password Decryption can decrypt Type 7 Cisco Passwords. The Port Scanner allows testing for open TCP ports across IP Address and port ranges or selection of specific machines and ports.

8. Achilles - The first publicly released general-purpose web application security assessment tool. Achilles acts as a HTTP/HTTPS proxy that allows a user to intercept, log, and modify web traffic on the fly. Due to a cyber squatter, Achilles is no longer online at its original home of www.Digizen-Security.com...OOPS!

9. CookieDigger - CookieDigger helps identify weak cookie generation and insecure implementations of session management by web applications. The tool works by collecting and analyzing cookies issued by a web application for multiple users. The tool reports on the predictability and entropy of the cookie and whether critical information, such as user name and password, are included in the cookie values.

10. Netcat (The Network SwissArmy Knife) - Netcat was originally a Unix utility which reads and writes data across network connections, using TCP or UDP protocol. It is designed to be a reliable "back-end" tool that can be used directly or easily driven by other programs and scripts. At the same time, it is a feature-rich network debugging and exploration tool, since it can create almost any kind of connection you would need and has several interesting built-in capabilities.

கூகிள் மின்னஞ்சலில் கவனிக்கப்படாதவை!

2010-03-22T20:05:00.000+05:30

கூகிள் மின்னஞ்சலில் கவனிக்கப்படாதவை!

குறுகிய காலத்தில் பல மில்லியன் மக்களை தன் பக்கம் இழுத்ததில் கூகிள்க்கு நிகர் கூகிள் தான், எளிமை, வேகம், புதுமை, பாதுகாப்பு இதுவே இதன் தாரக மந்திரம். ஏதாவது ஒன்றை கண்டு பிடித்தால் அதோடு நிறுத்திவிடாமல் மேலும் மேலும் அதில் புதிய உத்திகளை புகுத்துவது மாற்றம் செய்வது என்று அதன் ஆர்வம் சற்றும் குறையாமல் அதிகமாகிக்கொண்டே செல்கிறது. கூகிள் அளவிற்கு பயனாளர்களுக்கு வசதியை செய்து கொடுப்பது போல வேறு எந்த நிறுவனமும் இல்லை.

மற்ற மின்னஞ்சல் (Yahoo!, Hotmail) நிறுவனங்களில் இருந்து தங்கள் மின்னஞ்சல் முகவரிகளை தற்போது பலர் கூகிள் க்கு மாற்றி விட்டார்கள், என் நண்பர்கள் தற்போது 90% கூகிள் தான். தனது மின்னஞ்சல் சேவையில் பல வசதிகளை வெளிப்படையாகவும் பல வசதிகளை வேண்டும் என்றால் பயன்படுத்திக்கொள்ளும் படியும் அமைத்துள்ளது, இதை ஆய்வுகூடமாக (Lab) கூறுகிறது. இதில் பல பயனுள்ள விஷயங்கள் உள்ளது, இதை நாம் பயன்படுத்திக்கொள்ளலாம். பலர் இது பற்றி ஏற்கனவே தெரிந்து இருப்பீர்கள், இது தெரியாத அல்லது கவனிக்காதவர்களுக்கு!

இதை நீங்கள் கூகிள் மின்னஞ்சலில் Settings ஐ சொடுக்கினால் அதில் Labs என்று இருக்கும், அதில் சென்று உங்களுக்கு தேவையானவற்றை நீங்கள் இணைத்துக்கொள்ளுங்கள், அதில் சில முக்கியமானவை பற்றி நான் கூறுகிறேன்.

Inserting images: இதன் பயன் என்னவென்றால் படங்களை நமது விருப்பப்படி மின்னஞ்சல் அனுப்பும் போது அமைத்துக்கொள்ளலாம். எடுத்துக்காட்டாக பார்வர்ட் மின்னஞ்சல்களுக்கு மிகவும் பயன் தரும். படத்தை பற்றி விளக்கம் பிறகு படம், இதே போல விளக்கங்கள் கூறி படங்களை இணைக்கலாம், இல்லை என்றால் மொத்த படங்களும் இடைவெளியில்லாமல் வரிசையாக இருக்கும் அதன் விளக்கங்கள் எதற்கு என்று தெரியாமல் அணிவகுத்து இருக்கும்.

Default 'Reply to all': ஒரு சிலர் குழுவாக (தனி குழும மின்னஞ்சல் இல்லாமல்) அடிக்கடி தனது நண்பர்களுக்குள் மின்னஞ்சல் செய்பவர்களாக இருப்பார்கள், அவர்களுக்கு இதை இணைத்தால் Reply to all என்பது வலது ஓரத்தில் மேலே வந்து விடும் (வழக்கமாக இருக்கும் Reply யும் இருக்கும்) இதனால் எளிதாக அனைவருக்கும் அனுப்பலாம்.

Hide Unread Counts: முன்பு தான் ஆடிக்கு ஒருநாள் அம்மாவாசைக்கு ஒரு நாள் மின்னஞ்சல் வரும், தற்போதெல்லாம் நண்பர்கள் மின்னஞ்சல், குழும மின்னஞ்சல், பல தளங்களில் சப்க்ரைப் செய்து இருந்தால் அந்த மின்னஞ்சல்கள் என ஏகப்பட்டது வருகிறது. இது எத்தனை வந்துள்ளது என்ற எண்ணிக்கை Inbox ல் தெரியும், இது உறுத்தலாக தெரிந்தால் இந்த எண்ணிக்கையை இதை இணைப்பதின் மூலம் மறைக்கலாம்.

Right-side chat : கூகிள் உரையாடியில் (Chat) மறைந்து இருக்கும் (Invisible Mode) வசதி இல்லை, ஆனால் கூகிள் மின்னஞ்சலில் உள்ள உரையாடியில் இது உள்ளது. இதனால் பலர் இந்த வசதியை பயன்படுத்த கூகிள் மின்னஞ்சலில் உள்ள உரையாடியில் தான் இணைந்து இருப்பார்கள். இது வழக்கமாக இடது புறத்தில் இருக்கும், அதனுடன் Lable கள் இருப்பதால் ரொம்ப கீழே இருக்கும். இதை தவிர்க்க இதை இணைத்தால் உரையாடி பகுதி வலது புறத்தில் மாறி விடும்.

Pictures in chat: இதை இணைப்பதின் மூலம் நம்முடன் உரையாடுபவர் படம் (அவர்கள் இணைத்து இருந்தால்) நமக்கு தெரியும்

Mark as Read Button: தேவையற்ற மின்னஞ்சல்கள் பல நமக்கு வரும் அல்லது அந்த மின்னஞ்சலில் என்ன இருக்கும் என்று முன்பே தெரியும் எனவே படிக்காத மின்னஞ்சல்களாக (Unread Mails) இருப்பது எரிச்சலை தரலாம் எனவே அவை அனைத்தையும் மொத்தமாக தேர்வு செய்து Mark as read பொத்தானை அழுத்துவதன் மூலம் அனைத்தும் படிக்கப்பட்ட மின்னஞ்சல்களாக (Read) மாறி விடும்.

YouTube previews in mail: இது நமக்கு Youtube சுட்டி (Link) மின்னஞ்சலில் வந்தால் அதன் முன்னோட்டத்தை நமக்கு மின்னஞ்சலின் கீழ் பகுதியில் சிறிய அளவில் காட்டும். நாம் சுட்டியை சொடுக்கி Youtube செல்ல வேண்டும் என்ற அவசியம் இல்லை. இதைப்போல வசதி Picasa மற்றும் Flickr க்கு உண்டு.

Undo Send: இது மிகவும் பயனுள்ள ஒன்று, நாம் எப்போதும் அவசரக்காரர்கள் அதனால் ஒருவருக்கு அனுப்ப வேண்டிய மின்னஞ்சலை மாற்றி தவறுதலாக மற்ற ஒருவருக்கு அனுப்பி விடுவோம்.. அப்புறம் அடடா! வடை போச்சே! என்று மண்டை காய்வோம். இதற்கு தான் கூகிள் தரும் இந்த வசதி. நாம் மின்னஞ்சல் அனுப்பிய பிறகு அதை கூகிள் அனுப்பாமல் சில நொடிகள் வைத்து இருக்கும், அதற்குள் நம் தவறை உணர்ந்து விட்டால் Undo வை அழுத்துவதன் மூலம் அதை அனுப்பாமல் தவிர்க்கலாம்.

Show Hidden Files and Folders not working?

2010-03-07T23:20:00.000+05:30

If we selecte the radio button “Show hidden files and folders” and then press Ok.. the changes would just disappear upon opening the dialog again. It was probably some virus attack after which the Windows registry was not being updated properly. So here is what methods to restore it back. There are so many methods to restore back the registry. If one method is not working, please try another one.

Method 1:

Go to registry editor by running regedit in the run box.
Go to this key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

In the right hand area, double click hidden and change the value to 1.

Now you’re all set to go. Check it in your tools menu if the changes have taken effect.

Method 2:

1. Click “Start” -> “Run…” (or press Windows key + R)
2. Type “regedit” and click “Ok”.
3. Find the key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
Advanced\Folder\Hidden\SHOWALL
4. Look at the “CheckedValue” key… This should be a DWORD key. If it isn’t, delete the key.
5. Create a new key called “CheckedValue” as a DWORD (hexadecimal) with a value of 1.
6. The “Show hidden files & folders” check box should now work normally. Enjoy!

Method 3:

1- Click Start –> Run –> regsvr32 /i browseui.dll –> enter

A confirmation message will appear like given below

2- Click Start –> Run –> regsvr32 /i shell32.dll

Wait for the confirmation and click OK.

Then use a good anti-virus to get away from this problem...

4 THINGS YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW YOUR MOBILE PHONE COULD DO!!!

2010-03-05T22:53:00.000+05:30

There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:

FIRST Emergency

The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.

SECOND Have you locked your keys in the car?

Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their mobile phone from your cell phone.
Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to
drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).
Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a mobile phone!"

THIRD Hidden Battery Power

Imagine your mobile battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370# Your mobile will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your mobile next time.

FOURTH How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?

To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: * # 0 6 #
A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.

Install WinXP in 10 min

2010-02-18T23:47:00.001+05:30

Install WinXP in 10 min
As We all know that During Formatting a Computer After the File Copying is Completed then windows Require 39 Minutes Time...
But What Extreme In It....
Yes We can Bypass this faking Time.

Procedure:-

1)After the Copy Part is Over...
System is Rebooted as we all know In general Foramatting Procedure.

Now After Reboot The Below Image Will Appear.

2)Now As This Image APPEARS You Have to Press "Shift + F10 ".
This Will Open The command Prompt.
Now type taskmgr in it.
This will open the Task manager.

3)After The task Manager Opens Goto Processes.
And Find "Setup.exe" process and Right CLICK on It....
and set the Priority to Highest..

4)Now Just Watch the Set It will take around 9 minutes and 2 minutes for Tolerance(depends System to system).

So When you Format your PC Next Time It will Really Save Your TIME
i.e around 20 to 25 minutes.

How to change the default download directory for Internet Explorer

2010-02-15T20:25:00.000+05:30

If you would like to change the default download target for InternetExplorer from ‘Desktop’ to some other location on your system, the following quick registry change will do it.

Click on Start—>Run type regeditclick ok

Navigate the following key from left pane

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer

Now you should see Download Directory key from right pane

Edit the ‘download directory’ value to the full path of the directory you wish to use click ok

TCS to hire 30,000, 70 percent freshers

2010-02-11T13:59:00.001+05:30

New Delhi: Tata Consultancy Services plans to hire 28,000 employees in India and 2,000 abroad in the financial year 2010-2011 and about 70 percent of recruitment will be freshers. The company is currently seeing an 8-10 percent growth in revenue from domestic operations and is eyeing a double-digit growth in the next two years.

TCS CEO and MD N Chandrasekaran said that the company will hike salaries of its employees in the coming fiscal, but did not give details, reports Financial Chronicle. TCS, has not hiked wages in the current fiscal, but employees have received 150 percent VA payouts in two consecutive quarters - second and third quarters of FY10.

"We are on a path to hire 1,000 people. We have already hired 300," he said, replying to a query on hiring plans for the current fiscal. In Q3 of FY10, TCS had made 7,692 net additions, compared with a net addition of 320 in the previous quarter.

Asked about the extent to which India would be affected by the U.S. move to slash tax-breaks to outsourcers, Chandrasekaran said the matter is not an immediate concern. Also Chandrasekaran said, "China is a tough market for IT firms and the company was seeing business opportunity in Europe." Chandrasekaran said the company had signed a few large deals as well as a number of smaller ones. "The financial services sector will drive growth. We expect good growth from retail, pharma and utilities," he said.

Google plans superfast internet

2010-02-11T13:51:00.000+05:30

San Francisco: Google plans to build a fibre optic broadband network that will connect customers to the internet at speeds 100 times faster than most existing broadband connections in the US, the company announced on its corporate blog.

"Our goal is to experiment with new ways to help make internet access better and faster for everyone," two Google product managers, Minnie Ingersoll and James Kelly, wrote in the blog post Wednesday.

They said that Google plans to build and test the network in trial communities around the country starting later this year and that the tests could encompass as many as 500,000 people. They cited 3-dimensional medical imaging and quick, high-definition film downloads among the applications of such high-speed internet access.

"We'll deliver internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today with 1 gigabit per second, fibre-to-the-home connections," the post said. "We plan to offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people."

"We're doing this because we want to make the web better and faster to everyone," said Kelly, who also promised that the network would operate on open access network, in which users could choose various internet providers and which would not give preference to any one kind of content. Kelly appealed to local officials who were interested in having their community participate in the trial to contact the internet giant.

The announcement continued Google's recent initiative to expand into market sectors beyond its core web search speciality. In the last year it has made a splash in the mobile phone market with its Android operating system and Nexus One handset, and Tuesday announced a social networking feature aimed at taking on Facebook and Twitter.

While broadband industry incumbents may fear the entry by Google, Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski welcomed the move, the Washington Post reported.

"Big broadband creates big opportunities," he said in a statement. "This significant trial will provide an American testbed for the next generation of innovative, high-speed internet apps, devices and services."

Remove Recycle Bin from Desktop for XP

2010-02-01T13:48:00.000+05:30

Go to START > RUN

Type GPEDIT.MSC

Navagate to USER CONFIGURATION >ADMINISTRATIVE TEMPLATES >Click on DESKTOP,

On the right hand pane find " Remove Recycle Bin icon on the desktop " , double left click on it to ENABLEit.

Sorted!

Put a background to your USB flashdrive

2010-01-30T23:09:00.000+05:30

Put a background to your USB flashdrive :
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thought you would also be fascinated like me on this one. ...........
Step 1:
Copy this code into notepad (copy and paste), then save it as "desktop.ini"
CODE
[.ShellClassInfo]
IconFile=%SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll
IconIndex=127
ConfirmFileOp=0
[{BE098140-A513-11D0-A3A4-00C04FD706EC}]
Attributes=1
IconArea_Image="your_picture.jpg"
IconArea_Text="0xFFFFFF"
VeBRA sources - don't delete the tag above, it's there for XXXXX purposes -
[ExtShellFolderViews]
{BE098140-A513-11D0-A3A4-00C04FD706EC}={BE098140-A513-11D0-A3A4-00C04FD706EC}
{5984FFE0-28D4-11CF-AE66-08002B2E1262}={5984FFE0-28D4-11CF-AE66-08002B2E1262}
[{5984FFE0-28D4-11CF-AE66-08002B2E1262}]
PersistMoniker=Folder.htt
PersistMonikerPreview=%WebDir%\folder.bmp

Step 2:
Put "desktop.ini" file onto your flash drive and replace "your_picture" with the
name of the picture you want to use leaving the .jpg extension the same.
Step 3:
Now copy the picture that you want to use onto your flash drive.
Step 4:
Refresh (F5) or Go back to My Computer and open your flash drive again ..and enjoy with new background...

Removing the Recent Documents link from XP Start Menu

2010-01-26T23:42:00.000+05:30

To remove the My Recent Documents folder from XP Start Menu, try this:

Right-click Start, and then click Properties
Click Customize
Click the Advanced tab
Under Recent documents, uncheck List my most recently opened documents
Click OK, and then OK.

------------------------------or---------------------------------------------

It turns out that it's not all that hard to clear the list and if so desired, hide it as well.

•

It's called "Documents" on versions of Windows prior to XP, or if you've selected "Classic Start menu" in XP, it'll show as "My Recent Documents". Regardless of what it's called, if you click onStart and then hover you mouse over the menu item, you'll see a sub-menu pop out that includes some of the documents most recently opened through many Windows programs:

Not everyone wants their most recent documents so easily visible to anyone who walks by.

The good news is that it's easy to clear. Removing it completely is just a little more work.

•

To clear your recent document history, right click on Start and click on Properties. You'll have either Start Menu or Classic Start Menu selected; click the corresponding Customize button. Here's the resulting dialog for the Classic Start Menu:

I've highlighted the relevant section: click on the Clear button to clear the recent documents list.

In the default (not classic) Start Menu, the setting is one more level down. When you click on Properties, you'll see this dialog:

Click on the Advanced tab:

Click the Clear List button to clear the list.

•

To turn off the recent document history, things get just a little more complicated. Maybe.

That last dialog we pictured had something interesting in it:

If you use the default Start Menu, this option does exactly what we want. Uncheck List my most recently opened documents and the "My Recent Documents" menu item will disappear.

Unfortunately that setting does not affect the Classic Start Menu so if you're using Classic Start Menu (as I am), things get more interesting.

If you're running Windows XP Pro, the safest way to make this, and many other configuration changes, is to use the Group Policy Editor. Click on Start, then Run... enter "gpedit.msc" and click on OK:

Once you're in the group policy editor, expand un turn User Configuration, Administrative Templates, and then Start Menu and Taskbar:

As you can see, there's a setting that sounds exactly like what we're looking for: Remove Documents menu from Start Menu. Double click on that to get:

Click on "Enabled", and click on OK.

This setting requires that you reboot before it takes effect. Once you do:

You'll notice that there's no "Documents" item.

•

If you're running Windows XP Home you may not have the group policy editor. That means you'll need to edit the registry directly - be sure to back it up first.

Start, Run, "regdt32":

Navigate to the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer:

Double click on No RecentDocsMenu and set the Value Data to 1. Click OK, and close registry editor.

As before, a reboot might be required before this setting change takes effect.

Windows XP Secrets!!!

2010-01-26T23:15:00.000+05:30

Secret - Hidden Command Line Switch
Instructions - Go to "Start", "Run" and Type defrag c: -b to defragment the Boot and Application Prefetch information.

Secret - Hidden Install Creator
Instructions - Go to Start, Run, type iexpress

Secret - Hidden Internet Conference Application
Instructions - Go to Start, Run, type conf

Secret - Create a Log File
Instructions - Launch Notepad, Type .LOG on the first line, and then press Enter to move to the next line. On the File menu, click Save As, type a descriptive name for your file in the File name box, and then click OK. When you next open the file, note that the date and time have been appended to the end of the log, immediately preceding the place where new text can be added. You can use this functionality to automatically add the current date and time to each log entry.

Secret - Image Trails
Instructions - Open an image and hold down Shift then drag the image around to create an image trail.

Secret - 10x Zoom
Instructions - Open an image and select the magnifying glass icon. Left-Click exactly on the line below the 8x.

Secret - Hidden Font Editor
Instructions - Go to Start, Run, type eudcedit

Secret - Hidden Windows Media Player
Instructions - Go to Start, Run, type mplayer2

An Interesting video about future computer!!!

2010-01-24T19:53:00.000+05:30

Dont Miss to watch this........

Computers In 2020 - The funniest bloopers are right here

Story Behind Your Date Of Birth

2010-01-20T21:38:00.000+05:30

If U were born on the 1st, 10th, 19th, 28th of any month U r number 1...

If U were born on the 2nd, 11th, 20th, 29th of any month then U r number 2...

If U were born on the 3rd, 12th, 21st, 30th of any month then U r number 3...

If U were born on the 4th, 13th, 22nd, 31st of any month then U r number 4...

If U were born on the 5th, 14th, 23rd of any month then U r number 5...

If U were born on the 6th,15th,24th of any month then U r number 6...

If U were born on the 7th,16th,25th of any month then U r number 7...

If U were born on the 8th,17th,26th of any month then U r number 8...

If U were born on the 9th,18th,27th of any month then U r number 9...

Number 1

You are smart, straight talking, funny, stubborn, hardworking, honest,
jealous on competing basis, kind hearted, angry, friendly, authorities,
famous person...always want to be and regarded as first on people
position, they are often like to be independent, will never be under
others, self confident people!

You are most likely to fall in love in the younger age, but will get
marry when you mature! You are likely to have problems with people who have opposite views

and you are most likely to take revenge over your
enemies in a long time basis. You are a spender, but you will have a good profession in the future.

If you are guy you will be very popular that everybody will have mental attraction and respect at you.

You can go anywhere from the local shop to the heart of the parliament because you are positive and

well talented in numerous issues!! But in your life you will always have some people who will work hard

to bring you & your name down. This is undercover!! Coz of your smart behavior you will be hated by some

people too...

Your family life is very cool, you will have a very nice partner &
wonderful children... You are pioneer, independent & original...

Your best match is 4,6,8 good match is 3,5,7 !!!

Number 2

No matter what, you will be loved by every one coz your ruler is the
Moon and every one loves the Moon. Well.. you are a person who day dream a lot,

you have very low-self confidence, you need back up for every move in your life, you

are very much unpredictable. Means you do change according to time and circumstances,

kind a selfish, have a very strong sense of musical, artistic talent, verbal communication.

Your attitudes are like the Moon, comes to gloom and fade away so everybody can expect

changes in you. You can be a next Mahatma Gandhi who does peace love or you can be a

Hitler who wants to destroy the man kind and peace (I mean in the community and your own home).

If you really have a deep thought about your own believe in God you can
feel the difference which will make you stronger! Most of the time your
words are a kind of would be happening true! So without any knowledge
you can predict the situation.. You will become poets, writers, any
artistic business people!

You are not strong in love, so you will be there and here till you get
marry.. If U r a girl you will be a responsible woman in the whole
family. If U r a man you will involve in fights & arguments in the family or
vice-versa. Means you will sacrifice your life for the goodness sake of
your family...You are gentle , intuitive with a broad vision, a power
behind the scenes, well balanced People!!!

Your best match is 2 ,5 ,9 no other people can put up with you !!!

Number 3

You are a person of hard hearted, selfish most of the times, religious,
loves to climb up in your life. You always tend to have lots of problems
within your family in the early stages but you will put up with everything..

You have the strong word power, pretty happy face.. so wherever you go always

you have got what you wanted!!! And from the birth always wanted to work hard in order

to achieve something.. You will not get
anything without hard work! When you reach a man/ woman age you want other younger

once to listen to you because you want younger people to respect people older than them.

You do set so many examples to others. Generally you are not a cool person. It's not easy

thing dealing with you. A tough player you are! But once you like someone's attitud! e then

here you go, what can I say? It will be a lasting friendship. You always have respect from others.

Your life seems to have lots of worries and problems but sure they won't be long.. You will always

have brilliant kids!!! You love the money a bit too much so temptation will push you to endless

trying and trying.. If you are a guy then it's over. Looking after your family and help friends, so you

will spend a life time just being generous and kind (except 21st born men). And number 3s you will

be such an example of how to be in the culture & life!!! If you are girl then you have good character

and culture & hardworking attitude. You always follow. You are a freedom lover, creative, ambition

focused, a person who brings beauty , hope & joy to this world!!!

Your best match 6 ,9. Good match 1 ,3 ,5 !!!

Number 4

You are very stubborn too, very hard working but unlucky in important
matters in life, very cool, helpful, you have rough word power.. Might
put lots of people away from you, you may cause nuisance to others if you are a man,

and you often understands others and their problems well. If you are a girl you are very

good with studies and arts. If you are a guy you spend most of the time after girl friends

(almost) at times, you will have sort of too much fun life with mates & girls. Your friends will

spend your time & money and get away with their life and you will become empty handed and

don't know what to do... So be careful!! You love to spend anyway!!! Your good will is you are

always there to help family and friends. Tell you what you people are little gem! s, specially the girls..

You always fall in love in younger age as well. You often live with disappointments, for an example

you have got a degree in some thing... but you will be unemployed.. or will do very ordinary jobs.

But you will take care of your family very well...All you need to be careful of people who will take

advantage of your kind heart. And beware of your relations too.. You are radical, patient, persistent,

a bit old-fashioned, you live with foundation & order...

Your best Match 1, 8. Good match 5 ,6 , 7 !!!

Number 5

You are very popular within the community, you can get things done by
just chatting..to even enemies! You have a pretty good business mind, you are often

have no-idea what is today is like, or tomorrow is like, you are a person who does anything

when your head thinks "lets do this". You will be famous if you open up a business,

get involve in share dealings, music etc.. Very popular with sense of humor ,you are

the one your friends and families will always ask for help, and you are the one actually

get money on credit and help your friends. You will have more than 1 relationship,

but when u get settle down you will be a bit selfish anyway. Coz your other half will

have a pretty good amount of control in you, be careful! You tend to go for other relationships!

Contacts even you are married at times 'coz your popularity.. You are someone who get along

with anyone coz the number 5 is the middle number.. Changes & freedom lovers you are! You are

an explorer with magic on your face. You learn your life through experience and it's your best teacher!!!

Your best match 1 ,2 ,9. Good match 6 ,8 !!!

Number 6

Ooopppss..you are born to enjoy.. You don't care about others. I mean
you are always want to enjoy your life time, you are a person.. You will be

very good in either education or work wise or business management! You are talented,

kind (but with only people who you think are nice), very
beautiful girls and guys, popular and more than lucky with anything in
your lives. All the goodness does come with you. Your mind and body is just made perfect for love.

You are lovable by any other numbers. But if you are a number 6 man, you will experience kind of

looks from most girls and will involve in more than few relationships until you get married. If you are girl,

most of you will get marry/engaged early. You are ! a caring
person towards your family & friends . If you miss the half-way mark then you are about to suffer physically

and mentally. Generally you will lead a very good inner-home happiness with nothing short of. You are a person of compassion, comfort & fairness, domestic responsibility, good
judgment, and after all you can heal this world wounds to make peace for every life coz you have the great

power of caring talent to make this world of love one step further...

Your best match 1, 6, 9. Good match 4, 5!!!

Number 7

You have got the attraction to anyone out there, you are realistic,
very confident, happy, such a talented individual with your education,
music, arts, singing, and most importantly acting too. You have real problems

with bad temper! If you are a girl, you are popular with the subjects listed above.

You give up things for your parents. I mean you value your family status a lot, you will be

in the top rank when you reach a certain age. If you are a guy you are popular with girls,

you are a very talented too. Most of the number 7s face lots of problems with their marriage life.

Only a very few are happy. You have everything in your life, but still always number 7s have some sort of unfullfilness, such worries all their lifetime. It's probably the Lord given you al! l sort of over the

standard humans talents and you are about to suffer in family life. So you need to get ready looking

for a partner rather than waiting. If you don't, then you might end-up single. So take care with this issue,

ok? You are wonderful, friendly, artistic, happy person. You are born to
contribute lots to this world!!!

Your best match is 2. Good matches are 1,4 !!!

Number 8

You are a very strong personality, there's no one out there will
understand you. You are very good at pointing your finger at some thing and say "this is what".

You are more likely to suffer from the early ages. I mean poverty. If your times are not good

you might lose either of your
parent and end up looking after your entire family. You often suffer all the way in life.

The problems will not allow you to study further, but you will
learn the life in a very practical way. You are the one who will fight
for justice and may die in the war too. You are normally very reserved with handful of

friends and most of the time live life lonely and always
prepared to help others. Well. once you get married (which is often
late) then your bad lucks will go away a bit and you! u become safe. You will face un-expected

problems such as : the error, government, poisonous animals, accidents. You are some one with

great discipline, persistence, courage, strength which will take you to success. You are a great part

of a family team. You are a fighter!

Your Best match 1 ,4, 8. Good match 5 !!!

Number 9

Hey...you guys are the incompatibles people in the world. You are so
strong, physically and mentally.. You are often have big-aims. You will work

hard and hard to get there.

Normally you suffer in the early age from family problems and generally you

will have fighting life.. But when you
achieve what you have done, it's always a big task you have done! You are so much respected in

the community, you are a person who can make a challenge and successfully finish the matter off.

You are very naughty in your younger age, often beaten up by your parents and involve in fights

and you seemed to have lots of injuries in your life time. But when u grow you become calm and macho type.

Love is not an easy matter for you. You are good in engineering or banking jobs coz people always trust you.

Your family life is very good, but will have worries over your children.

Your such qualities are humanitarian, patient, very wise & compassionate.

You are born to achieve targets and serve every one all equally without any prejudice.

You are totally a role model to anybody in the world for a great inspiration.

Your Best match 3, 5, 6, 9. Good match 2

Simple tricks in PC

2010-01-20T21:26:00.000+05:30

Simple tricks in PC

Go to Run command and type ... See what it opens

Type 2 Dots .. See what it opens

type 1 Dot . See what it opens :lmao:

Harmless small trick.. Use it for fun..

Open Microsoft Word

Put this - = rand(200,99) then Press enter

Winner’s Blueprint For Achievement

2010-01-20T21:21:00.001+05:30

Winner’s Blueprint For Achievement

BELIEVE while others are doubting.
PLAN while others are playing.
STUDY while others are sleeping.
SMILE while others are frowning.
DECIDE while others are delaying.
PREPARE while others are daydreaming.
BEGIN while others are procrastinating.
WORK while others are wishing.
SAVE while others are wasting.
LISTEN while others are talking.
COMMEND while others are criticizing.
PERSIST while others are quitting.

Amazing trick for u- How to Block & Unblock usb Ports

2010-01-20T21:07:00.000+05:30

In this post I will show how to disables/blocks the USB ports on the computer (PC). Once this is done it will immediately disable all the USB ports on the computer. As a result the you?ll will not be able to use your pen drive or any other USB peripheral on the computer.You can test this on your own computer without any worries since I have also given a trick to re-enable/unblock all the USB ports.

FIRST OF ALL

GO TO --> START --> RUN

NOW TYPE REGEDIT

NOW LOOK FOR THE KEY :
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\USBSTOR

NOW FIND THE KEY THERE CALLED :-
"Start"
DOUBLE CLICK ON IT.
NOW CHANGE THE VALUE DATA 3 --> 4

WHERE ITS BASE IS HEXADECIMAL
HERE YOU GO

YOU HAVE DONE IT
NOW CLOSE THE REGISTRY AND YOU'LL SEE THE RESULT.
YOUR PC'S ALL USB PORTS ARE DISABLED

TO RE-ENABLE/UNBLOCK USB PORTS JUST CHANGE THE VALUE DATA AGAIN 4 --> 3
NOW YOUR PC'S ALL USB PORTS ARE RE-ENABLED.

interesting shares

2010-01-20T21:06:00.000+05:30

Interesting English Counting

Letters 'a', 'b', 'c ' & 'd' do not appear anywhere in the spellings of 1 to 99

Letter 'd' comes for the first time in Hundred

Letters 'a', 'b' & 'c ' do not appear anywhere in the spellings of 1 to 999

Letter 'a' comes for the first time in Thousand

Letters 'b' & 'c' do not appear anywhere in the spellings of 1 to 999,999,999

Letter 'b' comes for the first time in Billion

And

Letter 'c' does not appear anywhere in the spellings of entire English Counting

__________________

Disable The Send Error Report, to Microsoft

2010-01-20T20:56:00.000+05:30

Disable The Send Error Report, to Microsoft
To disable the feature in WinXP which tries to send a report to microsoft every time a program crashes you will have to do this:

************************************************** ***********************

Open Control Panel
Click on Preformance and Maintenance.
Click on System.
Then click on the Advanced tab
Click on the error reporting button on the bottom of the windows.
Select Disable error reporting.
Click OK
Click OK

Always Respect Nature

2010-01-20T20:41:00.001+05:30

The human may be on the top of the food chain but sometimes we can become food ourselves. Its very important to be careful with the animals and give them respect..some times they dominate the human beings ...

Windows Port List

2010-01-20T20:35:00.000+05:30

Port are divided into three ranges: the Common Ports, the Registered Ports, and Private Ports.

The Common Ports are those from 0 through 1023.
The Registered Ports are those from 1024 through 49151
The Private Ports are those from 49152 through 65535

Common Ports
The Common Ports are assigned by the IANA and on most systems can only be used by system (or root) processes or by programs executed by privileged users.
Ports are used in the TCP [RFC793] to name the ends of logical connections which carry long term conversations. For the purpose of providing services to unknown callers, a service contact port is defined. This list specifies the port used by the server process as its contact port.

Port Assignments for Common Ports:

Port UDP TCP Definition

7 x x echo

9 x x discard

11 x x systat

13 x x daytime

17 x x quote of the day

19 x character generator

20 x ftp - data

21 x ftp - control

23 x telnet

25 x smtp mail transfer

37 x x timeserver

39 x rlp resource location

42 x x nameserver

43 x nicname whois

53 x x dommainlein name server

67 x bootpc bootstrap protocol

68 x bootpc bootstrap protocol

69 x tftp trivial file transfer

70 x gopher

79 x finger

80 x http

88 x x kerberos

101 x hostname nic

102 x iso-tsap class 0

107 x rtelnet

109 x pop2

110 x pop3

111 x x sunrpc

113 x identification protocol

117 x uucp

119 x nntp

123 x ntp

135 x x epmap

137 x x netbios - name service

138 x netbios - dgm

139 x netbios - ssn

143 x imap

158 x pcmail - srv

161 x snmp

162 x snmptrap

170 x print - srv

179 x border gateway protocol

194 x irc internet relay chat

213 x ipx

389 x ldap

443 x x https (ssl)

445 x x microsoft - ds

464 x x kpasswd

500 x isakmp key exchange

512 x x remote execute

513 x x login / who

514 x x shell cmd / syslog

515 x printer spooler

517 x talk

518 x ntalk

520 x x router / efs

525 x timeserver

526 x tempo

530 x rpc

531 x conference chat

532 x netnews newsreader

533 x netwall

540 x uucp

543 x klogin

544 x kshell

550 x new - rwho

556 x remotefs

560 x rmonitor

561 x monitor

636 x ldaps over tls/ssl

666 x x doom id software

749 x x kerberos administration

750 x kerveros version iv

1109 x kpop

1167 x phone

1433 x x ms - sql - server

1434 x x ms - sql - monitor

1512 x x wins

1524 x ingreslock

1701 x l2tp

1723 x pptp point to point

1812 x radius authentication

1813 x radius accounting

2049 x nfs server

2053 x kerberos de - multiplexor

9535 x man remote server

How to attend an interview confidently

2010-01-02T15:42:00.000+05:30

You finally got the interview for your dream job, but what should you wear? Unless it’s a job in the fashion industry, you won’t get hired for dressing well. What’s important is to seamlessly blend with your interviewer’s expectations for your appearance, so they can focus on what they say and who you are

Steps

* Be formal (no matter what the regular dress code is at the job). The only exceptions to this are if you are interviewing somewhere that they tell you specifically what to wear for your own safety (such as at a factory). For most interviews, a suit is the appropriate attire. A blue suit works the best and it gives you a lot of versatility in terms of shirt and tie choice. Light or dark grey are also good conservative choices. A three button suit will look good on almost anyone, while a 2 button will give a slightly taller/slimmer appearance.
* Choose a solid white or blue shirt. You don’t want to look too flashy with a brightly colored shirt, and striped (and especially patterned) shirts are a little less formal. A straight collar is also more formal than a button down. Choose one with a medium spread. (If you have a particularly large neck, a wider collar may look better.)
* Wear a tie in a dark, conservative color (never pink). Stick to solids, rep (diagonal striped) or small patterned ties. A red tie will give the friendly politician look, while blue ties give a more serious FBI agent look. Both are acceptable.
* Wear a belt or suspenders, but never both at the same time. It’s redundant. If you’re a suspenders kind of guy, get buttons sewed into your trousers and wear suspenders that button on, not the cheap clip-on kind. They will make you look cheap.
* Show off your shoes. A pair of black oxfords or cap-toed oxfords is the best choice. Get ones that don’t have super thick soles so they won’t look like boots.
* Wear solid, vertically ribbed socks in black or grey. Get socks that are long enough to cover your legs when you sit down in your suit. Socks should always match the color of your trous
ers.

Tips

* A nice watch rounds out the outfit. You don’t have to spend a fortune on a Tag Heuer. Fossil and Timex make nice enough looking watches that can fool almost anyone.
* If you are lucky enough to be asked for a second interview, simply changing the shirt and tie combination can give the look of a whole new outfit, even if you don’t have another suit.
* Remember to turn off your cell phone before you go.
* Although it seems counterintuitive to wear another layer, putting on an undershirt will keep sweat from getting on your dress shirt and showing exactly how nervous you really are. The bonus is that your white shirt will look whiter with a white undershirt. Choose a white short-sleeved tee in favor of an athletic undershirt.
* Make sure your dress shirts’ tails are long enough that they stay tucked in. Refresh your tuck right before the interview in the nearest restroom: unzip your fly and reach in to pull the front tail downwards, to align the placket with your trouser hitch and belt buckle.
* Wear unscented deodorant and no cologne

Warnings

* It is imperative that your clothes are clean and pressed. If you never iron your clothes, iron just this once for your interview. You could also drop your clothes off at the dry cleaners.
* Some dress shoes can be slippery, and literally falling on your face is not the impression you want to make. Look for shoes with rubber inserts for traction.
* Also make sure your shoes are shined and the heels aren’t worn down. If the heels are worn down, you can have them repaired at a cobbler.
* Don’t get a watch that beeps. Don’t ever wear a digital watch.
* Some of the more technical organizations you may interview with have a “we don’t hire suits” custom. Check beforehand with the firm’s HR contact to inquire about this.

Project Management

2009-12-30T11:55:00.000+05:30

A new vacuum cleaner salesman knocked on the door on the first house of the street.. A tall, mid-aged lady
answered the door.
Before she could speak, the enthusiastic salesman barged into the Living Room and opened a big black plastic bag
and poured all the cow dung (droppings) onto the carpet.
"Madam, if I could not clean the mess up with this new, excellent and powerful Vacuum cleaner, I will EAT all this
shit!" exclaimed the eager salesman.
"Do you need chili sauce or ketchup with that" asked the lady.
The bewildered salesman asked, "Why, madam?"

"There's no electricity in the house..." said the lady.

MORAL: Gather all resources before working on any project and committing to the client...!!!

NARUMUGAIYE___IRUVAR

2009-07-19T11:46:00.000+05:30

NARUMUGAIYE___IRUVAR

Iruvar (The Duo) (1997) is a Tamil language Indian film directed and co-written by Mani Ratnam, with music composed by A. R. Rahman. The film is a fictionalized account of the lives of 1980s Tamil Nadu political icons M. G. Ramachandran and M. Karunanidhi, continuing the tryst between Tamil cinema and Dravidian politics. Mohanlal and Prakash Raj played lead roles in the film. Tabu, Gouthami, Revathi Menon and Nasser star in supporting roles. The film also saw the movie debut of Aishwarya Rai.

What Is WiMax?

2009-06-30T23:15:00.000+05:30

A wireless technology based on the IEEE 802.16 standard providing metropolitan area network connectivity for fixed wireless access at broadband

Hide your files in jpeg format

2009-05-30T16:29:00.000+05:30

Well, did you know you could hide your files in a JPEG file? For this, you will only need to download WinRAR. You just need to have a little knowledge about Command Prompt and have WinRAR installed.
1. Gather all the files that you wish to hide in a folder anywhere in your PC (make it in C:\hidden - RECOMMENDED).
2. Now, add those files in a RAR archive (e.g. secret.rar). This file should also be in the same directory (C:\hidden).
3. Now, look for a simple JPEG picture file (e.g. logo.jpg). Copy/Paste that file also in C:\hidden.
4. Now, open Command Prompt (Go to Run and type ‘cmd‘). Make your working directory C:\hidden.
5. Now type: “COPY /b logo.jpg + secret.rar output.jpg” (without quotes) - Now, logo.jpg is the picture you want to show, secret.rar is the file to be hidden, and output.jpg is the file which contains both.
6. Now, after you have done this, you will see a file output.jpg in C:\hidden. Open it (double-click) and it will show the picture you wanted to show. Now try opening the same file with WinRAR, it will show the hidden archive .

Lock any folder without using any software

2009-05-30T16:26:00.000+05:30

Paste it in notepad:

cls
@ECHO OFF
title Folder Locker
if EXIST "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" goto UNLOCK
if NOT EXIST Locker goto MDLOCKER
:CONFIRM
echo Are you sure u want to Lock the folder(Y/N)
set/p "cho=>"
if %cho%==Y goto LOCK
if %cho%==y goto LOCK
if %cho%==n goto END
if %cho%==N goto END
echo Invalid choice.
goto CONFIRM
:LOCK
ren Locker "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
attrib +h +s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
echo Folder locked
goto End
:UNLOCK
echo Enter password to Unlock folder
set/p "pass=>"
if NOT %pass%==type your password here goto FAIL
attrib -h -s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
ren "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" Locker
echo Folder Unlocked successfully
goto End
:FAIL
echo Invalid password
goto end
:MDLOCKER
md Locker
echo Locker created successfully
goto End
:End

Save it as batch file(with extension .bat).Any name will do.
Now you see a batch file.
Double click it to create a folder locker.
A new folder named Locker would be formed at the same location.
Now brings all the files you want to hide in the locker folder.
Now double click the batch file to lock the folder namely Locker.
If you want to unlock your files,double click the batch file again and you would be prompted for password.
Enter the password and enjoy access to the folder.
The password here is "pass"

Create desktop icon for restart and shutdown

2009-05-30T16:16:00.000+05:30

Do the following:
1. Right click on your desktop
2. Then in NEW click on SHORTCUT
3. A shortcut wizard will appear
4. Type this in the box:
shutdown -s -t 00
5. Your done now right click on the folder>properties>Change Icon
And then choose any appropriate icon
For restart instead of -s type -r

To Make ur more protected system

2009-05-30T16:13:00.001+05:30

Many wud know about BIOS password and logon password

There is also another startup password for more protection

1)Open Run and type syskey
2)A "Securing the windows....." window will open.
3)Click on update button and in the opening window select password start password
4)Give a password.

This will create another password for statrup

More bandwidth in ur network connection

2009-05-30T16:11:00.001+05:30

Most of the ppl dont know that they use only 80% of their bandwidth of their network connection....

Microsoft utilise the other 20% for its own purposes....
To use all the bandwidth follow the instructions
1)Open "run" and type "gpedit.msc"
2)It will open Group Policy editor window
3)There select Computer configuration
4)Select Administrative Templates
5)Select Network
6)Select QoS Packet Scheduler
7)There select "Limit Reservable Bandwidth"
8)It will open a New window
9)By default It would b set to "not configured"
10)Click on "enabled" and change 20 to 0
11)Then apply the settings...

Now u'll have full utilisation of ur bandwidth.....

U can have ur own Invisible folder for hiding ur stuff in ur PC

2009-05-30T16:10:00.000+05:30

U can have ur own Invisible folder for hiding ur stuff in ur PC

1)Create a new folder anywher in u want...
2)Then hold "Alt" key and using numeric keypad type"255"
3)This will create a folder without a name
4)Then ryt click on the folder and click properties...
5)Goto customize tab......Click change icon....
6)There select an empty icon for ur folder(It 'll be in the 13th column)
7)Click apply and ok......
8)Ur invisible folder is ready for ur use!!!

Break the rapidshare waiting time .!

2009-05-30T16:01:00.001+05:30

1. Goto the page you want to download. (the rapidshare address of your download)
2. Select FREE button
3. In the address bar put the following: javascript:alert(c=0) OR javascript:alert(c=1)
4. Click on the "go to" button
5. Click OK to the pop-up box
6. Enter the captcha ( if asked )
7. Download Your File. Enjoy!

RFID Chips Gain Computing Skills

2009-05-30T15:40:00.000+05:30

Smarter Than It Looks: RFID chips can do complex calculations

One way to do long computations with short bursts of power

In the 2000 movie Memento, the main character tries to solve the mystery of his wife’s murder, despite suffering from amnesia that causes his brain to effectively “reboot” every 5 minutes. In the world of computing, “passive” radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips have a similar problem. Dependent for power on infrequent, scavenged RF energy from a reading device, RFID chips may reboot more than once per second and then lie dormant indefinitely, waiting for the next reader to come along.

But computer scientists in Massachusetts are working on software, aptly named Mementos, that could allow an RFID to perform computations that span many power losses and reboots. The software may enable the chip to compute cryptographic protocols, leading to more secure signals. And it might allow RFID chips to be more than just data collectors. They could analyze and possibly take action based on changes to the stress on a “smart” bridge or to trends in a person’s vital signs, for instance. Such computational RFIDs could play a role in the transformation of the Internet from a network of computers to a network of things—appliances, cars, smart clothes, and so on.

“We’re working on software to make it possible to actually compute, given that our power is going to be disappearing and reappearing,” says Kevin Fu, assistant professor of computer science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Mementos does two things: It makes sure that the RFID keeps working toward finishing a computation, and it also keeps the chip in a state such that if it loses power, it can quickly resume work when the power returns. One way the software does that is to have the chip perform energy-intensive tasks, such as writing data to flash memory, only when ample power (more than 2.2 milliwatts) is available.

Ravi Pappu, cofounder of the RFID company ThingMagic, based in Cambridge, Mass., says that the work of Fu’s team is very important.

“We have millions of computers everywhere, but computers have been chained to desks and server racks and other kinds of infrastructure,” Pappu says. “Rather than being constrained by dragging computers of various shapes and sizes into the real world, could we equip the real world with computing? I think what Kevin and his guys have done is an advance in that direction.”

Fu and his colleagues developed their RFID computing software on Intel’s prototype Wireless Identification and Sensing Platform (WISP), a postage-stamp-size RFID chip with specs suited for a 1980s home-brew computing enthusiast: a 16‑megahertz microprocessor, 512 bytes of RAM, and 8 kilobytes of storage (in the form of flash memory).

The amount of RF power WISP picks up, Fu says, can vary drastically. And Mementos must make programs run on WISP perform under each scenariosleep (0.2 to 2.5 microwatts); midrange (1.8 to 3.6 mW), which allows it to read from memory and compute; and active (2.2 to 25.2 mW) in which it can even write to flash memory.

“As much as possible we’d like to protect programmers from the underlying problems” of fluctuating power and regular reboots, says Benjamin Ransford, a graduate student in Fu’s lab.

Jason Flinn, associate professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Michigan, says he’s impressed by Mementos but thinks that it still has a long way to go.

The University of Massachusetts work “asks some very interesting questions and has some preliminary ideas,” he says. “But I don’t know that they’ve solved those problems or fully validated it yet.”

Allowing Network Access with Blank Passwords

2009-04-14T00:20:00.000+05:30

Although you can log in locally without a password, but by default Windows XP does not allow network users to access the computer without a password.

Typically you will get 'Unknown error 31' or 'Access denied' errors. To override this problem follow the below steps.
Go to Start -> Run and type gpedit.msc and then press enter.

Wait for the Group Policy Editor,

go to Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Local Policies -> Security Options and then double click on Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console login only and Disable it.

.NET Remoting Interview Questions

2009-03-29T20:03:00.000+05:30

What’s a Windows process?
It’s an application that’s running and had been allocated memory.
What’s typical about a Windows process in regards to memory allocation?
Each process is allocated its own block of available RAM space, no process can access another process’ code or data. If the process crashes, it dies alone without taking the entire OS or a bunch of other applications down.
Explain what relationship is between a Process, Application Domain, and Application?
A process is an instance of a running application. An application is an executable on the hard drive or network. There can be numerous processes launched of the same application (5 copies of Word running), but 1 process can run just 1 application.
What are possible implementations of distributed applications in .NET?
.NET Remoting and ASP.NET Web Services. If we talk about the Framework Class Library, noteworthy classes are in System.Runtime.Remoting and System.Web.Services.
What are the consideration in deciding to use .NET Remoting or ASP.NET Web Services?
Remoting is a more efficient communication exchange when you can control both ends of the application involved in the communication process. Web Services provide an open-protocol-based exchange of informaion. Web Services are best when you need to communicate with an external organization or another (non-.NET) technology.
What’s a proxy of the server object in .NET Remoting?
It’s a fake copy of the server object that resides on the client side and behaves as if it was the server. It handles the communication between real server object and the client object. This process is also known as marshaling.
What are remotable objects in .NET Remoting?
Remotable objects are the objects that can be marshaled across the application domains. You can marshal by value, where a deep copy of the object is created and then passed to the receiver. You can also marshal by reference, where just a reference to an existing object is passed.
What are channels in .NET Remoting?
Channels represent the objects that transfer the other serialized objects from one application domain to another and from one computer to another, as well as one process to another on the same box. A channel must exist before an object can be transferred.
What security measures exist for .NET Remoting in System.Runtime.Remoting?
None. Security should be taken care of at the application level. Cryptography and other security techniques can be applied at application or server level.
What is a formatter?
A formatter is an object that is responsible for encoding and serializing data into messages on one end, and deserializing and decoding messages into data on the other end.
Choosing between HTTP and TCP for protocols and Binary and SOAP for formatters, what are the trade-offs?
Binary over TCP is the most effiecient, SOAP over HTTP is the most interoperable.
What’s SingleCall activation mode used for?
If the server object is instantiated for responding to just one single request, the request should be made in SingleCall mode.
What’s Singleton activation mode?
A single object is instantiated regardless of the number of clients accessing it. Lifetime of this object is determined by lifetime lease.
How do you define the lease of the object?
By implementing ILease interface when writing the class code.
Can you configure a .NET Remoting object via XML file?
Yes, via machine.config and application level .config file (or web.config in ASP.NET). Application-level XML settings take precedence over machine.config.
How can you automatically generate interface for the remotable object in .NET with Microsoft tools?
Use the Soapsuds tool.

ASP.NET Interview Questions

2009-03-29T20:00:00.000+05:30

Describe the role of inetinfo.exe, aspnet_isapi.dll andaspnet_wp.exe in the page loading process.
inetinfo.exe is theMicrosoft IIS server running, handling ASP.NET requests among other things.When an ASP.NET request is received (usually a file with .aspx extension), the ISAPI filter aspnet_isapi.dll takes care of it by passing the request tothe actual worker process aspnet_wp.exe.
What’s the difference between Response.Write() andResponse.Output.Write()?
Response.Output.Write() allows you to write formatted output.
What methods are fired during the page load?
Init() - when the page is instantiated
Load() - when the page is loaded into server memory
PreRender() - the brief moment before the page is displayed to the user as HTML
Unload() - when page finishes loading.
When during the page processing cycle is ViewState available?
After the Init() and before the Page_Load(), or OnLoad() for a control.
What namespace does the Web page belong in the .NET Framework class hierarchy?
System.Web.UI.Page
Where do you store the information about the user’s locale?
System.Web.UI.Page.Culture
What’s the difference between Codebehind="MyCode.aspx.cs" andSrc="MyCode.aspx.cs"?
CodeBehind is relevant to Visual Studio.NET only.
What’s a bubbled event?
When you have a complex control, like DataGrid, writing an event processing routine for each object (cell, button, row, etc.) is quite tedious. The controls can bubble up their eventhandlers, allowing the main DataGrid event handler to take care of its constituents.
Suppose you want a certain ASP.NET function executed on MouseOver for a certain button. Where do you add an event handler?
Add an OnMouseOver attribute to the button. Example:btnSubmit.Attributes.Add("onmouseover","someClientCodeHere();");
What data types do the RangeValidator control support?
Integer, String, and Date.
Explain the differences between Server-side and Client-side code?
Server-side code executes on the server. Client-side code executes in the client's browser.
What type of code (server or client) is found in a Code-Behind class?
The answer is server-side code since code-behind is executed on the server. However, during the code-behind's execution on the server, it can render client-side code such as JavaScript to be processed in the clients browser. But just to be clear, code-behind executes on the server, thus making it server-side code.
Should user input data validation occur server-side or client-side? Why?
All user input data validation should occur on the server at a minimum. Additionally, client-side validation can be performed where deemed appropriate and feasable to provide a richer, more responsive experience for the user.
What is the difference between Server.Transfer and Response.Redirect? Why would I choose one over the other?
Server.Transfer transfers page processing from one page directly to the next page without making a round-trip back to the client's browser. This provides a faster response with a little less overhead on the server. Server.Transfer does not update the clients url history list or current url. Response.Redirect is used to redirect the user's browser to another page or site. This performas a trip back to the client where the client's browser is redirected to the new page. The user's browser history list is updated to reflect the new address.
Can you explain the difference between an ADO.NET Dataset and an ADO Recordset?
Valid answers are:
·  A DataSet can represent an entire relational database in memory, complete with tables, relations, and views.
·  A DataSet is designed to work without any continuing connection to the original data source.
·  Data in a DataSet is bulk-loaded, rather than being loaded on demand.
·  There's no concept of cursor types in a DataSet.
·  DataSets have no current record pointer You can use For Each loops to move through the data.
·  You can store many edits in a DataSet, and write them to the original data source in a single operation.
·  Though the DataSet is universal, other objects in ADO.NET come in different versions for different data sources.
What is the Global.asax used for?
The Global.asax (including the Global.asax.cs file) is used to implement application and session level events.
What are the Application_Start and Session_Start subroutines used for?
This is where you can set the specific variables for the Application and Session objects.
Can you explain what inheritance is and an example of when you might use it?
When you want to inherit (use the functionality of) another class. Example: With a base class named Employee, a Manager class could be derived from the Employee base class.
Whats an assembly?
Assemblies are the building blocks of the .NET framework. Overview of assemblies from MSDN
Describe the difference between inline and code behind.
Inline code written along side the html in a page. Code-behind is code written in a separate file and referenced by the .aspx page.
Explain what a diffgram is, and a good use for one?
The DiffGram is one of the two XML formats that you can use to render DataSet object contents to XML. A good use is reading database data to an XML file to be sent to a Web Service.
Whats MSIL, and why should my developers need an appreciation of it if at all?
MSIL is the Microsoft Intermediate Language. All .NET compatible languages will get converted to MSIL. MSIL also allows the .NET Framework to JIT compile the assembly on the installed computer.
Which method do you invoke on the DataAdapter control to load your generated dataset with data?
The Fill() method.
Can you edit data in the Repeater control?
No, it just reads the information from its data source.
Which template must you provide, in order to display data in a Repeater control?
ItemTemplate.
How can you provide an alternating color scheme in a Repeater control?
Use the AlternatingItemTemplate.
What property must you set, and what method must you call in your code, in order to bind the data from a data source to the Repeater control?
You must set the DataSource property and call the DataBind method.
What base class do all Web Forms inherit from?
The Page class.
Name two properties common in every validation control?
ControlToValidate property and Text property.
Which property on a Combo Box do you set with a column name, prior to setting the DataSource, to display data in the combo box?
DataTextField property.
Which control would you use if you needed to make sure the values in two different controls matched?
CompareValidator control.
How many classes can a single .NET DLL contain?
It can contain many classes.

Web Service Questions

What is the transport protocol you use to call a Web service?
SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is the preferred protocol.
True or False: A Web service can only be written in .NET?
False
What does WSDL stand for?
Web Services Description Language.
Where on the Internet would you look for Web services?
http://www.uddi.org
True or False: To test a Web service you must create a Windows application or Web application to consume this service?
False, the web service comes with a test page and it provides HTTP-GET method to test.

State Management Questions

What is ViewState?
ViewState allows the state of objects (serializable) to be stored in a hidden field on the page. ViewState is transported to the client and back to the server, and is not stored on the server or any other external source. ViewState is used the retain the state of server-side objects between postabacks.
What is the lifespan for items stored in ViewState?
Item stored in ViewState exist for the life of the current page. This includes postbacks (to the same page).
What does the "EnableViewState" property do? Why would I want it on or off?
It allows the page to save the users input on a form across postbacks. It saves the server-side values for a given control into ViewState, which is stored as a hidden value on the page before sending the page to the clients browser. When the page is posted back to the server the server control is recreated with the state stored in viewstate.
What are the different types of Session state management options available with ASP.NET?
ASP.NET provides In-Process and Out-of-Process state management. In-Process stores the session in memory on the web server. This requires the a "sticky-server" (or no load-balancing) so that the user is always reconnected to the same web server. Out-of-Process Session state management stores data in an external data source. The external data source may be either a SQL Server or a State Server service. Out-of-Process state management requires that all objects stored in session are serializable.

C# Interview Questions

2009-03-29T19:59:00.000+05:30

General Questions

Does C# support multiple-inheritance?
No.
Who is a protected class-level variable available to?
It is available to any sub-class (a class inheriting this class).
Are private class-level variables inherited?
Yes, but they are not accessible. Although they are not visible or accessible via the class interface, they are inherited.
Describe the accessibility modifier “protected internal”.
It is available to classes that are within the same assembly and derived from the specified base class.
What’s the top .NET class that everything is derived from?
System.Object.
What does the term immutable mean?
The data value may not be changed. Note: The variable value may be changed, but the original immutable data value was discarded and a new data value was created in memory.
What’s the difference between System.String and System.Text.StringBuilder classes?
System.String is immutable. System.StringBuilder was designed with the purpose of having a mutable string where a variety of operations can be performed.
What’s the advantage of using System.Text.StringBuilder over System.String?
StringBuilder is more efficient in cases where there is a large amount of string manipulation. Strings are immutable, so each time a string is changed, a new instance in memory is created.
Can you store multiple data types in System.Array?
No.
What’s the difference between the System.Array.CopyTo() and System.Array.Clone()?
The Clone() method returns a new array (a shallow copy) object containing all the elements in the original array. The CopyTo() method copies the elements into another existing array. Both perform a shallow copy. A shallow copy means the contents (each array element) contains references to the same object as the elements in the original array. A deep copy (which neither of these methods performs) would create a new instance of each element's object, resulting in a different, yet identacle object.
How can you sort the elements of the array in descending order?
By calling Sort() and then Reverse() methods.
What’s the .NET collection class that allows an element to be accessed using a unique key?
HashTable.
What class is underneath the SortedList class?
A sorted HashTable.
Will the finally block get executed if an exception has not occurred?
Yes.
What’s the C# syntax to catch any possible exception?
A catch block that catches the exception of type System.Exception. You can also omit the parameter data type in this case and just write catch {}.
Can multiple catch blocks be executed for a single try statement?
No. Once the proper catch block processed, control is transferred to the finally block (if there are any).
Explain the three services model commonly know as a three-tier application.
Presentation (UI), Business (logic and underlying code) and Data (from storage or other sources).

Class Questions

What is the syntax to inherit from a class in C#?
Place a colon and then the name of the base class.
Example: class MyNewClass : MyBaseClass
Can you prevent your class from being inherited by another class?
Yes. The keyword “sealed” will prevent the class from being inherited.
Can you allow a class to be inherited, but prevent the method from being over-ridden?
Yes. Just leave the class public and make the method sealed.
What’s an abstract class?
A class that cannot be instantiated. An abstract class is a class that must be inherited and have the methods overridden. An abstract class is essentially a blueprint for a class without any implementation.
When do you absolutely have to declare a class as abstract?
1. When the class itself is inherited from an abstract class, but not all base abstract methods have been overridden.
2. When at least one of the methods in the class is abstract.
What is an interface class?
Interfaces, like classes, define a set of properties, methods, and events. But unlike classes, interfaces do not provide implementation. They are implemented by classes, and defined as separate entities from classes.
Why can’t you specify the accessibility modifier for methods inside the interface?
They all must be public, and are therefore public by default.
Can you inherit multiple interfaces?
Yes. .NET does support multiple interfaces.
What happens if you inherit multiple interfaces and they have conflicting method names?
It’s up to you to implement the method inside your own class, so implementation is left entirely up to you. This might cause a problem on a higher-level scale if similarly named methods from different interfaces expect different data, but as far as compiler cares you’re okay.
To Do: Investigate
What’s the difference between an interface and abstract class?
In an interface class, all methods are abstract - there is no implementation. In an abstract class some methods can be concrete. In an interface class, no accessibility modifiers are allowed. An abstract class may have accessibility modifiers.
What is the difference between a Struct and a Class?
Structs are value-type variables and are thus saved on the stack, additional overhead but faster retrieval. Another difference is that structs cannot inherit.

Method and Property Questions

What’s the implicit name of the parameter that gets passed into the set method/property of a class?
Value. The data type of the value parameter is defined by whatever data type the property is declared as.
What does the keyword “virtual” declare for a method or property?
The method or property can be overridden.
How is method overriding different from method overloading?
When overriding a method, you change the behavior of the method for the derived class. Overloading a method simply involves having another method with the same name within the class.
Can you declare an override method to be static if the original method is not static?
No. The signature of the virtual method must remain the same. (Note: Only the keyword virtual is changed to keyword override)
What are the different ways a method can be overloaded?
Different parameter data types, different number of parameters, different order of parameters.
If a base class has a number of overloaded constructors, and an inheriting class has a number of overloaded constructors; can you enforce a call from an inherited constructor to a specific base constructor?
Yes, just place a colon, and then keyword base (parameter list to invoke the appropriate constructor) in the overloaded constructor definition inside the inherited class.

Events and Delegates

What’s a delegate?
A delegate object encapsulates a reference to a method.
What’s a multicast delegate?
A delegate that has multiple handlers assigned to it. Each assigned handler (method) is called.

XML Documentation Questions

Is XML case-sensitive?
Yes.
What’s the difference between // comments, /* */ comments and /// comments?
Single-line comments, multi-line comments, and XML documentation comments.
How do you generate documentation from the C# file commented properly with a command-line compiler?
Compile it with the /doc switch.

Debugging and Testing Questions

What debugging tools come with the .NET SDK?
1. CorDBG – command-line debugger. To use CorDbg, you must compile the original C# file using the /debug switch.
2. DbgCLR – graphic debugger. Visual Studio .NET uses the DbgCLR.
What does assert() method do?
In debug compilation, assert takes in a Boolean condition as a parameter, and shows the error dialog if the condition is false. The program proceeds without any interruption if the condition is true.
What’s the difference between the Debug class and Trace class?
Documentation looks the same. Use Debug class for debug builds, use Trace class for both debug and release builds.
Why are there five tracing levels in System.Diagnostics.TraceSwitcher?
The tracing dumps can be quite verbose. For applications that are constantly running you run the risk of overloading the machine and the hard drive. Five levels range from None to Verbose, allowing you to fine-tune the tracing activities.
Where is the output of TextWriterTraceListener redirected?
To the Console or a text file depending on the parameter passed to the constructor.
How do you debug an ASP.NET Web application?
Attach the aspnet_wp.exe process to the DbgClr debugger.
What are three test cases you should go through in unit testing?
1.       Positive test cases (correct data, correct output).
2.       Negative test cases (broken or missing data, proper handling).
3.       Exception test cases (exceptions are thrown and caught properly).
Can you change the value of a variable while debugging a C# application?
Yes. If you are debugging via Visual Studio.NET, just go to Immediate window.

ADO.NET and Database Questions

What is the role of the DataReader class in ADO.NET connections?
It returns a read-only, forward-only rowset from the data source. A DataReader provides fast access when a forward-only sequential read is needed.

What are advantages and disadvantages of Microsoft-provided data provider classes in ADO.NET?
SQLServer.NET data provider is high-speed and robust, but requires SQL Server license purchased from Microsoft. OLE-DB.NET is universal for accessing other sources, like Oracle, DB2, Microsoft Access and Informix. OLE-DB.NET is a .NET layer on top of the OLE layer, so it’s not as fastest and efficient as SqlServer.NET.

What is the wildcard character in SQL?
Let’s say you want to query database with LIKE for all employees whose name starts with La. The wildcard character is %, the proper query with LIKE would involve ‘La%’.

Explain ACID rule of thumb for transactions.
A transaction must be:
1.       Atomic - it is one unit of work and does not dependent on previous and following transactions.
2.       Consistent - data is either committed or roll back, no “in-between” case where something has been updated and something hasn’t.
3.       Isolated - no transaction sees the intermediate results of the current transaction).
4.       Durable - the values persist if the data had been committed even if the system crashes right after.

What connections does Microsoft SQL Server support?
Windows Authentication (via Active Directory) and SQL Server authentication (via Microsoft SQL Server username and password).

Between Windows Authentication and SQL Server Authentication, which one is trusted and which one is untrusted?
Windows Authentication is trusted because the username and password are checked with the Active Directory, the SQL Server authentication is untrusted, since SQL Server is the only verifier participating in the transaction.

What does the Initial Catalog parameter define in the connection string?
The database name to connect to.

What does the Dispose method do with the connection object?
Deletes it from the memory.
To Do: answer better. The current answer is not entirely correct.

What is a pre-requisite for connection pooling?
Multiple processes must agree that they will share the same connection, where every parameter is the same, including the security settings. The connection string must be identical.

Assembly Questions

How is the DLL Hell problem solved in .NET?
Assembly versioning allows the application to specify not only the library it needs to run (which was available under Win32), but also the version of the assembly.
What are the ways to deploy an assembly?
An MSI installer, a CAB archive, and XCOPY command.
What is a satellite assembly?
When you write a multilingual or multi-cultural application in .NET, and want to distribute the core application separately from the localized modules, the localized assemblies that modify the core application are called satellite assemblies.
What namespaces are necessary to create a localized application?
System.Globalization and System.Resources.
What is the smallest unit of execution in .NET?
an Assembly.
When should you call the garbage collector in .NET?
As a good rule, you should not call the garbage collector. However, you could call the garbage collector when you are done using a large object (or set of objects) to force the garbage collector to dispose of those very large objects from memory. However, this is usually not a good practice.
How do you convert a value-type to a reference-type?
Use Boxing.
What happens in memory when you Box and Unbox a value-type?
Boxing converts a value-type to a reference-type, thus storing the object on the heap. Unboxing converts a reference-type to a value-type, thus storing the value on the stack.

Job interview preparation

2009-03-25T19:34:00.001+05:30

Job interview preparation

Most often candidates find themselves tongue-tied at interviews when confronted with certain issues. There are candidates who can rattle off for hours on end about their job but become absolutely speechless when the question is directed at him - the person.

It pays to do an introspection and self-analysis about oneself - experiences in life that have molded him, helped him in certain critical situations, etc. One needs to think about one's life style, what he has learned through the years whether academically, professionally or personally. This not only helps him to clearly speak about himself but he is also in touch with himself

Candidates need to be prepared well enough about the organization that they have been to for an interview. Research the company on the Internet, or by reading its own promotional literature and annual report. Read newspapers daily.

First impression is the best impression. A firm handshake, constant eye contact and other sort of body language speak louder than words. Good dressing is also very important.

Interviews usually consist of one or more of the following steps: aptitude test, group discussion, psychological test, and personal interview. Useful tips for each stage are given below.

Aptitude Test

Most aptitude tests for nursing professionals check for quantitative, reasoning and verbal abilities. They will usually be multiple choice type question papers.
Reading up mathematics textbooks and dictionaries just before the test will not help much. These abilities are cultivated over a long period of time - most questions are based on what you studied in high school.
Practice tests can help a lot. Get hold of a few practice tests and do them 2-3 days before the actual test.
Don't panic on the day of the test - you will do your best if you are not worried. Aim at achieving as much as you did in the practice tests.
Try to finish as many questions as possible, if you are stuck on a difficult problem - leave it aside and proceed to the next one.

Group Discussion

Group discussions are meant to judge your communication and interpersonal abilities. The observers will be looking for verbal and non-verbal skills, clarity of thought, leadership abilities and other interpersonal skills.
Usually a current topic will be taken up and a group of 8-12 people will be asked to discuss the topic.
There is no need to prepare on specific topics. If you read the newspapers - it should be enough.
You do not have to be the first to speak out to be noticed. It is often better for someone else to begin the discussion. However, if you are very well informed on the topic it might be a good idea to set the ball rolling.
Listen carefully to what others are saying. It is a good idea to quote others when you speak while supporting, building or even criticising them.
Be natural and talk normally and be yourself - it always gives the best results.

Psychological Tests

Psychological tests are used to mainly determine your personal attributes. They will usually be multiple choice type question papers.
There are no right or wrong answers to psychological tests - it is your opinion!
Avoid trying to fool tests, they are usually designed to ask the same questions in different ways again and again. If you are manipulating the results will show inconsistencies and the observer might choose to ignore the test or administer another test.

Personal Interview

Personal interviews are usually conducted by Human Resources professionals. They will be trying to understand you as a person and your motivation for joining the company.

"Tell us something about yourself" is perhaps the most common first question asked in interviews. It might be a good idea to prepare a brief opening statement and be ready for the question. It will be a good idea to mention your education, jobs and interest in applying in your opening statement.
Interviewers will often have gone through your resume in detail, be prepared to explain any statement made in your resume.
Answer all questions directly and honestly, it is not a trial!
Don't try to mask all your weaknesses - all human beings have them and so does the person interviewing you.
"Why do you want to change a job" is another common question, be prepared for it. Honestly answer the question, if you are trying to get a better salary - say so. The lesser you conceal your motives - the easier it will be for the interviewer to make a decision. Keeping the interviewer in suspense will only lead to a postponement in decision - not a favourable decision.
Appearance is important - dress formally or as you will usually for an important occasion.
Appear at least 10 minutes before the interview. It makes a good impression and you also get some time to get used to the surroundings.

Tips on interviews and Group Discussions

2009-03-25T19:30:00.000+05:30

Tips on interviews and Group Discussions

In a group discussion what should my objectives be and how should I achieve them?

In order to succeed at any unstructured group discussion, you must define what your objective in the group is. A good definition of your objective is - to be seen to have contributed meaningfully in an attempt to achieve the right consensus.

The key words in this definition are 'seen', 'meaningfully', and 'attempt'. Let us understand what each of these imply in terms of action points :

The first implication is that merely making a meaningful contribution in an attempt to achieve consensus is not enough. You have to be seen by the evaluator to have made a meaningful contribution in an attempt to build the right consensus.

In other words you must ensure that you are heard by the group. If the group hears you so will the evaluator. You must get at least some airtime. If you are not a very assertive person you will have to simply learn to be assertive for those 15 minutes. If you get cowed down easily in an aggressive group, you can say goodbye to the business school admission.

Many GD participants often complain that they did not get a chance to speak. The fact of the matter is that in no GD do you get a chance to speak. You have to make your chances.

The second important implication is that making just any sort of contribution is not enough. Your contribution has to be meaningful.

A meaningful contribution suggests that you have a good knowledge base, are able to structure arguments logically and are a good communicator. These are qualities that are desired by all evaluators.

Many GD participants feel that the way to succeed in a GD is by speaking frequently, for a long time and loudly. This is not true. The quality of what you say is more important than the quantity. Don't be demoralized if you feel you have not spoken enough. If you have spoken sense and have been heard, even if only for a short time, it is usually good enough. You must have substance in your arguments. Therefore, think things through carefully.

Always enter the room with a piece of paper and a pen. In the first two minutes jot down as many ideas as you can. It pays to think laterally. Everybody else will state the obvious. Can you state something different? Can you take the group ahead if it is stuck at one point? Can you take it in a fresh and more relevant direction? You may like to dissect the topic and go into the underlying causes or into the results.

One way of deciding what sort of contribution is meaningful at what point of time is to follow two simple rules. First, in times of chaos a person who restores order to the group is appreciated. Your level of participation in a fish market kind of scenario can be low, but your degree of influence must never be low. In other words you must make positive contributions every time you speak and not speak for the sake of speaking. The second rule is applicable when the group is floundering. In this situation a person who provides a fresh direction to the group is given credit.

The third implication is that you must be clearly seen to be attempting to build a consensus. Nobody expects a group of ten people, all with different points of view on a controversial subject to actually achieve a consensus. But did you make the attempt to build a consensus?

The reason why an attempt to build a consensus is important is because in most work situations you will have to work with people in a team, accept joint responsibilities and take decisions as a group. You must demonstrate the fact that you are capable and inclined to work as part of a team.

What are the ways that you can try to build consensus?

First, you must not just talk, you should also listen. You must realize that other people also may have valid points to make. You should not only try to persuade other people to your point of view, but also come across as a person who has an open mind and appreciates the valid points of others.

You must try and resolve contradictions and arguments of others in the group. You must synthesize arguments and try and achieve a unified position in the group. Try to think of the various arguments of your's and others' as parts of a jigsaw puzzle or as building blocks of a larger argument for or against the topic.

Try and lay down the boundaries or the area of the discussion at the beginning. Discuss what the group should discuss before actually beginning your discussion. This will at least ensure that everyone is talking about the same thing.

Try and summarize the discussion at the end. In the summary do not merely restate your point of view; also accommodate dissenting viewpoints. If the group did not reach a consensus, say so in your summary.

You must carry people with you. So do not get emotional, shout, invade other people's private space. Do not bang your fist on the table except in extreme circumstances.

If you have spoken and you notice that someone else has tried to enter the discussion on a number of occasions and has not had the chance to do so maybe you could give him a chance the next time he tries. But do not offer a chance to anyone who is not trying to speak. He may not have anything to say at that point and you will just end up looking foolish.

The surest way of antagonizing others in the GD as well as the examiner is to appoint yourself as a de facto chairperson of the group. Do not try to impose a system whereby everyone gets a chance to speak in turn. A GD is meant to be a free flowing discussion. Let it proceed naturally. Do not ever try to take a vote on the topic. A vote is no substitute for discussion.

Do not address only one or two persons when speaking. Maintain eye contact with as many members of the group as possible. This will involve others in what you are saying and increase your chances of carrying them with you. Do this even if you are answering a specific point raised by one person.

One last point. You must not agree with another participant in the group merely for the sake of achieving consensus. If you disagree, say so. You are not there to attempt to build just any consensus. You have to attempt to build the right consensus.

Is it wise to take a strong stand either in favour or against the topic right at the start of a Group Discussion ?

In theory yes. If you believe something why shouldn't you say so? If we are convinced about something our natural response is to say so emphatically.

However in practice what is likely to happen if you take a very strong and dogged stance right at the beginning of the interview is that you will antagonise the people in the group who disagree with you and will be unable to carry them with you and convince them of the validity of your argument. We therefore recommend that after you hear the topic you think about it for a minute with an open mind and note down the major issues that come to your mind. Don't jump to any conclusions. Instead arrive at a stand in your own mind after examining all the issues in a balanced manner. Only then begin to speak. And when you do so outline the major issues first and only then state your stand. In other words give the justification first and the stand later. If you were to state your stand first chances are that the others in the group who disagree with your stand will interrupt to contradict you before you can elaborate on the reasons why you have taken that stance. In this situation the evaluator will only get an impression of what you think and not how you think. Remember you are being evaluated on how you think and not what you think.

Is it a good strategy to try and be the first speaker on the topic in a GD?

In most GD's the opening speaker is the person who is likely to get the maximum uninterrupted airtime. The reason is simple - at the start most other participants in the GD are still trying to understand the basic issues in the topic, or are too nervous to speak and are waiting for someone else to start. Therefore the evaluators get the best chance to observe the opening speaker. Now this is a double edged sword. If the opening speaker talks sense naturally he will get credit because he opened and took the group in the right direction. If on the other hand the first speaker doesn't have too much sense to say, he will attract the undivided attention of the evaluators to his shortcomings. He will be marked as a person who speaks without thinking merely for the sake of speaking. As someone who leads the group in the wrong direction and does not make a positive contribution to the group.

So remember speaking first is a high risk high return strategy. It can make or mar your GD performance depending how you handle it. Speak first only if you have something sensible to say. Otherwise keep shut and let someone else start.

In an interview how does one handle the question "Tell us about yourself?".

An often asked opening question. Perhaps the most frequently asked question across interviews. Your opening statement needs to be a summary of your goals, overall professional capabilities, achievements, background (educational and family), strengths, professional objectives and anything about your personality that is relevant and interesting. This question represents an opportunity to lead the interviewer in the direction you want him to go e.g., your speciality or whatever else you may wish to highlight.

Your intention should be to try to subtly convince the interviewers that you are a good candidate, you have proved that in the past, and have a personality that fits the requirement.

Remember that the first impression you create will go a long way in the ultimate selection. Keep in mind, most candidates who are asked this question just blurt out their schooling, college, marks and qualifications. All this is already there in the CV. Why tell the interviewer something he already knows?

A final word on approaching this question. Once you have said what you have to say - shut up. Don't drone on for the sake of speaking for you just might say something foolish. Sometimes interviewers don't interrupt in order to give the candidate the impression that he has not spoken enough. This is just a stress inducing tactic. Don't fall for it, if you feel you have spoken enough. In case the pause gets too awkward for you just add something like, "Is there something specific that you wish to know about me?"

Is it better to have a longer selection interview or a shorter one?

The length of an interview in no way is an indicator of how well an interview went. This is especially so when there are a number of candidates to be interviewed for example in the civil services interview or the MBA entrance interview. In the past a number of candidates have reported varying lengths of interviews. Nothing positive or negative should be read into this. An interview is only a device whereby the panel seeks information about the candidate. Information that will help the panel decide whether or not the candidate should be selected. If the panel feels that it has gathered enough information about the candidate in 15 minutes of the interview commencing and that it has no further questions to ask the interview will be terminated in 15 minutes. If on the other hand the panel takes an hour to gather the information required to take a decision the interview will last for an hour. In either case the decision could be positive or negative. It is a fallacy to believe that interview panels take longer interviews of candidates whom they are more interested in. No panel likes to waste its time. If an interview is lasting longer than usual then it only means that the panel is seeking more information about the candidate in order to take a decision.

In the MBA entrance interview how do I justify my decision to pursue the MBA programme?

When you are asked this for God's sake don't tell the panel that you are looking for a "challenging job in a good firm with lots of money, status and glamour". That is the first answer that most candidates think of. Unfortunately it is the last answer that will get you admission. In the answer to a direct question on this subject you must convey to the interview panel that you have made a rational and informed decision about your career choice and your intended course of higher study. There are broadly six areas which your answer could touch upon :

Career Objectives : You could talk about your career objectives and how the two year MBA programme will help you achieve them. This implies that you have a clear idea of what your career objectives are and how you wish to achieve them. For example you may want to be an entrepreneur and wish to set up your independent enterprise after doing your MBA and then working for a few years in a professionally managed company. You could explain to the panel that the MBA programme will provide you with the necessary inputs to help you run your business enterprise better. But then you must be clear about what the inputs you will receive in the MBA programme are.

Value Addition : That brings us to the second area that your answer should touch upon. What is the value you will add to yourself during your two year study of management. Value addition will essentially be in two forms knowledge and skills. Knowledge of the various areas of management e.g. marketing, finance, systems, HRD etc. and skills of analysis and communication. You will find it useful to talk to a few people who are either doing their MBA or have already done it. They will be able to give you a more detailed idea of what they gained from their MBA.

Background : Remember, there must be no inconsistency between your proposed study of management and your past subject of study or your past work experience. If you have studied commerce in college then management is a natural course of higher studies. If you are an engineer this is a tricky area. You must never say that by pursuing a career in management you will be wasting your engineering degree. Try and say that the MBA course and your engineering degree will help you do your job better in the company that you will join. But then you should be able to justify how your engineering qualification will help.

Opportunities and Rewards : You could also at this stage mention the opportunities that are opening up in organizations for management graduates. Highlight with examples. At the end you may mention that while monetary rewards are not everything they are also important and MBAs do get paid well. You must not mention these reasons as your primary motivators even if that may be the case.