Competitive advantage

What is the Azure Services Platform? Microsoft version of Cloud Computing

The Azure™ Services Platform (Azure) is an internet-scale cloud services platform hosted in Microsoft data centers, which provides an operating system and a set of developer services that can be used individually or together. Azure’s flexible and interoperable platform can be used to build new applications to run from the cloud or enhance existing applications with cloud-based capabilities. Its open architecture gives developers the choice to build web applications, applications running on connected devices, PCs, servers, or hybrid solutions offering the best of online and on-premises.
Azure reduces the need for up-front technology purchases, and it enables developers to quickly and easily create applications running in the cloud by using their existing skills with the Microsoft Visual Studio development environment and the Microsoft .NET Framework. In addition to managed code languages supported by .NET, Azure will support more programming languages and development environments in the near future. Azure simplifies maintaining and operating applications by providing on-demand compute and storage to host, scale, and manage web and connected applications. Infrastructure management is automated with a platform that is designed for high availability and dynamic scaling to match usage needs with the option of a pay-as-you-go pricing model. Azure provides an open, standards-based and interoperable environment with support for multiple internet protocols, including HTTP, REST, SOAP, and XML.
Microsoft also offers cloud applications ready for consumption by customers such as Windows Live™, Microsoft Dynamics™, and other Microsoft Online Services for business such as Microsoft Exchange Online and SharePoint® Online. The Azure Services Platform lets developers provide their own unique customer offerings by offering the foundational components of compute, storage, and building block services to author and compose applications in the cloud.

Reference: http://www.microsoft.com/azure/whatisazu…

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is not really well defined concept, at least from my understanding. Some say Cloud computing is part of web2.0, some say Cloud computing has been around for many years but under different names.

So what is Cloud Computing? If I can put it in the most simple from it would be “ the ability to do everything on-line, not only accessing the web, but to be able to run applications from the web and even access hardware.”

One short video I watched on Google described Cloud Computing as the ability to host your applications in way that you can scale up and down your storage and bandwidth needs depending on the traffic in your website.

Another video described it as the ability to do all your productive works using a thin client, a laptop with only basic hardware configuration and only the very basic applications, everything else will be available online.

Some professionals believe that Cloud Computing will put and end to the software applications as we know it now. There will be no more installation CDs, every piece of software will be available on line, you use it to do your work as if its installed in your local computer.

Batch Processing and ActiveBatch 7.0 Part 5

ActiveBatch® includes an extensible Built-in Library that allows developers and users a “scriptless solution” for automating workflows to better address the requirements for Process Automation. With ActiveBatch you can create and execute an array of business processes such as Database or ETL, Crystal Reports, and other processes into more tightly integrated workflows as a job step(s) across a diverse group of applications and scripts.

Among the Automated Business Processes included in the Jobs Library are:

* SQL Server Jobs Including DTS Packages and SSIS
* Crystal Reports® Integration
* SQL Blocks for Oracle or SQL Server
* FTP/SFTP Operations  z/OS
* Email Jobs
* Managing Services
* Supporting File Operations like Copy or Zip
* ActiveBatch operations and more

To create an integrated workflow using job steps, select the type, and complete a few fields, directly or using variables, such as the server name, job name, or database name, and other required information. Database and other job types can be integrated into an automated Business Process that can be triggered through ActiveBatch by events, simply date and time or through using the conditional status of a predecessor job.

Simply add a request for ActiveBatch to report progress and your operations group can view the steps as the sequence progresses.

Steps can be grouped using flow controls and be nested as well for improved Business Automation.

Our unique Library allows for reduced errors by eliminating complex scripting, improving service levels and allowing for a reduced cost of operations through centralized and integrated control of diverse jobs and applications.

Check our Job Library details for more specific information or tell us about your requirements for scriptless automation to improve your Business Processes.

Batch Processing and ActiveBatch 7.0 Part 4

Event Automation - Reducing “Slack” Time In Operations:
ActiveBatch® is an event driven job scheduling solution that allows jobs and job plans to be triggered by events such as file creation, modification, deletion, system startup, runaway processes or thousands of events that can be managed by our full support of the Microsoft Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and or SNMP trapping.

ActiveBatch supports File Triggering on both Microsoft Windows as well as Non Windows systems including Linux, UNIX or OpenVMS upon the creation, modification or deletion of a specific file.

Multiple event triggers can be set up on jobs and job plans so that jobs are triggered based on events, a specific date and time, or even from previous jobs that have failed or succeeded in operation. ActiveBatch allows the job designer to create powerful job flows to take advantage of event based capabilities for the intended business process.

No longer will jobs “wait” for startup as ActiveBatch reduces the amount of “Idle” time previously built into other job scheduling systems by triggering workflows on Events such as File creation, modification or deletion on Windows, UNIX, Linux or OpenVMS systems, or on the completion status of a predecessor job or workflow. ActiveBatch can check for exit status and determine the appropriate job to trigger based on conditional flows. ActiveBatch allows for event based jobs to have expected run times so that they can be monitored or even allow for alerts to be sent to people on whom the job is waiting to release a file or initiate an action. The bottom line is that ActiveBatch helps IT to leverage the business unit with improved service levels.

ActiveBatch allows for events based jobs to gain visibility for operations by their inclusion in Daily Activity or Run Books allowing for “Expected Event Times” to be published so that these jobs and workflows can be identified when problems arise.

ActiveBatch Alerts can triggered when an expected event does not occur within a specified time window. With ActiveBatch you can, as an example, alert a vendor or supplier, that the system is waiting for their action or a file.

ActiveBatch job scheduling software can also interrogate data by using Active Variables and allow specific data to be used as an alternative approach to an event based job trigger. Within ActiveBatch, Active Variables can be used between jobs so that data is passed throughout the business process. Some examples of Active Variables are:
* Date Expression
* File Contents
* SQL Record Set
* Web Service Request Result
* WMI Query
* XML Query
* File System Information

In addition to ActiveBatch’s event based capabilities, ActiveBatch incorporates powerful date and time scheduling allowing either calendar scheduling or fiscal year scheduling. Jobs can be associated with one of more schedules that provide highly granular scheduling details for the greatest flexibility. Business calendars can be associated with jobs or job plans so days may be excluded and identified for previous or next day scheduling, or allow them to run based on the next scheduled date.

Batch Processing and ActiveBatch 7.0 Part 3

ActiveBatch Job Scheduling Scalability, Manageability and Integration:

ActiveBatch’s uniquely scaleable job scheduling architecture provides users greater manageability as well as flexibility and control for addressing job scheduling requirements across the Enterprise. ActiveBatch supports the reliable execution of job and plans on:

* Linux (Red Hat & SUSE)
* IBM AIX
* Sun Solaris SPARC, x86, x64
* Windows 2008/Vista/2003/XP/2000
32 and 64-Bit Window Systems * HP-UX
* HP Tru64 Unix
* OpenVMS

ActiveBatch is a proven job scheduling solution, designed to be customer installable and incorporates many Microsoft, Oracle, HP and other technologies to help organization standardize to provide the best balance for a reduced learning curve and cost of operations.

ActiveBatch’s high performance capabilities allow separate departments within organizations to share “private” job scheduling capabilities as a corporate utility inside or outside of the data center to avoid in advertent changes to objects. Directory Services allows for access via a Published name.

ActiveBatch is script language independent to allow jobs, scripts, exe’s, etc. to be scheduled, monitored and ran based upon date and time, events or simply on-demand on heterogeneous platforms across domains and around the world.

Batch Processing and ActiveBatch 7.0 Part 2

As I wrote in my last post, I will try to devote few articles to Batch Processing and ActiveBatch 7.0. Again Jim Manias from Advanced Systems Concepts, Inc., e-mailed me some great PDF files on Batch Processing and ActiveBatch 7.0

Here I will list some features of ActiveBatch 7.0 that I found at ActiveBatch website: http://www.activebatch.com

ActiveBatch® Enterprise Job Scheduling & Event Automation – Reducing the Cost of Operations:

ActiveBatch, Enterprise Job Scheduling integrates business applications, standalone tasks, processes and scripts across diverse distributed computing environments creating a centralized view of operations at the organizational or enterprise level.

ActiveBatch is a cross platform solution that easily structures tasks and/or applications into organized and integrated workflows. The result is reliable, unattended operations that trigger workflows by Date and Time, Events (e.g. File Triggers & WMI Events) or completion status to ensure that IT and Operations Management achieves results as required by the business.

ActiveBatch Job Scheduling and Event Automation organizes and manages these tasks and workflows into a unified/integrated workflow on various platforms (e.g. Microsoft Windows, Linux, UNIX and OpenVMS) and across custom and business aware applications like SQL Server while providing various job types such as Secure FTP, E-mail, File Operations, Script or Process.

ActiveBatch’s unique architecture incorporates proven Microsoft Windows, Oracle, HP and other technologies already implemented in your environment to simplify and take advantage of leveraged learning by incorporating the following:

* Microsoft Windows Security Model Including Kerberos
* Improve interoperability with jobs and applications for Windows, Linux, UNIX along with other platforms. Our cross platform software allows a job to pass information and data between applications and systems.
* Active Directory or ADAM
* SQL Server 200x or Oracle
* WMI & SNMP Trapping
* HP Operations Center, MOM or SCOM for Enterprise Monitoring
* Script Language Independence

ActiveBatch has achieved proven results in over 1200 sites around the world by:
1. Reducing Errors from Manual Operations
2. Eliminating “Slack Time” during processing using completion status of predecessor jobs
3. Integrating Workflows, using Graphical controls or Property sheets
4. Lowering the Overall Operation Costs
5. Improving Service Levels

The next IT boom

Which country will be the next hot spot for IT jobs and IT products? Few months back, I was on a long visit to India, I had a chance to visit few cities. Various industries in India are adopting the latest IT solutions to improve their business process, sure the trend is world wide, but looking at the size of India, the size of its population and the growing educated and middle class, make India the ideal hot spot for IT services and products.

While visiting India, I saw the rapid spread of broad band use, laptops use, online banking, etc. All these type of services require manpower, technology and good infrastructures and with the size and population of India you can only imagine the amount of investment needed.

Many areas of the world are growing rapidly, but I think in India will be the most demanding.

Do you need more certifications?

During economic slow down and uncertain job markets, many people try to go back to school to get more education or more certificates, its natural human reaction, people think if they are more qualified, they will have a better chance on securing jobs.

But during economic slow downs most companies are trying to cut costs, the problem is not that they have not-qualified labor force, the problem is that they cannot afford a big payroll.

Naturally, if you are better educated or hold more certificates, you will demand higher salary and that is exactly what the hiring managers don’t want to do during slow times. So the best strategy to follow during slow times is to lower your expectations, think of ways to be more creative and be flexible with your company.

Will desktops disappear one day as did the old TV sets?

Have you ever thought about counting how many laptops and how many desktops are in your work place? What advantage desktops are still having over laptops? Screen size, speed and storage capacity would be the few advantages desktops have over laptops. One big advantage desktops have over laptops is BIGGER keyboard, at least for me.

Space was the biggest factor for me when switching from desktop to laptop, after I bought my first laptop and put it on my desk, I was amazed by the amount of space I start to have on my desk. Also cleaning was a factor for me, cleaning a laptop (from outside at least) is easier than cleaning a desktop.

I am not trying to compare the two from technical aspect, for sure desktops are more powerful and easy to upgrade than laptops, but I am talking about comfort and ease of use.

Will desktops use will be limited in the future and laptops will take over for the average user needs?

Can we survive without e-mails even for one day?

I am sure the answer will be “NO”, e-mails became the most vital and important communications mean for the modern organizations.

What brought this subject up is the current economic crisis in the US and the rest of the world. Many fear for their jobs, we still don’t know how things will turn out but for many there will be jobs cut.

IT and the other related services are not the property of the elite anymore; many IT services became integral part of the modern work place, IT services are must for the business world today.

I believe that the current financial crisis will not, significantly, affect IT services. Simple e-mail down for one day my halt the operation for many companies, so just think what would happen if some other IT services went down.

What I am trying to say is “IT is not a thing to have, its a MUST have and the world will need IT services regardless of the financial situation.”