Friday, December 11, 2009

Remote Desktop Services / Terminal Services

Remote Desktop Services, formerly known as Terminal Services, is one of the components of Microsoft Windows (both server and client versions) that allows a user to access applications and data on a remote computer over a network. Terminal Services is Microsoft's implementation of thin-client terminal server computing, where Windows applications, or even the entire desktop of the computer running terminal services, are made accessible to a remote client machine. The client can either be a fully-fledged computer, running any operating system as long as the terminal services protocol is supported, or a barebone machine powerful enough to support the protocol (such as Windows FLP). With terminal services, only the user interface of an application is presented at the client. Any input to it is redirected over the network to the server, where all application execution takes place.[1] This is in contrast to appstreaming systems, like Microsoft Application Virtualization, in which the applications, while still stored on a centralized server, are streamed to the client on-demand and then executed on the client machine.

Source: Wikipedia...

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Create sample database

Creating a sample database

When you create a schema repository, you can also create a sample user database. A sample user database is a working user database that provides 40 sample defect records of user information, plus sample queries and reports. Sample user databases can be used to learn how Rational ClearQuest software works and to help train users.
Before you create any Rational ClearQuest database, you must create an empty database container with tools provided by the database vendor.

For information about configuring vendor databases, see the IBM Rational ClearQuest and ClearQuest MultiSite Installation and Upgrade Guide.

To create a sample database:

  1. Start the Maintenance Tool. Then click Schema Repository > Create.
  2. In the Existing Connections pane, enter a name for the schema repository connection in the highlighted item and press Enter.

    By default, the first connection name is 7.0.0. You can rename the connection later.

  3. In the Schema Repository Properties area, select a database vendor and enter the required properties. The properties for each database are different.
    • If you select Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle DBMS, or IBM DB2, enter the physical database name of one of the empty databases that you created with the vendor database tools.

      When you create a DB2 schema repository, the User Name property must be a user identity that has database administrator authority for the DB2 database.

    • If you select Microsoft Access, enter a physical database name; the Maintenance Tool creates a new database with that name.
  4. Click Next.
  5. In the ClearQuest Data Code Page window, select the data code page to use with the new schema repository. You can choose any supported data code page supported by Rational ClearQuest. The default data code page is the one associated with the user-interface language for the operating system on which the Maintenance Tool is running, if that code page is supported. If that code page is not supported, the default data code page is ASCII.
  6. Click Create sample database.

Schema Repository

Creating a schema repository

A schema repository is a database used to store and manage a group of schemas including all versions of those schemas, and their associated user databases.
Before you create a schema repository, you must create an empty database container with tools provided by the database vendor. For information about configuring vendor databases, see the IBM Rational ClearQuest and ClearQuest MultiSite Installation and Upgrade Guide.

To create a schema repository:

  1. Start the Maintenance Tool. Then click Schema Repository > Create.
  2. In the Existing Connections pane, enter a name for the schema repository connection in the highlighted item and press Enter.

    By default, the first connection name is 7.0.0. You can rename the connection later.

  3. In the Schema Repository Properties area, select a database vendor and enter the required properties. The properties for each database are different.
    • If you select Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle DBMS, or IBM DB2, enter the physical database name of one of the empty databases that you created with the vendor database tools.

      When you create a DB2 schema repository, the User Name property must be a user identity that has database administrator authority for the DB2 database.

    • If you select Microsoft Access, enter a physical database name; the Maintenance Tool creates a new database with that name.
  4. Click Next.
  5. In the ClearQuest Data Code Page window, select the data code page to use with the new schema repository. You can choose any supported data code page supported by Rational ClearQuest. The default data code page is the one associated with the user-interface language for the operating system on which the Maintenance Tool is running, if that code page is supported. If that code page is not supported, the default data code page is ASCII.
  6. You have the option of creating a sample user database.
  7. Click Finish.

Shemas and Schema Repository

Schemas and schema repositories

A Rational ClearQuest schema is a complete description of the process model for all the components of a user database. This includes a description of states and actions of the model, the structure of the data that can be stored about the individual component, hook code or scripts that can be used to implement business rules, and the forms and reports used to view and input information about the component. Rational ClearQuest provides out of the box-schemas that can be customized for a client installation.

A schema is a pattern or blueprint for Rational ClearQuest user databases. When you create a user database to hold records, the database follows the blueprint defined in a schema. However, a schema is not a database itself; it does not hold any records about change requests, and it does not change when users add or modify records in the user database.

Rational ClearQuest stores schemas in the schema repository. The schema repository is the master database that contains metadata about the user databases. It does not contain user data.

A schema repository can store multiple schemas, for example, one schema for defect change requests and another schema for feature enhancement change requests. [Source:IBM]

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Choose www or no www

URLs with or without www

Introduction

When you write a URL for your website, it can be written with or without "www," like this:

§ http://www.webhostingtalk.com/wiki
§ http://webhostingtalk.com/wiki

Should you include "www" with your URL?

The same and not the same

With most websites, the URLs with and without "www" in them will point to the same site. However, you can specify each URL (with and without "www") to point to a different IP address by modifying your DNS A record.
Some search engines see the above two URLs as two different URLs. Each URL can have a different PageRank, and by using both, you're diluting the PR for each URL.
For PR and SEO purposes, it's preferable to choose one version or the other to use. There are reasons for each choice. Which one you choose depends mostly on personal preference.

Reasons to include www

  • It helps identify a URL as a web address, especially if the domain extension is other than a .com one.
  • Many people will type it in anyway.
  • For some people, URLs look more visually appealing with them.

Reasons not to include www
§ It makes the URL longer, especially if the URL is for a subdomain.
§ It's unnecessary.
§ For some people, URLs look cleaner without them.

How to redirect from one to the other using .htaccess

If your site is on an Apache server, you can choose to have only the version with or without "www" appear. One will direct to the other.

Add one of the following to your .htaccess file after replacing "example.com" with your domain. The "RewriteEngine on" first line activates mod_rewrite.

To redirect to the URL with www
RewriteEngine On
rewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^example.com [NC]
rewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.example.com/$1 [R=301,L]

To redirect to the URL without www
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^$
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.(.+)$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^/(.*) http://%1/$1 [L,R=301]

If we already have automation, what's the need for Agents?

“Automation” and “agent” sound similar — but they solve very different classes of problems. Automation = Fixed Instruction → Fixed Outcome ...