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You've probably heard a lot about "Cloud Computing" (also known as "Software as a Service" or "SaaS"). This refers to a movement to turn computer terminals and notebooks into "client" machines that primarily (or only) execute applications running on servers somewhere out there on the Web. For example, instead of running Word from a notebook's hard drive, you'd run a copy of the program that lives on a remote server...and perhaps even save your documents there.
This approach has advantages:
o Software use is monitored and controlled.
o Software version control is simplified.
o Virus dangers are minimized.
o Source data and resulting files may be stored, managed, and protected centrally, behind server firewalls.
o Less advanced (and expensive) computers can be issued to employees.
o A lost computer is less likely to compromise company or customer data.
And though the term "Cloud Computing" is fairly new, the concept itself is not. The insurance industry has done it for decades. In the early '70s, sales agents for some of the larger insurers connected primitive "notepad computers" to a central corporate database through an analog modem. The agents dialed into the mainframe from clients' homes and edited and saved customer or prospect data back to the mainframe. So the insurance industry was an early adopter of PDS (pretty darn slow) Cloud Computing.
But that old Cloud ran over telco copper wire...at 300 bps. Today, thanks to widespread broadband networks, the Cloud is staging a comeback. Anyone who uses Flickr, ShutterFly, PhotoWorks, or YouTube is working there. Google is offering its own "cloud apps" (just Google "Google Docs"). And two of my own favorite Cloud tools (so far) are:
o Gliffy Online Diagram Software, for creating diagrams and flow charts through a browser.
o Pixlr, a free online Photoshop work-alike.
However, many companies are already working "in the Cloud" when hosting customer training campuses and materials. It's been part of the industry for some time.
Still, as hinted above, the core applications that many of us use to create training content may also migrate to the Cloud. Text editors, spreadsheets, and Flash-authoring tools may move there. And e-Learning content will flourish there, in both our own hosted servers and those of third parties like YouTube. But remember that The Cloud also comes with weaknesses:
o Internet connections are required, and stable ones are often essential. If a Cloud connection drops during a session, users may lose time, work, or even data.
o Customers' data isn't necessarily their own in the Cloud. It might live on someone else's servers. True, users don't have to worry about keeping their software current, maintaining sufficient disk space, or managing access security. Cloud suppliers would be doing that. But this also gives suppliers a lot of control over their customers' data.
So even if you host your own private corner of the Cloud, remember that clouds (like darkened rooms) still scare some people. So anything you can do to protect your customers' data-and to show them that it's secure-will benefit both them and you.
Stuart Campbell is Director of Software Development for SyberWorks, Inc., a privately-held supplier of e-Learning software and training. A native of the United Kingdom, he had previously served as a Principle Software Engineer, Senior Consultant, Senior Software Engineer, and Development Specialist for companies such as Brooks Automation Inc., Digital Equipment, and Honeywell Control Systems. His areas of expertise include Visual Studio.NET, C#, VB.NET, VB6, VBScript, XML, COBOL, WindowsXP, Windows2000, WindowsNT, VAX/VMS, UNIX, Oracle, SQLServer, Oracle Rdb, Oracle DBMS, and Agile Modeling Methodology.
About SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks, Inc. (http://www.syberworks.com) is a leader in the custom e-Learning Solutions and Learning Management System/Learning Content Management System (LMS/LCMS) industries for Fortune 1000 corporations, law enforcement, healthcare, and other industries. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, the company serves the multi-billion-dollar e-Learning market. Since 1995, SyberWorks has developed and delivered unique and economical solutions to create, manage, measure, and improve e-Learning programs at companies and organizations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and around the world.
Is Software Hard?
"Systems are logical, programming is physical."
- Bryce's Law
For something that is supposed to be "soft", software exhibits
some pretty "hard" characteristics. The original premise behind the
COBOL programming language was to devise a language that could
be easily ported to several computers. As we all know, this never
truly happened due to computer manufacturers who tweaked the language
to suit their particular needs. What ran on an IBM machine, for
example, didn't necessarily run the same on Honeywell, UNIVAC, or
the rest of the BUNCH. Consequently, software developers had to
maintain different versions of source code to suit the particular
needs of the various computer compilers. This plagued all third
generation languages until Sun introduced JAVA in the 1990's. The
JAVA premise that a programmer should "write once, run everywhere"
was the right idea and the language began to gain momentum, until
it ran into Microsoft who didn't want to turn the operating system
into an inconsequential afterthought. JAVA lives on, but not to
the extent it should have, and developers are back to managing
separate versions of source code.
The point is, software does in fact exhibit some very "hard"
characteristics as it is married to the host computer configuration
making it not very portable. As mentioned, this creates headaches
for those of us, particularly commercial software vendors, in
terms of maintaining consistency in the different versions of
our products.
What to do?
Back in the 1970's and 1980's we were faced with the dilemma of
managing a single product on over a dozen different platforms. We
quickly came to the realization we would go stark raving mad
managing multiple versions of source code and came to the conclusion
we had better come up with a solution pretty quick. Because of our
experience in converting software, we became well versed in the
nuances of the various compilers and devised a Repository (we
called it a "filter program" at the time) which maintained the rules
of the various compilers. We were also very disciplined in writing
code to specific standards and embedded certain switches in the
base source code. When we were ready to produce a new release of
our product, we would feed the base code into our "filter program"
which would then create the different versions of the source
code ready for compilation. This saved us an incredible amount
of time and brought consistency to all of the versions of the
product. In other words, our programming staff worked with only
one set of code (not multiple variations), the "filter program"
then analyzed it and created the necessary permeation for a targeted
platform. As compilers changed, we would update the "filter
program" accordingly.
We also learned to maintain print maps, screen panels, messages
and help text separate from the source code, which greatly
enhanced our ability to create a new version of the product to
suit a foreign language and culture; see "Creating Universal
Systems" at:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/pride/isspus.htm
Let us take it a step further, for years we have touted
there are logical and physical dimensions to Information
Systems. Using the "PRIDE" Standard System Structure concept
in "PRIDE"-ISEM, we look upon Systems and Sub-Systems (business
processes) as logical constructs, and Procedures and Programs
as physical constructs. Further, data components such as inputs,
outputs, files, records and data elements can be specified
logically and implemented physically many different ways. Let
me give you an example; back in the 1980's one of our "PRIDE"
users (a large Fortune 500 electronic conglomerate) bought
into our logical/physical concept and decided to put it to the
test. Working from their corporate offices, they designed a
complete Payroll System which they wanted to implement as the
corporate standard across all of their divisions and
subsidiaries. They completed the system with a recommended
programming solution they wrote themselves (no packages were
used) which I believe was an IBM MVS solution using COBOL. However,
they recognized early on this implementation wouldn't work
across the board in the company. Consequently, they gave the
system specifications to all of their divisions who would then
program it themselves in-house. The project turned out to be
a major success and the company ended up with multiple
implementations of the same system under IBM MVS, VM,
Honeywell GCOS, UNIVAC Exec, HP MPE, DEC VAX/VMS, and
Prime; all working harmoniously together. Other "PRIDE" users
experienced similar successes, particularly in Japan.
All of this drives home the point that systems are logical in nature,
and that programming is physical. If systems are designed
properly, there is no reason they shouldn't behave identically
on whatever computer platform you come up with. Better yet, it
allows us to easily migrate our systems from one configuration
to another. Uniformity and consistency in execution; and portability
to boot. Imagine that.
About the Author
Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA)
of Palm Harbor, Florida and has 30 years of experience in the field.
He is available for training and consulting on an international basis.
He can be contacted at: timb001@phmainstreet.com
Copyright © 2006 MBA. All rights reserved.
vms operating system?
The Mass Spectrometer that we are using is ZAB controlled by the software of "OPUS" installed in the VAX station. And the "OPUS" is running on the operating system of "VMS". And I need to type "boot" or "B" to get into VMS operating system if I restart the computer/monitor. This time I typed the "boot" but it didn't work. It said "There is no enough space. It needs 100 blocks free space in disk of dka0 to start the system but there is only 36 blocks free space." Then it goes to a dead cycle with always showing no enough space.
What can I do? Would you help me out? How to print and delete some files based on that environment to free some space? What's the system on which the VMS is? I wanted to get into the subdirectory of the disk of DKA0, but I couldn't. I tried to type "cd", it said "invalid command".
I tried "$cd", it didn't show anything. And "$dir" didn't
work. But those commands "man, help, ls, |more" worked. I found VMS commands online,but it didn't work. Thanks a lot!
You should have a bootable cdrom somewhere.
Here's the current home of VMS:
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/
If you can't any support from the specrometer vendor, maybe these guys can help:
http://www.openvmshobbyist.com/
How dumb is the government when it comes to technology?
Answer: Pretty dumb, and dangerous as well. Computerworld - Back when I was a younger man, I was a Beltway Bandit . What that means is that I worked as a technical contractor for the federal government.
Thanks for visiting!
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