How many open source projects are out there? Thousands upon thousands. And out of all those projects, how many are worth paying attention to? Thousands? Hundreds? If you remove the usual suspects (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP, GIMP, OpenOffice, Firefox, etc.), you can really start paring down the list. Here are 10 open source projects you might never have heard of — but really should check out.

Note: This article is also available as a PDF download.

1: OpenBravo

Are you looking for your next ERP application? If so, do not overlook OpenBravo. This tool is a small-footprint powerhouse that includes integrated accounting, sales/CRM, procurement, inventory, production, and project/service management. OpenBravo also features single-instance to multiple tenants, organizations, localizations, and warehouses. It is every ERP tool you will need in one open source toolbox. If just want to evaluate it, you can try a virtual machine with OpenBravo. But to download a package, you will have to walk through a questionnaire. Warning: Someone might try to sell you something!

2: OpenNMS

OpenNMS should have no problem winning you over. This tool is a serious network management platform. OpenNMS offers three main areas: service polling, data collection, and event/notification management. Its feature list is pretty impressive and includes node listing, searches, outages, path outages, events, alarms, surveillance, and distributed status. If you need to be sold on this product, hop on over to the OpenNMS Demo page (user/password “demo”) to see what this tool is all about. OpenNMS will run on Linux, Solaris, OS X, and Windows (2000, XP, 2003).

3: elgg

Elgg is an open source social networking platform that powers numerous social networking sites. As many companies move to offer in-house social networking, you would do well to invest a bit of time and effort into this open source project. The elgg social networking platform offers profiles, notifications, groups, blogs, embedded media, files, microblogging, pages, external pages, and more. If you’re looking for a means to improve you company morale but don’t want users logging on to Facebook or MySpace, give this open source social networking platform a try.

4: Magento

Magento is one serious ecommerce tool. This isn’t your Drupal-ecommerce-module-level ecommerce tool — this one can stand up with the big boy platforms (and knock some of them down). Magento features marketing/promotion tools, site management, analytics and reporting, catalog management, catalog browsing, product browsing, mobile solutions, checkout, shipping, payment, and more. Magento was voted “Best New Project” on SourceForge (2008) for a reason. With community and enterprise editions, there is a solution for everyone. NOTE: While the Community edition is free (and is missing numerous features), the Enterprise edition does have a price tag (and a steep one at that: $8,900 per year!)

5: dotProject

DotProject is a Web-based project management tool that offers the features you’d expect — and more. The feature list includes user management, trouble-ticket system (integrated voxel.net Ticketsmith), client/company management, project listings, hierarchical task lists, file repository, contact lists, calendar, forum, and a permission system. What stands out with dotProject is its clean and simple user interface.

6: Heartbeat

Heartbeat is the heart of the Linux High Availability project. It’s the piece of the HA project that performs death-of-node detection, communications, and cluster management. Heartbeat is a daemon that provides the cluster infrastructure so that peer machines will know the status of all cluster resources. Of course, Heartbeat isn’t much good without a Cluster Resource Manager (CRM). Since Hearbeat is a piece of the HA project, you can be sure there is a CRM tool ready. Although Heartbeat ships with a minimal CRM, a new project was spun off, Pacemaker, that serves as the CRM for the Heartbeat foundation. If you are looking for an open source clustering solution, this might be the ticket.

7: Enomoly

Enomoly offers a cloud computing solution for any size environment. If you want to get to the source, however, you have to use the Community edition. This version is for SMBs and smaller enterprise use. With this browser-based management tool, you can design, deploy, and manage virtual applications within a cloud environment. You can plan and simplify deployments and automate virtual machine scaling and load-balancing. If you are a developer, you will appreciate the fact that Enomoly includes links to both its core APIs.

8: Nuxeo

Nuxeo is an outstanding document management system that is incredibly feature rich and simple to install. Nuxeo has so many features, the best way for you to see them all is to go to the Nuxeo Feature List page. With the Nuxeo document management system, users can work either on- or offline (working offline requires an uploading of content). Users can simply drag and drop content from desktop to Web browser for content capture. It doesn’t get much easier. Nuxeo is also offered in a cloud computing edition, which eliminates the need for storage, hardware infrastructure, or server availability. The cloud edition of Nuxeo was built with the Amazon AWS.

9: Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is another entry in the open source cloud computing space. There are two versions of this solution: Open Source and Enterprise. Naturally, we are looking at the Open Source edition. With the Eucalyptus cloud computing solution, you are getting more than just the means to serve up cloud apps — you can also control both the network and the storage infrastructure. Eucalyptus works with Ubuntu, OpenSuSE, Debian, and CentOS and supports both Xen and KVM hypervisors.

10: Google Web Toolkit

Developers may want to consider adding Google Web Toolkit to their arsenal. You can use it to write a front end for an app in Java and then have GWT compile the source into a highly optimized JavaScript. And since GWT is open source, you can join the Google Webkit Community and contribute modifications for the project.

Your picks…

Have you come across an open source application that is a must-have? If so, share it with your fellow TechRepublic readers.

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With the recent release of Windows 7, I thought that this would be a good time to look ahead to the next version. Here is my wish list of features I would like to see added and the changes made to existing functionality. I have little doubt that you will have alternate suggestions of your own, and I would like to hear them in the forum.

Note: This article is also available as a PDF download.

1: A smaller footprint

Let’s get real-world for a moment. Vista and now Windows 7 have reached the size limit for dial-up users. The huge service packs and updates are the problem (Figure A). Millions are still using dial-up and downloading the updates following a clean reinstall can take days to complete.

Figure A

As of September 25, 2009, a new installation of Vista Ultimate x64 required downloading 334.9 - 392.0 MB of updates for my system.

The exponential growth from NT to XP to Vista can’t continue. If the next release of Windows is better and bigger, a warning statement should be listed on the box: A broadband connection to the Internet is recommended.

I should note that Windows 7 is similar to Vista in its overall installed size. That is definitely a good thing.

2: An alternative to the Start button and desktop shortcuts

How many times have you had to minimize or move a window to get to a shortcut? How about a more convenient way to launch any program? Here is a possible solution and how I envision it working. The middle button of the mouse would open an icon view where you could select and add your favorite program shortcuts — no need to clutter your desktop with all those shortcut icons. A toggle button or Start icon would allow you to switch to the familiar Start menu. For two-button mice, the option could be accessed by clicking the right button.

Microsoft says that Windows 7 addresses the desktop shortcut issue by allowing users to pin desktop shortcuts to the Taskbar. I have 22 icon shortcuts on my desktop. When I tried to pin them to my Taskbar, I found three that could not be pinned — one of them being a shortcut to a text file I use to keep notes and edit in Notepad. The Recycle Bin and the MySQL Command Line Client icons could not be pinned to the Taskbar either. Personally, I find the combination of open windows and program launch shortcuts confusing, but perhaps that will change with time. (For more information on the Windows 7 Taskbar, see the article Changes to the Windows 7 Taskbar You Should Know About and Ed Bott’s video demo.)

The solution I am proposing would keep icons hidden for a much cleaner look. A simple click of the middle button on the mouse would pop up an icon list or menu wherever the cursor is on the desktop and give instant access without having to move the cursor to the Taskbar or Start menu.

3: A replacement for WGA

I skipped the upgrade from NT to XP. The reason? I thought that XP’s WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) was a time waster and a hassle I didn’t need. I was right. When I finally broke down and purchased Vista, I was able to activate online two, maybe three times before the process of installing SP1 beta broke the online activation process. Yes, I am one of those geeks who is always reinstalling Windows.

No solution will be perfect, but a better solution to this productivity killer must exist. For example, Windows could ship with a customized flash drive or dongle that contains the license information and install files. You could simply insert the flash drive during Windows installation.

For information about how WGA has changed in Windows 7, see Windows Activation Technologies: Activation and Validation in Windows 7. One of the changes is the name –Windows Activation Technologies for Vista and Windows 7.

4: Improved Windows installer

Do a custom Windows reinstall to a partition with a Windows installation and the installer will create a Windows.old folder. Somewhere in there, your precious data is lurking. In addition to Upgrade and Custom, add a new option, Reinstall, to the Windows Installer.

Registry information for apps, app files, user preferences, and configurations could be exported to a flash drive or second partition and imported during the reinstall. Other user data, like IE bookmarks, cookies and RSS feeds, and emails from Outlook Express, Outlook, or MS Mail, could also be exported. The installer could then format the partition and reinstall Windows with programs, user-specific data, and preferences intact.

A screen should be added allowing users to deselect Windows components they don’t want to install. The option to install those same components could be included in Windows for those who later change their mind.

5: Removing support for 16 bit and 32 bit

The average Windows user may be unaware that all 32-bit versions of Windows support 16-bit and 32-bit software and that the 64-bit versions support both 32- and 64-bit software. One way to reduce the size of the next release of Windows would be to ship and integrate a 16/32-bit version of XP and support only 64-bit software. This could be done with improved virtualization technology or similar new technology.

There are some good reasons to do this. For the foreseeable future, there will be legacy 16- and 32-bit software that must be supported. Use a proven and efficient OS like XP to do so. Microsoft could drop the Windows on Windows concept and focus on supporting only 64-bit software.

Major problems would have to be resolved, not the least being seamless integration for the average user. Support could be a real problem, too. But if done right, it could be a model for smaller and simpler releases of Windows in the future.

6: Simple backup and archive manager

I have to confess that I have never used Windows Backup and Restore Center. I knew it existed. I just never heard anybody say that they actually used it.

I took a first look at it for this article. You must use the Restore feature to extract a folder or file from the backup. An option to simply copy the folders, files, and full path structures to one backup folder and mark them as backup copies could be added. This would eliminate the need for the Restore feature and make the backup files more accessible to other operating systems. An option for compression could be included.

I have a folder called Downloads, where I keep apps and driver files I download from the Internet. I also have a folder called Archive, where I move the same apps and driver files when I download newer versions. I would like to be able to schedule an archive of the Downloads folder that moves files that meet certain criteria (date created, date modified, date accessed, archive attribute, etc.) to an archive folder, plus the ability to manually mark a file or folder for archive. Oh yes, you have probably never used it, but there is a Date Archived file attribute.

7: Decimal capacities and measurements

I recently wrote an article detailing the confusion that is caused by reporting some measurements using decimal prefixes and some measurements using binary prefixes. Standardizing all Windows capacities, memory sizes, and data transfer rates using decimal prefixes would eliminate the confusion that exists today.

8: A better defragmenter

Beginning with Vista, the graphical interface that shows you the defragmentation progress is gone (Figure B). Windows Disk Defragmenter has now become a scheduled task that occurs in the background.

Figure B

Windows Disk Defragmenter shows logical drive C: 2% fragmented.

A good defragmenter moves all fragmented segments or blocks so they are contiguous with other segments for any given file (defragmentation) and moves files so they are contiguous (consolidation or compaction). Some use optimization techniques. What exactly does the Disk Defragmenter do? Does it do its job well? Without a graphical interface (Figure C), it’s impossible to tell.

Figure C

Auslogics Disk Defrag shows logical drive C: 13% fragmented.

Did you know that Vista’s and Windows 7’s defrag, by default, performs only a partial defragmentation? Microsoft calls this behavior a feature.

An Advanced tab on the Disk Defragmenter could be added with options to analyze and defragment all, or other advanced options. For example, one useful option would be to defrag the system drive on shutdown, which would allow for defragmentation of the paging file and the MFT. Please bring back the graphical interface!

Notes

For Microsoft’s take on the Disk Defragmenter, see Don’t judge a book by its cover - why Windows Vista Defrag is cool. The defrag utility can be used from the command line with elevated privileges to:

• Get more detailed analysis using defrag /a /c /v
• Do a full defrag on all drives with additional information using defrag /c /v /w

If you’re looking for a better free defragmenter, try MyDefrag. Formerly JkDefrag, MyDefrag performs defragmentation, consolidation, and optimization and includes a graphical display. It is thorough but slow.

9: Firewall, antivirus, and malware

Windows Vista comes with a basic firewall and a more advanced MMC snap-in. Malware protection is provided via a utility called Defender. One wonders why antivirus software was left out if security was the primary consideration, but it was.

I don’t trust Windows Firewall. I use Comodo Internet Security (CIS) instead. An animated icon (Figure D) shows me data traffic coming in and leaving my computer. I can view the active connections and the bytes in/out for each connection. It tells me how many intrusion attempts were blocked, and I can get detailed information for each. This gives me some of the visibility missing from Windows Firewall.

Figure D

The CIS notification icon shows data being downloaded to and uploaded from your PC.

How many Windows users have no antivirus software? The answer might be downright scary. As much as I hate to say this, Windows should ship with antivirus software, including efficient real-time protection. The option to download a virus definitions update file is essential.

While writing this article, I ran across Microsoft’s free antivirus and malware software called Microsoft Security Essentials, and a virus definitions update file is available for download. Is Microsoft’s foray into the free antivirus software market a sign that it will be included in the next release of Windows?

And what about Defender? I know I routinely receive updates but I have no idea if my system has ever been defended from anything.

10: A replacement for Task Manager

Task Manager was first released in NT 4.0. Although new features were added in Vista, it has remained essentially the same since its release in 1996. Call me paranoid, but if I see my hard disk light blinking when the system should be idle I want to know why. If I see network activity to or from the Internet when there shouldn’t be any, I want to know what connections are active and who is being contacted.

There are some new tools that could monitor the system status, like a system status panel that could be docked to the edge of the desktop. Here are a few of the items I would like to monitor:

• Show all open connections, the app/process that opened them, and their WhoIs information — organization name, IP location, and blacklist status
• A list of processes that aren’t automatically run at startup or other subsets — new processes highlighted
• Scheduled tasks, their schedules, real-time activity, if any, and completion status with details
• Processes exceeding user-defined thresholds
• Network, CPU, and memory utilization
• System cautions and warnings
• App notifications, i.e., update status (replaces balloon notifications)

Yes, I am aware of the Resource Monitor. It is an excellent tool for showing detailed system information. I would like to see a tool that combines the functionality of the Task Manager and summarized system status information available in the Resource Monitor. It should be customizable with the option to easily view detailed information.

I recently noticed unusual Internet activity. The Comodo Internet Security animated notification icon showed a lot of data being downloaded to my PC and I didn’t know what or why.

I opened the CIS Active Connections window (Figure E) to find that the Adobe Reader was busy updating itself. There was no notification icon informing me of the update. This is a good example of the type of status that I would like to see in a system status panel.

Figure E

The CIS Active Connections window.

After installing Security Essentials for testing purposes, I performed a full scan. Once the scan completed, my hard drive was busy and system performance was sluggish. I started Task Manager (Figure F) and found MsMpEng.exe (Windows Defender AntiMalware Service Executable) consuming up to 47% of my Intel Q9650 CPU resources. This is exactly the kind of task I want to see highlighted in a system status panel with information alerting me to the unusual activity.

Figure F

The process MsMpEng.exe was consuming 46% of my CPU resources and was disk I/O intensive, but I had to start Task Manager to find out why my system was slow.

The final word

The last three items in the list share a common thread: transparency. For security reasons, I want to know what my OS is doing. I have found myself looking more than ever at third-party software because many of the tools that come with the operating system are average in performance at best and don’t do what I want them to. That is a hard statement to make for someone who has had so much respect for Microsoft over the years.

I understand that the 80/20 rule probably applies here — 80% of the people using Windows don’t care what the Disk Defragmenter is doing, what processes are running, or who is trying to connect to their computer. They trust Microsoft’s software. I don’t because I don’t know what it is doing. Perhaps a favorite quotation of former U.S president Ronald Reagan says it best:”Trust, but verify.”

Microsoft seems to be moving Windows toward a black box built for the masses. The next release would be a good time to add some windowpanes to the black box to allow a view in and some information out.

Author’s note: I want to give a special thanks to Microsoft for its feedback on this piece during a very busy time.

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As a windup to the release of Windows 7 last month, several TechRepublic writers tackled the question of what Windows 7 means for specific areas of IT. Here are a few of the highlights. A complete collection of their articles is available as a PDF download.

SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS

Support techs need to take a lot of Windows 7 issues into consideration, and now is the time to rethink the overall support strategies that are in place.

1: Time to dump the old tools

When Windows 7 makes its way into your support footprint, it might be the right time to remove obsolete support tools. This includes remote console mechanisms, such as VNC, DameWare, and RAdmin. Sure, these tools made sense in the Windows 2000 era and were a passable carryover to Windows XP. But should these tools be rolled onto Windows 7?

The upgrade to Windows 7 may be the prime time to roll in a newer console-based support strategy. This can include Remote Desktop or newer-concept products as a service, such as LogMeIn Pro. Today, connectivity is a mixed bag of wired, wireless, and remote (VPN) connections. Products such as LogMeIn can support on all of those bands, including situations where the PC is not connected to the network.

2: Reinstallation process refined

This may also be a good opportunity to refine desktop protection and troubleshooting practices if they just waste time. Would it be better to spend 20 minutes fixing a problem and then if it is not resolved, to launch an automated reinstallation process? You may want to consider whether an automated tool like Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 would be a good solution for client systems. This can save a lot of time with a fully automated solution to deploy new systems as well as to redeploy existing systems in case a rebuild requirement exists.

Full article: What Windows 7 means for support professionals

NETWORK ADMINISTRATORS

Windows 7 will have a big impact on network administrators whose organizations migrate to the new version, both in terms of new tools and enhancements and potential gotchas.

3: Libraries

Libraries will help administrators with those users who need to access data from more than one system at a time - work computer, home computer, desktop, or laptop. Libraries are an aggregated view of specific document types (music, photos, documents), but you can add folder locations from completely different systems.

4: PC Image Backup

Backups are a snap with the complete PC Image Backup. Using the integrated Backup utility, you can create a complete image PC Backup of your system while it is running. This technology leverages VSS or the Volume Snapshot service.

Full article: What Windows 7 means for network administrators

WINDOWS SERVER ADMINISTRATORS

Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 R2 release is the first joint Windows desktop/Windows Server release since Windows 2000, so there are considerable synergies between the products.

5: DirectAccess

With Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsoft has introduced a new feature called DirectAccess. Available on domain-joined Windows 7 Enterprise and Ultimate clients, DirectAccess allows direct, immediate access to network resources from any Internet connection, as if that computer were connected to the corporate network. Moreover, with DirectAccess, mobile clients can stay in touch with corporate policy and software updates servers just like their non-mobile counterparts.

Because of DirectAccess’ reliance on the existence of a Windows Server 2008 R2-based DirectAccess server, you’ll be deeply involved in the support of this new Windows 7 feature. DirectAccess relies on IPv4 and IPv6, so make sure you break out the IPv6 books when you deploy this feature.

DirectAccess could make the traditional VPN obsolete in many companies, and the technology deserves a thorough analysis. New remote access capabilities often raise red flags with the security group, so make sure that all of the stakeholders have a clear view of how the technology works so the organization can perform a proper risk analysis.

6: New Group Policy capabilities

With each new release of Windows and Windows Server, Microsoft enhances the capability for the IT group to enforce policies and settings through additions to Group Policy. With Group Policy being a service often managed in the networking or server administration group, you should begin familiarizing yourself with some of the new management capabilities offered in the latest version of Group Policy.

With Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, Group Policy administrators can now centrally configure BranchCache behavior, display brightness (among other power settings), new Windows 7 Taskbar behavior, and a lot more. Microsoft published a complete list of Group Policy objects titled Group Policy Settings References for Windows and Windows Server.

Serious Group Policy enthusiasts should also check out the Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM) tool. In addition to many other features, AGPM allows Group Policy administrators to more easily test new Group Policy objects (GPOs) before deploying them to a production environment; AGPM also makes it possible to maintain historical versions of GPOs.

Full article: What Windows 7 means to Windows server administrators

SECURITY ADMINISTRATORS

Vista may have been a flop in the performance and compatibility areas, but it was never criticized for its lack of security. In fact, one of Vista’s main detractions was its overemphasis on the security of locking down the system via the heavy hand of User Account Control (UAC).

With Windows 7, Microsoft has toned down UAC a bit (while not letting up on security) and added a whole slew of security features that will benefit both the end user and the security administrator.

7: AppLocker

A new security feature being introduced with Windows 7 is AppLocker, which lets you control the installation and use of applications in the enterprise. AppLocker is available only in the Ultimate and Enterprise editions of Windows 7 and is designed to work closely with Windows Server 2008 R2.

AppLocker works by allowing you to create rules that are based on file attributes derived from a file’s digital signature. These rules can be used to control how users access and use any type of executable file. You can also create exceptions to AppLocker rules. You can then assign rules to an entire security group or be more precise and assign a rule to an individual user. To learn more about and see AppLocker in action, check out this demo on the Microsoft TechNet site.

8: BitLocker & BitLocker To Go

Introduced in Vista and now available in Windows 7, BitLocker is designed to prevent data theft via unauthorized access of a desktop or from a lost/stolen laptop. BitLocker takes the Encrypting File System (EFS) feature to the next level by using a hardware-level encryption on the hard disk, thus protecting the actual data files, the system files, and the bits and pieces of data lingering in such places as the temporary files, swap files, and even hibernation files.

With Windows 7, BitLocker has been extended so that it can be used to protect removable storage (USB flash drives) with the new BitLocker To Go feature. This means that if you lose a USB flash drive, which is all too easy, your data is safe.

BitLocker and BitLocker To Go are available only in the Ultimate and Enterprise editions of Windows 7. To learn more about BitLocker and BitLocker To Go, check out this Microsoft TechNet site demo.

Full article: What Windows 7 means to security administrators

DEVELOPERS

Industry analysts expect a fairly swift uptake of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. But whether Windows 7 rolls out quickly or slowly in your organization, it is important to know how it will affect your applications.

9: Compatibility

The big concern for every developer is this: What will Windows 7 break in my application? Fortunately, it looks like very few apps will break with the move to Windows 7. From what I can tell, with Windows Vista, Microsoft made a real break from the past in terms of security, and it was that step that broke apps. I spoke briefly with Microsoft’s Brian Hitney at the recent Carolina Code Camp, and he agreed with that assessment. In addition, the documentation on MSDN that lists resources to learn about compatibility points to the Windows Vista documentation as well as to the Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 R2 documentation, which is further evidence of this scenario.

10: New stuff that won’t break old stuff

One of the big dangers with leveraging a new OS’s features is that you don’t want to find yourself in a situation where your application works only on that platform. There are some neat new features in Windows 7 that you can use and not break your application on platforms that lack the features. Those features include the following:

• Progress bars in title windows
• Interactive taskbar “thumbnails.” For example, when you hover the mouse over the taskbar entry for Windows Media Player, the window preview is overlaid with basic play controls.
• Jumplists, which allow application functionality to be called directly from the Start menu
• A new animation framework
• Improved handwriting/ink API including “math recognition”
• Improved touch support
• Federated Search, which allows developers to create feeds the Windows search (and SharePoint) can consume

Full article: What Windows 7 means to developers

IT CONSULTANTS

Windows 7 offers important refinements, including better memory usage, full 64-bit support, simplified wireless networking, touch-screen support, and Windows XP Mode for application compatibility — but the release complicates IT consulting efforts. This is good and bad.

It’s good because the new release (and the countless and inevitable issues that arise with a new OS) will result in new service calls and new clients. It’s bad because already harried IT consultants will bear the challenge of making Windows 7 live up to Microsoft’s marketing hype and productivity promises.

11: Application incompatibilities

Many organizations are dependent upon legacy or proprietary applications, and a number of these critical programs will be incompatible with Windows 7. Microsoft’s answer is Windows XP Mode, which isn’t necessarily an elegant fix. While virtual machines (VMs) are a clever approach to solving the need for multiple OS environments, VMs typically place considerable demand upon workstations.

To run Windows XP Mode, you must have systems equipped with Intel Virtualization Technology or AMD-V-enabled CPUs. With VMs, CPU cycles and memory are at a premium, so organizations’ unending penchant for purchasing low-cost systems with bare essential hardware capabilities doesn’t match well with Microsoft’s Windows 7 solution for supporting legacy applications. As a result, consultants will be tasked to upgrade or replace many workstations that are incapable of efficiently powering Windows XP Mode.

12: Backoffice tool incompatibilities

Most consultancies maintain a library of specialized troubleshooting applications and hardware. My IT shop regularly deploys hard disk adapters, motherboard diagnostic cards, and numerous preboot environment CDs and other utilities. We use these hardware and software components to troubleshoot and repair failed systems and servers. With Windows 7, we’ll inevitably find that we need to obtain new versions that are compatible with the new OS. This means consultants will face new expenses as a result of the need for new Windows 7-compatible backoffice tools and utilities.

Full article: What Windows 7 means to IT consultants

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The first time I was considered for a CEO position I actually got the job, which surprised the heck out of me. When I asked the executive recruiter why I was chosen over what I thought were more experienced candidates, one of the things he said was that I had “CEO presence.”

Admittedly, I’m not 100 percent sure what that means. But I have worked with hundreds of CEOs and other executives, so I thought I’d take a stab at what constitutes “executive presence.” Whenever I attempt this sort of thing, the results are often counterintuitive, if not downright surprising. This is no exception.

For example, executive presence has nothing to do with polish, poise, sophistication, or even use of body language and gestures. In my opinion, executives with presence are just as likely to not posses these qualities. Most of them can be learned anyway, but why bother?

In this day and age, executive presence comes in many shapes and sizes, but I think I managed to boil it down to its essence — the 10 qualities or aspects that work across the board.

Here’s another conclusion some will have a tough time swallowing. I don’t think any of these qualities is easy to learn or practice. I’m sure you can cognitively develop and improve some of them, but not by much. Not that anyone’s born with them; they develop over time with experience and maturity.

One caveat: Don’t confuse this with speaking or presentation skills. Sure, they’re part of the total package, but this is entirely about presence you project wherever you are and whatever you’re doing.

Note: This article originally appeared as an entry in BNET’s The Corner Office blog. It’s also available as a PDF download.

1: Genuine

Open, straightforward, comfortable in your skin; no BS or sugarcoating.

2: Passion

You love and feel strongly about what you do and how you do it.

3: Clarity

Communicate thoughts, feelings, and insights in crystal clarity and simplicity.

4: Intelligence

No way around this one, and yes, it shows through.

5: Insight

Ability to boil complex factors and mounds of data down to rare conclusions.

6: Determination

Driven and full of purpose, determined to achieve and succeed.

7: Confidence

Not overconfident, but with enough self-doubt to be objective.

8: Humility

Willingness to admit mistakes, misjudgment, fear, and uncertainty is endearing.

9: Courage

Willing to take risks and take a position against considerable odds.

10: Humor

Not over-the-top, but in the right measure, brings down other’s defenses.

Keep in mind that nobody possesses all of these qualities in abundance. For example, lots of successful CEOs with strong presence lack one or more of the likeability factors, like humor and humility. Larry Ellison and a few others you wouldn’t know come to mind. But if you’ve got seven or eight of them, you’re probably in pretty good shape.

How do you know if you’ve got executive presence? You don’t. Few people possess that level of self-awareness and objectivity. But if you’ve got it, you’ll eventually figure it out, albeit after the fact. That’s just the way it is.

I recently switched from my AT&T iPhone to Sprint’s HTC Hero. Now although the Hero is not a pure Android phone (it’s the HTC Sense, which is a modified form of Android), it gives the same experience that Android gives (only with an HTC “bent” to the package). Through this phone, I have come to once again enjoy my mobile experience. There are so many differences between the iPhone and the Hero, so many aspects of the Hero to really help you get your mobile geek on. But for the purposes of this article, I had to pick just 10. So I have narrowed it down to those aspects that really make the experience different from that of the iPhone.

We all know the iPhone, know how it works (or doesn’t work, in many instances). We know there is an app for just about every possible task on the planet. But an Android phone? You don’t really know an Android phone until you’ve worked with one. That’s when you’ll find how far you can push your mobile experience.

Note: This article is also available as a PDF download.

1: Browsing

Let me first say I do like the Safari browser on the iPhone. It’s fast, it’s reliable, it’s stable. But flexible? Flash? Monopolistic? Yes Safari is the only browser for the iPhone, and that browser still does not do Flash. However, the Android browser is one of the best browsers on the mobile market. On my HTC Hero, I have Opera Mini, Dolphin, and the default Browser. I haven’t used Opera Mini since I used it a couple of times upon installation. Dolphin is outstanding, with its use of Tabs and Gestures. But the default Android browser just can’t be beat. It usually loads pages faster than Safari, has Flash support, and simply does everything a browser should do.

2: Desktop

Instead of just having icons littering your phone’s desktop (like the iPhone), the Android phone adds widgets to the desktop. These widgets tend to have an actual purpose. For example:

• The Twitter Widget allows you to update your Twitter status from your mobile desktop.
• The People Widget allows you to enable different actions for different contacts right from your desktop (say you want to call your wife with a single click and text your child from a single click).
• The Messages Widget allows you to instantly see your email from the desktop.

The Android desktop is on a completely different level from the iPhone desktop. To compare them is actually unfair. Apples to Éclairs as it were.

3: Connectivity

On one of the “pages” of my Hero desktop, I have four buttons:

• Turn on/off bluetooth
• Turn on/off Wifi
• Turn on/off Mobile Network
• Turn on/off GPS

These buttons let you instantly switch on or off the various connectivity options, which will go a long way toward conserving battery life. There is also an app in the Market called Y5, which will turn off Wi-Fi automatically when no known wireless network is available. To do any of this on the iPhone, you have to go into the Settings screen and navigate your way around the various options.

4: PC connection

Unlike the iPhone, you don’t need to have iTunes to manage your phone. Now, I say this with a bit of a chewed-up tongue because Android can’t sync with the Linux desktop yet. That’s okay for now. But Android can mount the SD card so that it is usable (via drag and drop) by any operating system. On this you can add music and files, which will then be usable on the phone. Simple.

5: Multi-notification

One of the issues I’ve always had with the iPhone is its notification system. Basically, it depends upon a single system that not all applications have access too. For instance, if you are a Twitterer, you can find out if you have updates only by opening the Twitter app on the iPhone. With Android, the apps have access to the notification system and can all report. The notification bar on the Android phone can alert you to new voice messages, email messages, Facebook notifications, new Gmail, new text messages, and much more. If an app has a notification, it can let you know quickly, and in the background.

6: Endless personalization

I hesitate to place this on the list because so many readers seem to think user-configuration is worthless. It’s not. The Android phone allows users to configure their mobile to look and behave exactly how they want it. If you’re a social network power user, you can have a screen for Facebook, one for Twitter, one for texting, and one for Flickr. Or if you are a business user, you can have a screen for contacts, for your calendar, for gmail, for email, for RSS, and more. Not only can you configure the desktop the way you want, you can configure the behavior of your phone. Set up default actions for different contacts — even add an entirely different desktop, should you want. The possibilities are endless with the Android phone. With the iPhone, you’re pretty much limited to what Apple says.

7: Market

Yes, Apple has an app for that. But so does Android. And chances are, the Android app is free and works as well (or better) than the iPhone app. And, believe it or not, there are thousands of apps in the Android Market. Apple does not (at least yet) have a patent on an application for just about everything. Give it time though. And installing applications on your Android phone is actually easier than it is on the iPhone. For free applications, you don’t have to worry about entering a password every time you try to install anything. And you do not have to link to Apple’s iTunes store to purchase applications from the Android Market. For those apps that have a price, you enter your information on the Google Market one time and you’re done.

8: Google integration

This one is almost not fair, since Android was built with the intention of integrating with Google. But wow does it integrate well. Want to search Google? Simply click the search button, enter your search string, and you’re off and running. Did I mention Google Voice? Yes, the Android has an app for that.

9: Open Source

Why does being open make Android better than iPhone? For the same reason that being open helps Linux: a planet full of developers with the ability to aid Android’s developers. Anyone can get access to the source of Android to better the system. This is also a double-edged sword, in that it allows those will less-than-ideal intentions to discover any weakness of the phone. But that can be seen as an indirect plus because when weaknesses are found in the open source community, they are quickly fixed. I assume that this tradition will extend to the Android phone. iPhone open? You’re kidding right?

10: Open to carriers

This is yet another reason why Android is superior. If you want an iPhone (at least for the time being), you better be open to AT&T. If you don’t like AT&T and you still want an iPhone, you better be open to doing a little jail breaking or move to another country. If you want an Android phone, you can join any number of carriers and have your choice of any number of outstanding phones using Android. No lock down.

Your take

What do you think: Are these reasons enough to get you to move from your iPhone to an Android phone? If not, tell us why you prefer the iPhone. And if you aren’t sure, just grab an Android phone and play around with it. You might quickly change your mind.

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At one point or another, you will have a bad boss. Maybe your boss won’t be like the one in Dilbert, but still he or she might make your work difficult. Here are some tips to help you cope.

Note: This article is also available as a PDF download.

1: Avoid responding in kind

If your boss acts like a jerk, becomes abusive, or is freaking out, your initial impulse might be to do the same thing. Fight that temptation, hard though it might be. Repaying “evil for evil” accomplishes nothing and only makes the situation worse. If you maintain your professionalism, it will make a positive impression on those who are watching or those who hear about it — including possibly your boss’s boss.

Here’s an extreme example, but one based on a true incident. Suppose you’ve just sat down at a restaurant with your boss, and the latter becomes agitated that there are no menus. Rather than get agitated yourself, perhaps because the boss is blaming you for the lack of menus, try to stay calm and simply say, “Boss, the menus are on the way.” Repeat as often as necessary.

2: Document your work

Keep track of your accomplishments and of compliments you get from co-workers or managers of other departments. Record the date of these incidents. When documenting these items, try to record as well the significance of the accomplishment. What problem existed at the time? What would have happened had you not acted? How did your action have a positive effect on the entire organization? Keep this information on a system other than your work computer or company network - that is, keep it in a place where you can still access it even if you leave or are terminated.

3: Use objective measures

When documenting your accomplishments, try to use objective measurements. If you’re on a help desk, for example, “I resolved that ticket promptly” is a meaningless statement. However, “I resolved that ticket in three hours, compared to the departmental average of five hours,” carries more credibility. If you’re in a call center, similarly, a statement that “I answered 80% of my calls within the second ring” is preferable to “I answered my calls promptly.”

4: Confront with evidence

It’s easy for a boss to yell at you based on statements you yourself make. It’s harder if you confront the boss with detailed data, in particular data that has objective measures. So when your boss complains that you’re not answering calls promptly, share your data. In doing so, you’re telling the boss implicitly (or, if you’re brave enough) explicitly, “Boss, you can be angry all you want, but the data favors my position.”

5: Be clear about performance measurements

The objective measurements are also important when you are setting your performance measurements. Having subjective standards makes it easier for your boss to rate you poorly. Having objective standards, assuming you’re doing your job and meeting them, makes it harder for the boss to do so.

6: Keep your network active

Maintain your connections with other people in your company, or even outside your company. Stay active with alumni from your school or college. Be active in community affairs. Doing so keeps you visible and can help you find another job in the event you decide you need to or you’re forced to part ways with your boss.

7: Don’t burn bridges

If you do part ways with your boss, you might be tempted to “unload,” given that you have nothing left to lose. Fight that temptation and try to be gracious. Did you learn anything at all of value from the boss? In particular, was there a time when you thought the boss was wrong, but it turned out the boss was right? Say so. Though not impossible, it would be really hard for even a bad boss to react negatively to such statements by you.

Being gracious will make a huge impression on others. Besides, you never know if you might run into that boss again later in your career.

8: Learn from the experience

A corollary to Murphy’s Law tells us that “Nothing is ever a waste of time. It can always serve as a bad example.” In your case, take some time to analyze why your boss is a bad boss. Just keep in mind that people have different perspectives. Your boss might be reacting to factors and influences you might be unaware of. While that fact doesn’t excuse bad behavior, it can explain it. In any event, doing such analysis can help you if you later become a boss, because you’ll have figured out what NOT to do.

9: Use humor to cope

Humor is a great way to deal with unpleasant situations — hence the need, in movies and television, for comic relief following a tense scene. Rather than be upset about a past encounter, try laughing about it. You could even take it one step further. For example, you could predict what area the boss will first be upset about tomorrow or what time the boss will first become upset that day, then comparing your prediction with what actually happens. While it could be politically risky, you could even start an office pool with co-workers who have the same difficulties - such as establishing an over-and-under on the number of times the boss blows up.

10: Be careful when talking to the boss’s boss

Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will pay for it.

You may have a chance for a one-on-one meeting with your boss’s superior. If so, that person might ask about your boss. Be careful what you say. Be aware, in particular, that criticism of your boss could be taken as criticism of your boss’s boss and could cause you even more problems. Remember the old saying, “Don’t criticize your wife’s judgment. Look who she married.”

If you do choose to say anything at all about your boss, focus on the behavior rather than the person. Rather than say, “[Boss] is really disorganized,” it’s probably better, if you say anything at all, to say, “It’s hard to focus when priorities keep changing.” But a far safer alternative is to encourage any desirable behavior from your boss. For example, you could say, “Boss’s practice of doing [x] really helps us. I hope he/she keeps doing that.”

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I recently shared a list of events I believe were pivotal in shaping today’s IT industry - things like the development of COBOL and the creation of UNIX. This time around, I’ve listed a few of the biggest failures in IT - but I’ve tried to steer clear of the same ol’ items everyone has on their lists.

Note: This article is also available as a PDF download.

1: Windows Vista

What a disaster! Could Microsoft have assembled a bigger failure if it tried? Well, possibly. But Microsoft wasn’t trying to make a failure — it was trying to make the best of the best. The result was the worst of the best.

2: NeXT

I have to qualify this entry, because NeXT did inspire a lot of software for the Linux desktop (such as AfterStep), and the NeXTSTEP did eventually become the foundation of OS X. So NeXT wasn’t a complete flop.

3: BeOS

What is it with the capiTalIzaTion? Although BeOS has been resurrected as Haiku, the BeOS (and all the cool hardware it promised) never really got off the ground. The PC that promised to be the dream machine for the media crowd fizzled out before its fuse could really be lit.

4: Cobalt Qube

The Cobalt Qube looked cool. If you’re lucky, you can still find one on eBay going cheap. Underneath that tiny blue exterior lay a beefy 64 MB of RAM and an 8.4 Gig HD that was ready and willing to serve up your Web site, your mail, your DNS, or anything else you needed. Ah, but those were the glory days — and short-lived at that. The serious IT crowed quickly realized that function held sway over form, and the cool blue Qubes went nowhere. Even after Sun bought the Cobalt company, these devices did nothing.

5: Y2K

I can’t resist including this one. The entire world was supposed to cave under the pressure this little bug promised, wasn’t it? I even read plenty of sci-fi books based on that premise. But nothing happened. Banks didn’t lose all of your money, the world’s security didn’t fall to pieces, and all IT professionals woke up the next morning collectively saying, “Was that it?”

6: MP3

I know, I know — it isn’t a flop, exactly, but the MP3 format is on this list because of all the licensing issues it has caused. On the Linux operating system alone, MP3 isn’t installed on most distributions, by default, because of licensing issues. As a result, users scramble to get MP3 support built into their various tools. This causes as much hair loss as MP3 causes audio quality loss. There are much better formats out there without the licensing issues, people!

7: Richard Stallman

This man was supposed to be the champion of open source — but he endangers open source at every turn. Instead of making ridiculous claims, RMS should stand down and let someone with a modicum of tact and sense to take over as the voice of open source software.

8: WordPerfect

What I should actually place here is Corel, the maker of WordPerfect, instead of the software itself. WordPerfect was an outstanding word processing tool. Corel, however, was not outstanding in its ability to market and sell something as good as WordPerfect. So instead of a piece of software that should have single-handedly toppled the Microsoft juggernaut, WordPerfect died. This should never have happened. Any other company could have pulled off this win.

9: IPv6

Should this already be in place? Should something so simple really be that hard? The ‘net could run out of IP addresses and there is no solution in place yet. Why? Because we don’t have the problem yet. But didn’t everyone panic with claims that the “IP sky is falling”? Wouldn’t it be smart to go ahead and put this in place? Maybe the powers-that-be are waiting until that very last IPv4 address is issued and we have to say, “We have no more!” At that point, no one will really know how to implement the solution and it will be Y2K all over again.

10: Mesh networks

At one point, wireless was going to cover the entire planet and everyone was going to have free wireless networking, thanks to wireless mesh networks. It didn’t happen. It sounded like a great idea, and sites popped up all over the place trying to get users to set up their own mesh networks to further expand the “net.” It was a grand idea, based on a grand ideal, but it just never got off the ground. That’s a shame, since a “mesh Wifi” would have enabled anyone to be online anywhere. Of course, I am sure the telecoms had NOTHING to do with the fall of mesh networking.

Your turn

Do you agree or disagree with the items on my list of biggest IT failures? What’s missing from the list? Join the discussion and let us know.

Visiting a customer’s workplace represents a considerable investment in time and resources. As field engineers, we must take great care to derive the maximum value from each visit and make certain our time and the customer’s time isn’t spent in vain. I have compiled the following list of techniques and routine tasks I perform whenever a support call takes me to an external location. It isn’t always possible to avoid a return visit, but these methods will help keep them to a minimum.

Note: This article originally appeared as an entry in our User Support blog. It’s also available as a PDF download.

1: Verify that the visit is necessary

Make sure you fully understand the reported problem and the customer’s request. You could be wasting your time if you take off before assessing the customer’s situation. If you didn’t originally take the complaint, contact the customer before you leave. More than once, I have been dispatched on a less-than-accurate problem description. Call ahead, and you might save yourself the trip.

2: Take the right spare parts

Before you leave your office, determine all the replacement parts you’ll need and double-check their location. Whether the parts are delivered directly to the client or you carry them with you, arriving at a customer site without the necessary equipment will make for a wasted trip and is a poor reflection on the help desk. Besides the job-specific equipment, you should always carry spares for commonly replaced parts — keyboard, mouse, case screws, modem, network card, CD-ROM or DVD drive, and the like.

3: Think safety first

Quickly check the safety of the customer’s environment. Evaluate the condition of cables, trip hazards, wobbly shelves, and so forth. It takes a minute and could save you from serious injury or even death! Don’t be afraid to make your safety concerns known. I would sooner have a customer tell me I am making too much fuss than fail to point out a hazard that later claimed a life. You may also be able to make recommendations about possible future concerns, such as a failing screen or worn power cable.

4: Ask the customer to demonstrate the problem

Don’t jump in with both feet and start pulling the covers off the customer’s equipment. Before you touch anything, ask the customer to demonstrate the problem. It may be the user and not the machine. Too many times, I’ve checked a PC, found nothing wrong, and left the customer’s location, only to be called back again. During the subsequent visit, I’ve often discovered that the caller was trying to achieve the impossible.

5: Install necessary software updates

Ensure that the operating system, antivirus software, anti-spyware applications, and the like, have all necessary updates. Although many IT organizations automatically deploy updates, it is not unusual to find unpatched machines — particularly in remote offices or businesses without in-house IT staff.

6: Do a little house cleaning

Give the PC, keyboard, and mouse a quick cleaning. This will make the equipment look better, last longer, and possibly run better. You may even keep yourself healthier, as you avoid any germs hiding on the keyboard and mouse. Once you’ve taken care of the outside, go to work on the PC’s inside — defragment the hard drive, delete temporary files, clear out the browser cache, and so forth.

Carry basic spares with you or have them nearby. A cheap replacement keyboard can make all the difference. It’s not unusual for there to be more than one problem, and being prepared for any eventuality is always good practice. You’ll be amazed how much goodwill a wipe-over can generate. Remember the last time a petrol station filled your tank and wiped the flies off the windscreen? It’s a rare thing, especially in the United Kingdom.

7: Double-check the asset register

If your organization manages equipment through an asset register, be sure that it’s correct when you leave the client’s location and if possible, before you leave your office. All too often, people log a call on a particular piece of kit and only after you reach the customer’s location do you realize that the computer you thought was in Southampton is actually in Plymouth - more than three hours’ drive away. By the same token, I have often been called to a job on an asset number that is not the device that is giving problems — yet another reason to speak with the customer before leaving your office.

8: Explain your repairs

Before you leave the client’s location, ensure that the customer understands the problem’s cause and your repairs. Users often believe they caused a failure, even when they didn’t. Reassuring them of their innocence puts them at ease and makes them feel more comfortable the next time they call IT support. If the user’s actions did cause the problem, politely educating them could save future visits. Effective communication is critical for building a positive customer relationship.

9: Pick up after yourself

Don’t walk away from the area before checking that you have all your tools. Your client may discover a forgotten tool and try to use it. From personal experience, I can tell you that it’s extremely frustrating to know that a previous client is propping up a wilted plant with your favorite screwdriver. Worst of all, you always discover that a tool is missing when you need it most.

10: Leave the customer with a smile

You may have to visit a client more than once, and an angry client with a grudge can make future calls a real headache. As a field engineer with no fixed base, you need as many allies on the ground as possible. You never know when you’ll need to drop in and use the bathroom, run some photocopies, or charge your laptop battery while enjoying a chat and a cup of tea. Without these “courtesy calls,” the field engineer’s day can be a lonely, frustrating one.

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October 29, 2009. Mark your calendars, people, because that is the day the Linux landscape will shift, and the bar will be raised. Why do I say this? Ubuntu Karmic Koala is released that day and, even without reading between any lines, you can easily see where Canonical is taking its flagship operating system: Business and enterprise.

When 9.04 shipped, it became clear that Ubuntu had done what all other Linux operating systems have failed to do — truly become an operating system anyone can use. Yes, there are plenty of good, solid, easy-to-use Linux distributions, but none of them has reached such a level of both simplicity and appeal.

Now, with the release of 9.10, Ubuntu will one-up itself by taking its already user-friendly Linux distribution and making a concerted effort to gain ground with the business/enterprise crowd. And from what I have seen, it just might work. Here are 10 reasons why Ubuntu 9.10 should make businesses happy.

Note: This article is also available as a PDF download.

1: Software Center

This is the big one. Ubuntu is migrating away from the old Add/Remove Software tool in favor of the Software Center. This tool will be just as user-friendly as the old tool, but it will have one feature the old tool didn’t have — commercial software. That’s correct. Ubuntu is finally going to include commercial software in its software installation tool. So now users will be able to install not only the usual open source tools, but they’ll also be able to find plenty of commercial software that can be installed with a few simple clicks (and a purchase here and there). This will be good news for the business users who need more than the open source community has to offer.

2: Ubuntu One

If you’ve ever used DropBox, you know how helpful having a file/folder synchronization tool can be. Ubuntu One is just as easy to use as DropBox, it does instant, automatic synchronization, and it offers two plans (one free with two gigs of space and one paid with 50 gigs of space). You can also add as many machines as you like to your Ubuntu One account.

3: Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud Images

With 9.10, businesses will be able to download and use images on the Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud. You can also try out the latest 9.10 server image instantly (on EC2 with a preconfigured AMI) or even download an image and put it directly into your Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud.

4: Quickly

A new framework called Quickly will enable developers to accelerate their development process. Quickly provides a command-line framework for generating code projects, storing changes in version control, building packages, and releasing software. To do this, Quickly uses templates that allow specialized behaviors to be defined for different types of  projects. The Quickly templates define such behaviors as edit, save, dialog, glade, and package. You can think of Quickly as a Rails-like tool for Ubuntu application development.

5: Better Intel graphics support

The new kernel that will ship with 9.10 will have the kernel mode enabled for Intel graphics. Add to that the driver switch from the troubled EXA to the newer UXA acceleration method, and anyone with Intel graphics (and that’s a lot of users) will see better performance and quicker resumes from suspend.

6: Faster, stronger AppArmor

Ubuntu 9.10 will ship with more profiles for AppArmor and an improved parser that uses cache files, which will speed up initialization upon boot. Although AppArmor is not a tool for the new Linux user, it lets you set up machines that are even more secure than before. You can even use Firefox with an AppArmor profile. Also included with 9.10 will be the ability to transition a process to an AppArmor profile or run without a profile.

7: Blocking module loading

This feature will allow the blocking of unloaded modules once the machine has booted. The primary focus of this feature is to prevent kernel root kits from being installed. This is handled by one-way sysctl flag /proc/sys/kernel/modules_disabled.

8: Boot time

The elusive 10-second boot time is drawing ever nearer. With the help of many improvements, Ubuntu 9.10 shortens the already short boot time offered by 9.04. It hasn’t reached 10 seconds yet, but it’s close. This will make many business users happy because boot time is not productive.

9: HAL deprecation

Some subsystems are being moved away from HAL. Most important (to business users at least) will be suspend/hibernate. Many know that suspend/hibernate has been a big issue for Linux. By moving these systems from HAL to DeviceKit-Power, DeviceKit-Devices, and udev, these systems will be much more reliable. This should mean that suspend and hibernate will work exactly as expected.

10: Telepathy

Telepathy is new to Linux and will serve as a pluggable framework for real-time communication via chat, voice/video over IP, and logging. Even more exciting, the framework will be available to many programs. Telepathy will be able to share connections between multiple clients (such as messaging, email, and collaboration tools). As of now, the stable components of Telepathy are Gabble (Jabber/XMPP connection manager), Salut (link-local XMPP connection manager), Idle (IRC connection manager), and Telepathy-SofiaSIP (SIP connection manager). Many other tools are under development. The primary benefit of Telepathy is that it will provide a standard interface that will simplify third-party development for applications that need to communicate with voice/IM functions.

A bright future

If you’re like me, you’re excited with the possibilities that Ubuntu 9.10 offers on all levels — personal and enterprise. The Ubuntu experience just keeps getting better and the 9.10 release goes a long way to prove that.

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Access is a desktop database, and you can store data and interface objects in the same file. But most developers agree that a split database is easier to protect and maintain. When you split an Access database file, you end up with two .mdb files instead of just one:

• The backend stores the data in relational table.
• The front end stores the interface objects.

By linking the two files, users can view and manipulate the data in the backend via the forms and reports in the front end. This arrangement solves a number of problems inherent to the Access file structure.

Note: This article is also available as a PDF download.

1: Multiple users share the data

Perhaps the biggest incentive for splitting a database is to supply data to multiple users over a network. By storing the backend on the file server and distributing the front end to workstations and users, many users can access and manipulate the data.

Whether you store the front end on local systems or on a server is an ongoing debate among developers and administrators. There are pros and cons to both sides.

2: Your data is better protected

Whole books have been written on database security, but it’s enough for you to know that you must protect your data. One of the easiest ways is to split your database. Placing your tables in a backend file protects your database design because users can’t directly access the tables via the interface objects in the front end. Therefore, they can’t alter or delete tables, even accidentally. Most of the users working in the front end won’t realize they’re actually working with two separate files, so splitting the database will have no negative impact on your users.

However, this arrangement is not a comprehensive security lock on design. Users who know what they’re doing can still open the backend, if they have access to it. Just bear in mind that splitting the database will minimize accidents — but it won’t stop someone who’s determined to get at your tables.

3: You can plan for the future

If there’s any chance that your Access database will grow out of its skin, consider splitting the database. It’s easier to upsize a split database to SQL Server (or some other larger relational database system) because you can easily link the existing front end to SQL Server tables. That way, the organization has the advantage of storing data in a larger database with most of the perks that come with doing so, while still using the Access front end. (Most Access front ends will require light to moderate conversion to view and manipulate SQL Server data.)

Many organizations stop there. However, a modified Access front end that’s linked to SQL Server, can also buy you time. You can keep the Access front end in service while developing a more robust front end for the SQL Server data.

4: The user interface is easy to modify

Most databases grow and change with the business; they require new features or modified business rules. Changes to existing tables are rare, if you properly normalized them early on. Most changes will be in the front end in the form of new or modified forms and reports.

As long as your database is split, testing and implementing changes to the front end can occur with little or no disruption to users. You simply link the development front end to the production backend and test away. This won’t always be the case, of course, but testing new interface objects is easier in a split database configuration.

5: You can use a shared security model

Access 2003 and earlier have a workgroup security model that’s pretty good. It’s easy to understand and implement and does a decent job of protecting schema and data. If you split a database, security isn’t a problem. That’s because the linked tables in the front end will adopt the same workgroup security rules applied to the backend.

In addition, developers find securing a split database easier because the backend is less crowded. Many developers stop with the backend, but your needs should dictate how heavily you implement workgroup security.

6: Deploying a new front end is a snap

If the user interface and data are stored in the same database, you must replace the entire database every time changes are made. That means you must import data from the existing tables into the new version. That’s a lot of unnecessary work and can require remote access to the database if you’re not physically near the system and there’s no one in-house with the expertise to do it for you.

In a split database configuration, you simply replace the front-end .mdb file and relink the tables. It takes a few minutes and requires little interruption of users.

7: It makes life easier for offsite developers

A split database is easier for offsite developers to maintain and upgrade. The developer works offsite to implement changes and enhancements to the front end and then ships the new version to someone in-house who has the technical expertise to deploy it. This latter process is a simple copy and relinking task that doesn’t require high-end expertise. You can train someone to do it or even talk someone through it over the phone. Many developers write a routine that automates the process. All the in-house technician has to do is double-click the installation file. This opens up a lot of long distance opportunities that a developer just couldn’t manage as easily with a single database file.

8: Job security is enhanced

Once the database is in production and running smoothly, clients will want changes and new features — they almost always do. Knowing that you can develop and implement changes with little to no disruption, management is going to be more inclined to contract you to make those upgrades.

9: Multiple developers can work more effectively

A split database allows multiple developers to link to a backend in a flexible and efficient arrangement. Developing from a single database file would require precise and specific coordination and synchronization. Developing in a split database frees up resources for actual development rather than management.

10: Everyone’s using the same data at the same time

By splitting a database, you know that all users are accessing the most current data because everyone’s accessing the same data. Not only are they all accessing the same data, they can all update it at the same time. That means a change made by one user is almost immediately available to all other users. (Locking may slow things down.)

Having a backend corrals all the data into a single database file. That means there’s only one copy of that data to manage and protect. Changes are immediate and available to all authorized uses. Any administrative duties (which are few to none with an Access database) are implemented in the backend file, once.

11: Geography’s not a problem

A split database allows users in different locations to access the same data. For example, the backend may be on a server at company headquarters in Atlanta, but users from all of the country can access the data via their local systems.

12: Corruption is limited

Access databases are prone to corruption. One of the easiest ways to avoid this problem is to implement a split database, which is less prone to corruption.

13: It’s easier to get individual users back on track

Security in the front end is one way to limit user interference. However, some users require more flexibility than others and there are always trade-offs. Some applications will require tight front-end security, while others will allow more freedom to tinker.

When a user tinkers to the point of destruction, a split database is easier to repair. Rather than bringing the entire application and all its users to a screeching halt, you have only one user who’s unable to work, momentarily. The fix is usually as simple as recopying the front end for the troubled user.

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