07/09/2010
06/30/2010
Something is wrong in the world..... (Symantec Enterprise Vault does exactly what it says on the tin)
Category
Bookmark :
Unfortunately, this doesn't happen anywhere near as often as I'd like, but I've had a really good couple of weeks. Why? I've been installed Symantec Enterprise Vault! Quite a while back (what seems like a very long time ago), I was in Reading with Symantec, talking to them about Enterprise Vault for Lotus Domino. You might have spoken to them at UKLUG too. Anyway, I've been over in Dublin for the last couple of weeks installing it for a client and it's gone almost spookily well.
As opposed to Domino archiving (which just moves the problem if you ask me), what a *proper* archiving solution does is to rip out data from your live databases and push it to a lower cost storage location. Whilst it's at it, all the data is single instanced, compressed and indexed. Oh, and the original database should then be left with shortcuts to the archived content, which will seamlessly open the document from the archive instead of from the live database. Securely. Pretty powerful and scary stuff from a Domino administrators point of view, so not having to manually create all the content types and data mapping is a very good thing (Commonstore, I'm looking at you*). Oh, and a nice management interface is good too - and detailed and comprehensive documentation as well. EV really ticks all those boxes.
I guess because Domino is so good at supporting large volumes of data, enterprise archiving solutions aren't something that are very high up the list of priorities for our customers. Of course, Bluewave has worked with a few solutions in the past (the less said about IBM Commonstore the better - believe me....), but in the main our customers seem to be fine with DAOS for space reduction, or just nothing at all. Many industries do need compliance tools though of course, and this is where EV comes in for this customer. Of course, being the old cynics that Paul and I are - we would never expect a completely flawless and pain free install.
I'm very happy to say that over the last couple of weeks though, we've installed, configured, tested and deployed Symantec Enterprise Vault with very little drama indeed. Admittedly this isn't the largest site in the world, but even so, we will have been in and out in under two weeks. As I mentioned to the customer today, archiving is one of the only areas in IT where you really want to see 'nothing' exciting happen - and that's exactly what we got! It's not a perfect product yet, of course, but it's such a marked difference from other products that sometimes it surprises you. In a way that's a depressing thought, but it's one I'm very happy to go with just now. Simple is good, and EV does exactly what it says on the tin. Can't say fairer than that!
* I wrote this blog post all the way back in 2008, but never published it. For your delight and delectation....
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
www.elsmore.net - October 2008
You can say what you will about Lotus Connections, or Sametime Advanced. I raise you DB2 Commonstore for Lotus Domino.
Yes, dear reader, this week I have the pleasure of installing Commonstore for a customer. Well, that was the plan. It's something we've done before for other customers and they are up and running. This time, however, there's a whole NEW version of Commonstore to play with.
If you haven't ever looked at this particular gem of a 'product', let me introduce you. Commonstore is IBMs' archiving product for either Domino or Exchange. Though, when I say 'product', what I really mean is 'random collection of components that should work together. We think'. For instance, to install Commonstore 8.4 we have:
A Server. Any OS will do, pretty much.
DB2 Enterprise 9.1
DB2 Enterprise 9.1, Fixpack 6
Websphere Application Server 6.1
Websphere Application Server Update Installer fixpack 11, to let us install:
Websphere Application Server 6.1 FP 19*
DB2 Content Manager Enterprise Edition
Information Integrator for Content Manager
Lotus Notes 7.0.3
Commonstore
Lotus Domino 7.03
and, finally, a few template changes.
* Yes, that's an install of an update installer to allow us to run the update installer to install an update.
So far (after 3 DAYS) we're at the Content Manger stage - and guess what - it doesn't work. No matter, I'll check the documentation. Errr....
"Pre-requisites of Commonstore - Content Manager with Information Integrator installed". Well, thanks guys, really helpful there. I'll check the Redbook - oh, not updated since 8.3. Infocenter? err....
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bookmark :
Unfortunately, this doesn't happen anywhere near as often as I'd like, but I've had a really good couple of weeks. Why? I've been installed Symantec Enterprise Vault! Quite a while back (what seems like a very long time ago), I was in Reading with Symantec, talking to them about Enterprise Vault for Lotus Domino. You might have spoken to them at UKLUG too. Anyway, I've been over in Dublin for the last couple of weeks installing it for a client and it's gone almost spookily well.
As opposed to Domino archiving (which just moves the problem if you ask me), what a *proper* archiving solution does is to rip out data from your live databases and push it to a lower cost storage location. Whilst it's at it, all the data is single instanced, compressed and indexed. Oh, and the original database should then be left with shortcuts to the archived content, which will seamlessly open the document from the archive instead of from the live database. Securely. Pretty powerful and scary stuff from a Domino administrators point of view, so not having to manually create all the content types and data mapping is a very good thing (Commonstore, I'm looking at you*). Oh, and a nice management interface is good too - and detailed and comprehensive documentation as well. EV really ticks all those boxes.
I guess because Domino is so good at supporting large volumes of data, enterprise archiving solutions aren't something that are very high up the list of priorities for our customers. Of course, Bluewave has worked with a few solutions in the past (the less said about IBM Commonstore the better - believe me....), but in the main our customers seem to be fine with DAOS for space reduction, or just nothing at all. Many industries do need compliance tools though of course, and this is where EV comes in for this customer. Of course, being the old cynics that Paul and I are - we would never expect a completely flawless and pain free install.
I'm very happy to say that over the last couple of weeks though, we've installed, configured, tested and deployed Symantec Enterprise Vault with very little drama indeed. Admittedly this isn't the largest site in the world, but even so, we will have been in and out in under two weeks. As I mentioned to the customer today, archiving is one of the only areas in IT where you really want to see 'nothing' exciting happen - and that's exactly what we got! It's not a perfect product yet, of course, but it's such a marked difference from other products that sometimes it surprises you. In a way that's a depressing thought, but it's one I'm very happy to go with just now. Simple is good, and EV does exactly what it says on the tin. Can't say fairer than that!
* I wrote this blog post all the way back in 2008, but never published it. For your delight and delectation....
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
www.elsmore.net - October 2008
You can say what you will about Lotus Connections, or Sametime Advanced. I raise you DB2 Commonstore for Lotus Domino.
Yes, dear reader, this week I have the pleasure of installing Commonstore for a customer. Well, that was the plan. It's something we've done before for other customers and they are up and running. This time, however, there's a whole NEW version of Commonstore to play with.
If you haven't ever looked at this particular gem of a 'product', let me introduce you. Commonstore is IBMs' archiving product for either Domino or Exchange. Though, when I say 'product', what I really mean is 'random collection of components that should work together. We think'. For instance, to install Commonstore 8.4 we have:
A Server. Any OS will do, pretty much.
DB2 Enterprise 9.1
DB2 Enterprise 9.1, Fixpack 6
Websphere Application Server 6.1
Websphere Application Server Update Installer fixpack 11, to let us install:
Websphere Application Server 6.1 FP 19*
DB2 Content Manager Enterprise Edition
Information Integrator for Content Manager
Lotus Notes 7.0.3
Commonstore
Lotus Domino 7.03
and, finally, a few template changes.
* Yes, that's an install of an update installer to allow us to run the update installer to install an update.
So far (after 3 DAYS) we're at the Content Manger stage - and guess what - it doesn't work. No matter, I'll check the documentation. Errr....
"Pre-requisites of Commonstore - Content Manager with Information Integrator installed". Well, thanks guys, really helpful there. I'll check the Redbook - oh, not updated since 8.3. Infocenter? err....
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
06/29/2010
St Pancras Phase 2 - Update 4
Category LEGO ST Pancras
Bookmark :
The problem with building big structures is that some parts of the build are really dull. Really, really dull. So it's good I've been staying in a serviced apartment for a couple of weeks:
That's 20 baseplates, each 16 studs by 16 studs with 248 of those studs covered by LEGO 'cheese' slopes. The gaps are there so I can put plates in to connect the baseplates. That makes 4960 slopes in total here. Plus the 4960 I've already done on baseplates at home, and the 2480 still to do. Plus the 12,400 tiles to go on the sections that are flat.
So that's 24,800 LEGO elements* on JUST the roof! Something to do if you're bored.....
*LEGO elements or bricks, but please god not LEGOs. Don't make me hurt you....
Bookmark :
The problem with building big structures is that some parts of the build are really dull. Really, really dull. So it's good I've been staying in a serviced apartment for a couple of weeks:
That's 20 baseplates, each 16 studs by 16 studs with 248 of those studs covered by LEGO 'cheese' slopes. The gaps are there so I can put plates in to connect the baseplates. That makes 4960 slopes in total here. Plus the 4960 I've already done on baseplates at home, and the 2480 still to do. Plus the 12,400 tiles to go on the sections that are flat.
So that's 24,800 LEGO elements* on JUST the roof! Something to do if you're bored.....
*LEGO elements or bricks, but please god not LEGOs. Don't make me hurt you....
06/20/2010
St Pancras Phase 2 - Update 3
Category LEGO
Bookmark :
So, what would you do with 12hrs spare and alot of LEGO?
This is going to be one side of the Barlow shed. Yup, one side. That's 3m long - or 384 studs, or 1.5 Warrens:
In other news, we also managed to watch the entire second series of True Blood whilst Kitty and I built this. Next up, the roof....
Bookmark :
So, what would you do with 12hrs spare and alot of LEGO?
This is going to be one side of the Barlow shed. Yup, one side. That's 3m long - or 384 studs, or 1.5 Warrens:
In other news, we also managed to watch the entire second series of True Blood whilst Kitty and I built this. Next up, the roof....
06/07/2010
St Pancras Phase 2 - Update 2
Category LEGO
Bookmark :
The weather wasn't too good this weekend, so it was a good time to have a day inside and crack on with some building!
As you can see, building has moved on a pace. The end walls actually went up pretty quickly once I'd worked out how to build the root arches. My original idea went out of the window once I realised that the (brand new and differently coloured) LEGO I had for the arches flexes alot less than the test pieces I was using. So, a new style of Arch was called for, which also meant new side walls, new supports for the outer parts of the arch, etc, etc.
It's done now, anyway. So all I need to do now is get hold of the remaining parts I don't have (and that's still quite alot!) and build another 10 arch and wall sections, 10 more roof sections, all of the insides, 3m of shops, escalators, lifts, Routemasters, Eurostars.......
More pics at my work in progess Flickr set.
Bookmark :
The weather wasn't too good this weekend, so it was a good time to have a day inside and crack on with some building!
As you can see, building has moved on a pace. The end walls actually went up pretty quickly once I'd worked out how to build the root arches. My original idea went out of the window once I realised that the (brand new and differently coloured) LEGO I had for the arches flexes alot less than the test pieces I was using. So, a new style of Arch was called for, which also meant new side walls, new supports for the outer parts of the arch, etc, etc.
It's done now, anyway. So all I need to do now is get hold of the remaining parts I don't have (and that's still quite alot!) and build another 10 arch and wall sections, 10 more roof sections, all of the insides, 3m of shops, escalators, lifts, Routemasters, Eurostars.......
More pics at my work in progess Flickr set.
05/31/2010
on the iPad, LEGO and IT
Category iPad LEGO
Bookmark :
So, like many many others I was out early on Friday to go and buy an iPad. So shoot me :) I've been after an Apple tablet ever since I first started using a Macbook Pro. There was no way in the world I wasn't going to buy one in the end! Happily, unlike the rest of the world I had a very relaxed journey in. A lie-in till 8:30, some tea, a quick check of Twitter to find PCWorld had lots in stock and a short cab ride over. All done and back in an hour.
So, the quick review? Bloody brilliant - go buy one.
The long review? Well, this is based on actually not very much playing around since Friday. My mother has been visiting, so I've been very good and not engrossed in it all weekend. Even so, I can see that this is a device that has already changed the way we access the web here. I charged it on Friday and have been merrily downloading apps, playing, learning and actually using it since then. In fact, the first thing of note is the battery life. I checked 5 minutes ago and it's at 56%. That's from a single charge on Friday morning and alot of use. In fact, you get so used to the low battery consumption that you tend not to turn it off, but just place it on the table. So, a tick there (and I'd expect massive battery lives from iPhones if they move to an A4 processor as well)
Is it really that different an experience to a laptop though? Well, in short, yes. Powerup is instant - not even the 10seconds it takes my Macbook to resume - which makes a real difference when you want to use a device to quickly look something up. Also, with my Mum around, I've been looking up shops and things to do - and the ability to just turn the screen over vertically to show her, whilst it rotates in place, is far more affective than on a laptop.
In fact, take this as a 'use-case' example. Our bath taps (faucets) need replacing. I want to make sure they match the sink taps but I don't know the make. So without thinking about it, I ended up sitting on the toilet, iPad held next to the sink - comparing taps from an on-line retailer. After a few checks, I found the right one and went straight ahead with the purchase. It's not that you couldn't do that with a laptop, but the sheer ease of use and simplicity makes you use the iPad instead.
What about LEGO? How would an AFOL work with it? Well, for one - all our custom websites seem quite happy on the iPad (as you'd expect). Instructions are something else though. I recently built Ollie from the instruction scans. Not great on a laptop, the screensaver kicks in on long stages and it takes up a fair amount of desk space. iPad - bloody brilliant and just like their printed equivalent. Is it good enough for me to leave a laptop at home for weekend long events? Totally.
What about work? Well, Keynote is surprisingly good and feature complete. If I'm presenting without demos - I'll be using this. The one real downside I can see of Keynote currently though, is no presenter display. I really hope they fix that, but in the interim I could use an iPod Touch as a remote I guess. I've tried a few LEGO presentations I have and they all worked flawlessly for me. I'm also going to be buying a capacitive stylus (yes, they exist) so I can use it as a proper notebook. I can see me using it as a rolling display for international LEGO shows as well. Assuming I can secure it down, that is!
If you buy one app, buy Wired magazine. This is really what it's all about. I love my e-reader for books and honestly - the iPad does not cut it for reading books. Backlit screens are just not as readable as e-ink. Magazines though, are a completely different beast. Full colour pictures, interactive content, animation, video, audio - it's all in there and it all makes sense to use in this format. I've not bought a paper magazine in years, and it's possible I never will again. I want them *all* like this! Brickjournal.....?
So, is this the Star Trek NG tablet style future we all wanted? Well - pretty much, yes it seems to be. I still have a few caveats though...
Bookmark :
So, like many many others I was out early on Friday to go and buy an iPad. So shoot me :) I've been after an Apple tablet ever since I first started using a Macbook Pro. There was no way in the world I wasn't going to buy one in the end! Happily, unlike the rest of the world I had a very relaxed journey in. A lie-in till 8:30, some tea, a quick check of Twitter to find PCWorld had lots in stock and a short cab ride over. All done and back in an hour.
So, the quick review? Bloody brilliant - go buy one.
The long review? Well, this is based on actually not very much playing around since Friday. My mother has been visiting, so I've been very good and not engrossed in it all weekend. Even so, I can see that this is a device that has already changed the way we access the web here. I charged it on Friday and have been merrily downloading apps, playing, learning and actually using it since then. In fact, the first thing of note is the battery life. I checked 5 minutes ago and it's at 56%. That's from a single charge on Friday morning and alot of use. In fact, you get so used to the low battery consumption that you tend not to turn it off, but just place it on the table. So, a tick there (and I'd expect massive battery lives from iPhones if they move to an A4 processor as well)
Is it really that different an experience to a laptop though? Well, in short, yes. Powerup is instant - not even the 10seconds it takes my Macbook to resume - which makes a real difference when you want to use a device to quickly look something up. Also, with my Mum around, I've been looking up shops and things to do - and the ability to just turn the screen over vertically to show her, whilst it rotates in place, is far more affective than on a laptop.
In fact, take this as a 'use-case' example. Our bath taps (faucets) need replacing. I want to make sure they match the sink taps but I don't know the make. So without thinking about it, I ended up sitting on the toilet, iPad held next to the sink - comparing taps from an on-line retailer. After a few checks, I found the right one and went straight ahead with the purchase. It's not that you couldn't do that with a laptop, but the sheer ease of use and simplicity makes you use the iPad instead.
What about LEGO? How would an AFOL work with it? Well, for one - all our custom websites seem quite happy on the iPad (as you'd expect). Instructions are something else though. I recently built Ollie from the instruction scans. Not great on a laptop, the screensaver kicks in on long stages and it takes up a fair amount of desk space. iPad - bloody brilliant and just like their printed equivalent. Is it good enough for me to leave a laptop at home for weekend long events? Totally.
What about work? Well, Keynote is surprisingly good and feature complete. If I'm presenting without demos - I'll be using this. The one real downside I can see of Keynote currently though, is no presenter display. I really hope they fix that, but in the interim I could use an iPod Touch as a remote I guess. I've tried a few LEGO presentations I have and they all worked flawlessly for me. I'm also going to be buying a capacitive stylus (yes, they exist) so I can use it as a proper notebook. I can see me using it as a rolling display for international LEGO shows as well. Assuming I can secure it down, that is!
If you buy one app, buy Wired magazine. This is really what it's all about. I love my e-reader for books and honestly - the iPad does not cut it for reading books. Backlit screens are just not as readable as e-ink. Magazines though, are a completely different beast. Full colour pictures, interactive content, animation, video, audio - it's all in there and it all makes sense to use in this format. I've not bought a paper magazine in years, and it's possible I never will again. I want them *all* like this! Brickjournal.....?
So, is this the Star Trek NG tablet style future we all wanted? Well - pretty much, yes it seems to be. I still have a few caveats though...
- No multi-tasking. Which, although I thought it wouldn't annoy me too much - drives me bonkers and causes me to loose content when I mindlessly switch from one app to another.
- No notifications. Primarily, no notifications on the status bar. I don't want to flick back to the home screen to tell me if I have mail.
- No flash. Well, if you're bothered about flash. It's only stopped me browsing a couple of times so far.
- I reckon the 3G device really is worth the extra 100quid if you travel. This is about ease of access, and great as a MiFi/FroYo phone is - they aren't instant access.
- Only 1 Exchange mail account
- Slightly too heavy, but not a major factor
- Androids' search and google services
integration is far, far better.
Of course, iPhone OS4 should fix many of these things. But, would an Android tablet be better suited to me? Well, very possibly yes. If the publishers like Wired make the content available to an Android tablet (which they say that they are), then I'd probably be even happier on that platform. If the iPad proves one thing, it's that content is king - not the device. Of course, Apple make great devices and have great content. But then, so could anyone....
05/20/2010
St Pancras - Phase 2
Category LEGO
Bookmark :
And now for something completely different :)
It's the summer so that must mean big LEGO projects for me again. This time, it's the Barlow Shed of St Pancras station. If you've ever taken the Eurostar into St Pancras, this is the huge arched roof structure that the trains run into.
Of course, building a structural, curved roof is a little different to building the generally straight walls of the hotel that I completed yesterday. But, where there's a will, there's a way. There's also a good few brilliant builders in Brickish that know all the tricks! So, I present to you the early tests:
CAD Drawing:
Real life:
Onwards and upwards....
Bookmark :
And now for something completely different :)
It's the summer so that must mean big LEGO projects for me again. This time, it's the Barlow Shed of St Pancras station. If you've ever taken the Eurostar into St Pancras, this is the huge arched roof structure that the trains run into.
Of course, building a structural, curved roof is a little different to building the generally straight walls of the hotel that I completed yesterday. But, where there's a will, there's a way. There's also a good few brilliant builders in Brickish that know all the tricks! So, I present to you the early tests:
CAD Drawing:
Real life:
Onwards and upwards....
04/28/2010
Domino on Windows Server 2008 - quick Q and A
Category
Bookmark :
Just a short one for you today. Domino on Windows 2008...
Q: What versions are supported?
A: 8.5 and upwards
Q: What versions will work?
A: Probably most of them really (DON'T quote me on that!)
Q: Why can't I see the Domino console anymore?
A: Why do you need to? Surely you're not still working on the server are you?
A2: Because Win2008 doesn't let services interact with the console anymore. You should be using the Java Server Console.
Q: What's the Java server console?
A: A server console running as a Java app
Just add "-jc c"
to the end of the registry key for the Domino service (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Lotus
Domino Server) after the current two quoted sections. Try it, it's cool.
Q: I still get all sorts of nasty Windows service messages (pre-Domino 8.5)
A: Uncheck 'Allow service to interact with the Desktop' from the service properties
A2: Use Linux.
<Updated>
Q: OK, did all that - why won't the fixpack install?
A: It needs the .NET 1.1 framework to be installed. That's not installed in Windows 2008. Find MSVCR71.dll from somewhere and copy it to the directory the fixpack installer is running from. Then it still won't work! I'm guessing Windows file protection and will update this if/when I find a fix.
Moral of the day, girls and boys, stick to supported configs!
</Updated>
Bookmark :
Just a short one for you today. Domino on Windows 2008...
Q: What versions are supported?
A: 8.5 and upwards
Q: What versions will work?
A: Probably most of them really (DON'T quote me on that!)
Q: Why can't I see the Domino console anymore?
A: Why do you need to? Surely you're not still working on the server are you?
A2: Because Win2008 doesn't let services interact with the console anymore. You should be using the Java Server Console.
Q: What's the Java server console?
A: A server console running as a Java app
Just add "-jc c"
to the end of the registry key for the Domino service (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Lotus
Domino Server) after the current two quoted sections. Try it, it's cool.
Q: I still get all sorts of nasty Windows service messages (pre-Domino 8.5)
A: Uncheck 'Allow service to interact with the Desktop' from the service properties
A2: Use Linux.
<Updated>
Q: OK, did all that - why won't the fixpack install?
A: It needs the .NET 1.1 framework to be installed. That's not installed in Windows 2008. Find MSVCR71.dll from somewhere and copy it to the directory the fixpack installer is running from. Then it still won't work! I'm guessing Windows file protection and will update this if/when I find a fix.
Moral of the day, girls and boys, stick to supported configs!
</Updated>
04/23/2010
Home... and off again!
Category
Bookmark :
Just a very quick post to confirm that yes, I did arrive home - 5 days and 18hrs late, after 55hrs and 47minutes of travelling :(
I'm currently back in London having given our Admin workshop course yesterday and spent today looking at some interesting global email issues for a customer. More when things slow down!
Bookmark :
Just a very quick post to confirm that yes, I did arrive home - 5 days and 18hrs late, after 55hrs and 47minutes of travelling :(
I'm currently back in London having given our Admin workshop course yesterday and spent today looking at some interesting global email issues for a customer. More when things slow down!
04/17/2010
We have a plan!
Category
Bookmark :
So, for those keenly following our movements (if anyone!).. we have a plan.
8:30 Sunday - meet our impromptu passenger at the hotel (stranded since Thursday like us)
...Drive the 10 hours to Brussels
19:00 Drop off the car at Avis,
Sunday night - Stay in Brussels
18:15 Monday - Train to Paris
20:30 Monday - Train to London
Monday night - stay with friends near London
10:00 Tuesday - Train to Edinburgh
So, from now - 62hrs of travel. Very shitty, but all the indications from here are that the delays in Denmark are just going to roll on and on. We've hearing that BA will need 24hrs before they can start working on the backlog - AFTER the restrictions at both ends lift. Add in the people delayed before us who will need to be moved first - flights may not be until the end of next week. So the cost of travel starts to look sensible compared to the cost of staying here in a hotel.
Expect lots of twitter updates at www.twitter.com/warrenelsmore over the next few days. "Loaded up and truckin'...."
Bookmark :
So, for those keenly following our movements (if anyone!).. we have a plan.
8:30 Sunday - meet our impromptu passenger at the hotel (stranded since Thursday like us)
...Drive the 10 hours to Brussels
19:00 Drop off the car at Avis,
Sunday night - Stay in Brussels
18:15 Monday - Train to Paris
20:30 Monday - Train to London
Monday night - stay with friends near London
10:00 Tuesday - Train to Edinburgh
So, from now - 62hrs of travel. Very shitty, but all the indications from here are that the delays in Denmark are just going to roll on and on. We've hearing that BA will need 24hrs before they can start working on the backlog - AFTER the restrictions at both ends lift. Add in the people delayed before us who will need to be moved first - flights may not be until the end of next week. So the cost of travel starts to look sensible compared to the cost of staying here in a hotel.
Expect lots of twitter updates at www.twitter.com/warrenelsmore over the next few days. "Loaded up and truckin'...."
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