Some Logging Best Practices

When you use a centralized server to store your enterprise log files, you’ll quickly discover that the system can become very big, very difficult to manage without using a good naming convention in the files names and the directory structure, If all your event and application logs from multiple systems and servers are simply dumped into some central repository then at best you’ll create an admin nightmare, at the worst you’ll lose data by overwriting log files accidently.

This is likely to cause a huge level of confusion, or even make the whole point of storing and archiving your log files pretty much pointless. To prevent this, there are three key steps that you must take:

1) Name Your Log files in an accurate and logical manner. Basically define a naming convention that suits your need – try and use descriptive names like gateway server or ticket proxies.  You should also include all relevant information and try to consider future developments and allow scope for this. Make sure this is consistent and ensure that anyone who has access to the repository (be it human or application) uses this naming convention when adding files to the system.

2) Use a hierarchical directory structure on your file system to store the log files. It’s difficult to specify the exact method and structure you should use because it will vary depending on the requirements. For example you could start the top level with system name and then split lower down the directory structure by date, application or system whichever is appropriate.

3) Specify locations – it’s important to know which computers and server these logs are from.  This might seem a very simple idea but it’s vitally important. Don’t rely on IP address or DNS names as these can change, indeed the best logs have hardware information which rarely change.  High traffic computers like fast proxies will generate huge amounts of traffic and rarely be out of use.

There is no specific way to configure either of these two requirements simply because there are multiple variables needed to make the decision. However it is essential that some thought goes into these decisions as they are crucial to maintain your log structure and making a useable resource.

There is a certain level of personal preference in these decisions, however there are some steps that can be included before deciding on a structure. One of the most important things to do is to ask any users or analysts who need access to these logs – their own opinion. Many will need to run reports or look for logs based on certain criteria, you can make these tasks significantly easier with a logical and consistent structure which encompasses the information they need. Don’t assume that basing the structure or naming convention purely on names, systems or dates is the best option – ask the users.

http://www.proxyusa.com/usvpn

Tips to Becoming a Successful Solo Entrepreneur

Becoming a solo entrepreneur is a path that not many people choose to travel down. If you have the right set of beliefs, you’re confident about finding success. While, perhaps, you’ve found success already what is important is that you never let yourself stop learning. It is impossible to learn too much when you want to help yourself improve. You should already know how important it is to keep up to date with your industry. Eventually you will start to see that lots of the information feels familiar and even rehashed. It is vital that you do not ever stop reading because every so often you’ll stumble across something new and valuable that you can use.

The internet has really enabled this employment option, setting yourself up online is relatively simple and doesn’t require a lot of capital.  There are many, many examples of small websites setup on a shoestring budget which become incredibly profitable purely through consistent hard work.  That’s not to say success is guaranteed, far from it – far more people fail than succeed but it’s certainly possible.  Imagine the possibilities – you can quit your job, take control of your time, work when and where you want.

The problem is that although it’s perfectly possible to create a full time income relatively quickly, most people don’t even get close.  The internet is unfortunately packed full of ‘gurus’ and internet marketing experts who’s own income is derived from selling junk methods to people starting out online.  From a $20 report and guide to a $10,000 course on ‘how to succeed’ – this is a huge market often preying on newcomers and their dreams.  Be very, very wary of any product or guide that promises untold riches through internet marketing, 99% of the time they’re completely rubbish.

entrepreneur-593372_640

Solo entrepreneurs must be extremely budget conscious if they want to break into profit. As you may know already, when you’re in business it’s very tempting to purchase all kinds of tools and products. Just one more that looks really cool and helpful, and doesn’t cost much, can become a little addictive. If a certain product can do something important for you, ask if there’s not a cheaper (or even free) way to accomplish this. Is this product really relevant to your business, or is it something you want simply because it seems cool?  There are many tools which can be of use to the online businessman but not all are appropriate for everyone.  Take for instance these tools which hides your IP address such as the new range of elite proxies, for many online business people it’s worth it’s weight in gold, allowing them to access geo-specific web sites and indeed customers. Nowadays people also use them for watching TV from different countries bypassing all the blocks. However it takes a certain amount of technical knowledge to use, without that knowledge it’s pretty useless.

Before purchasing any such products, you have to be able to decide if it’s going to make any real difference to your bottom line. Many solo entrepreneurs have to learn to exercise self control when it comes to buying every new product they see. Some of the best products are ones you can use first in your business, like proxies for example. Then you get to test and verify them properly – only promote things you genuinely believe in.

Always keep alert for those people who can become a key person in your business or market. There are various ways to get to know such people, so be creative about it. There are both online and offline possibilities for interacting with these people. You may have difficulties when it comes to the most famous or successful people in your industry. Don’t expect to become this person’s new best friend overnight; you have to build up a relationship with them gradually, even if it’s on a forum or social network. Meeting even one such influential individual can have important consequences for your business.

Here’s something that may seem unimportant but one day it may become very important. Whatever your solo efforts may be, write down the essence of what you hope to accomplish and then learn more about it. It could be a short and to the point description of your current business or the business that you are hoping to work on. As you start to get out there you have no way of knowing who will be asking you more about your business. Every person has the potential to be significant in your future and you must be prepared to converse with each one of them. Being lucky isn’t really about luck, it is about being properly prepared for each situation.

There is a mindset that is required of every solo entrepreneur and once you’ve really worked on it, your life is going to be quite a lot simpler. You need to learn to trust yourself and to have faith that you will be successful. Stay positive, even when your business is going slowly, it is how you will continue working. Of course there is much more to this mindset, and you’ll figure it out if this is meant for you.

Further Information

Linksys E2000 Wireless-N Router – Worth Upgrading?

The Linksys E2000 Wireless-N Router makes it simple for anyone with several computers or other devices to connect everything to one wireless network. This is an option that allows you to do without all of the cables required for a conventional internet connection. You get protection from data thieves, plus people won’t be a will to simply tap into your Internet connection. We will now review the Linksys E2000 Wireless-N Router, giving you an honest overview of the good and bad aspects of this device..

There are many advantages to owning a wireless router, however you may not be privy to what those reasons may be. People who have more than one computer (at home or at their office) can really benefit from such a device.  A few years ago devices like these were only owned by geeks and people who were interested in networking, now any normal family will benefit from using them.  Most houses now have a host of electronic, wireless enabled devices – we ourselves have four just in the form of Amazon Echo’s before counting all the other devices like phones and laptops. This is becoming increasingly common, and many, many households have three or more computers.  That’s not withstanding all the other devices such as Smartphones, Tablets and iPads – read this.

desk-602975_640

The main purpose of a wireless router, from a conventional standpoint, is to remove the many wires that are typically necessary to connect to the Internet. The router connects your computers using radio impulses rather than cables. It is so easy to control the office network, even the one you have at home, with a router that is set up properly. This can help you do simple things like block certain websites to your kids are unable to view them. Before you get any type of electronic device, you really need to have a look at the warranty. You really should get a warranty for your wireless router. Even if a brand name or model is well known, it doesn’t mean that they will work perfectly all the time. And in the event that the router goes haywire, Cisco Linksys comes with a one-year limited warranty to protect you in case something happens.

The warranty is only 90 days if you get a refurbished unit, though even this should give you enough time to see if works. Purchasing products from Linksys will always come with the support necessary. Since many people own products made by Cisco or Linksys, you can also get plenty of advice on technical forums if you have questions.  It’s particularly helpful if you want to try anything technical like operating a remote VPN or even connecting to some next gen proxy service directly.

Shopping on the Internet, you are bound to find a great deal on the Linksys E2000 Wireless-N Router. If you want to get the best deals for Linksys products, including routers, you should head over to Amazon.com which typically has the best deals on the Internet. You can also get this for a good price, considerably below the suggested retail price of $94.99. Refurbished units cost a lot less, but use caution when buying them for various reasons. Typically, wireless routers are known to be finicky, only having problems under certain conditions. So when you purchase refurbished products, keep this in mind. Stick to new units, especially when it comes to routers. Refurbished ones tend to have a bad track record for customer satisfaction. If you are looking for a wireless router that you can count on, and capable of streaming high definition multimedia like your Saturday Night Match of the Day fix then  the Linksys E2000 Wireless-N Router is something that you should try. This is a wireless router you can find online at a reasonable price and install yourself in a short time. Most users are very satisfied with the Linksys E2000. It provides reliable connectivity, as long as you are in a small area. Get one for your home or office this week.

James Hamilton

Best VPN Software

A First Look at the HP TouchSmart 600-1370 All-in-One Desktop

There are lots of desktops to choose from, but the HP TouchSmart 600-1370 All-in-One Desktop is one of the special ones. Well, the name tells you the main ways that this computer is different. It has an all-in-one design that is compact, and it uses leading edge touchscreen technology. All of the main features will be discussed in this article because there is a lot more to this HP desktop.  For many years HP have produced some of the best looking desktops on the market usually at a very affordable price and I think this is no exception.

First of all, if you are an avid picture taker, and like to edit your images before sending them to people you know, the HP TouchSmart 600-1370 All-in-One Desktop can help you do this. Want to transfer your digital images from your camera to your computer without cables? No problem! You can do this with the 6-in-1 Digital Media Reader built right in. Anyone that uses standard cables to connect their camcorder or camera to their PC will really appreciate this feature when uploading videos and photos and streaming TV. It is easy to combine your images into a slideshow with the touchscreen. You can even add audio! You will no longer have a problem organizing your photos, or making albums. Just drag your media using the TouchSmart technology, and organizing and sharing will be done in seconds.

 

desktop-63954_640

Another great aspect of the HP TouchSmart 600-1370 All-in-One Desktop is the enormous touchscreen that comes with the PC. Do you like vibrant colors on your computer screen? The HD 1080p LCD Display is designed to display colors and images in crystal-clear clarity – see here. Very different from a smartphone or a notebook computer, this 23″ screen is something that you will really enjoy watching movies on or just surfing the web. Even though it will take a little bit of time, you will get used to using your finger instead of a mouse to do everything with your new touchscreen. The large screen, combined with the touchscreen technology makes this desktop quite enjoyable to use for entertainment and socializing.   I’ve streamed some shows in 4k from the BBC iPlayer service and it looked wonderful.  Remember you’ll need a fast internet connection to cope with this too.

Being able to have fun using the touchscreen, and the user friendly design are the primary differences with the HP TouchSmart 600-1370 All-in-One Desktop. It takes up a lot less space than a normal desktop, and the streamlined look is very attractive. You can move the screen 180 degrees and tilt it either backwards or forwards.  The only slight criticism is that the screen is not always sensitive enough for some operations.  Clicking and selecting blocks of code from my new proxy configuration which I was setting up in text file was kind of difficult.

For your own comfort, it can be put at just the right angle. In the case that you want it mounted on a wall, the base can be removed. If this is what you want to do, then separately, the adapter and bracket will have to be bought. The webcam can even be adjusted and tilted to whatever position you would like for it to be in. Desktops are typical for not being easy to customize, but it is easy with the design of the HP TouchSmart computers. This computer, the HP TouchSmart 600-1370 All-in-One Desktop, is an excellent desktop, free from all of the constraints that a computer usually has, lacking the wires and cables that most computers always need. It is really up to you to make a decision as to whether or not you need this computer. Despite its drawbacks (the price), this might be what you’re looking for.

Further Reading

index.php/uk-vpn-ipad-to-watch-bbc-iplayer/

The Future of Learning is Digital

Education has always been one of the most precious resources that a society can supply it’s citizens.  In fact without education, an economy is unlikely to flourish in today’s connected society.  Which is a real problem for emerging economies and less developed countries, who simply aren’t able to provide wide spread, high quality learning to it’s citizens.   In the developed world, providing education is always a challenge for governments mainly based on how it should be financed rather than availability.

There are however huge developments in the world of online learning which offer opportunity to all countries to upgrade the educational opportunities available to their citizens.  To some extent the earliest form of this distance learning was pioneered in the UK with the Open University, a huge distance learning university where you study from home.  Initially many of the lectures where delivered on British TV stations and the radio although they too have now moved online.

Did you think that a Physics course from Stanford was out of reach for you, or perhaps a Business course from Harvard ?  Well all these and thousands more are available online for anyone with an internet connection to some extent !  Many of these courses have been online for quite a few years but not accessible to everyone.  Indeed many major Universities started off with quite limited access, although if you knew how to use decent proxies like this you get through to some.  They used similar technology initially as used by the large e-commerce retailers who sell things like tickets to concerts online.

The world of education is changing though and at the heart of this digital inspired revolution is the MOOC.   This stands for Massive Open Online Course, although slight variations on this acronym do exist.  The concept and implementation varies but it’s basically moving much of the traditional education provision online.  This will definitely accelerate after the covid 19 pandemic where many traditional secondary schools have also been forced to move their classrooms online.

macbook-407126_640

So what exactly is a MOOC and why is it so important?  Well it offers the opportunity for a student to study a certain course, delivered by a specific professor irrespective of where they live.  The secret of course is the internet, which allows a course to be delivered in an open access format across the web. Traditional course material are supplied such as digital lectures, films, slides and documents which mirror the normal formats.  Many even offer the chance to earn the same qualification as standard students who are actually attending do.  Mostly though there’s a certificate or non-certificate option which recognises you’ve completed the course.

Earlier courses were quite basic and just involved filming lectures and then making resources downloadable,  which of course was a extremely popular.  However as the format was adopted by more and more educational establishments the courses developed too, with the digital format improved in it’s own right.

One of the first major improvements was to allow for both tutor and pupil interaction concerning the courses.  Of course, a tutor wouldn’t be able to respond to thousands of pupils all across the globe.  However interactive forums and message boards allow this interaction enabling fellow students, assistant teachers and others to help professors support the huge volume of students.  These would also help build up additional resources such as course specific FAQs.

The provision and development of online courses has developed rapidly over the last few years.  In January 2012, the University of Helsinki launched a Finish MOOC in programming.  It was developed because in many Finish provinces there was no premises or teachers available to provide such a course, the MOOC ensured that any Finish student could study programming if they wished from wherever they were.

There are some difficulties and challenges to the expansion of these digital courses, one of the most important is licensing and funding.  In an ideal world of course, these courses could be open to anyone however this can be difficult to finance for most educational establishments.  Many have tried restricting the access to specific locations in order to limit demand, however this is increasingly difficult with various tools like this which hide your location.

James Cavendish

Technical Source:

 

Gridftp-netlogger

GridFTP server configuration overview – Updated March 2021

The configuration interface for GridFTP is the admin tool, globus-gridftp-server(8), which can be used with a configuration
file and/or run-time options.
Note
Command line options and configuration file options may both be used, but the command line overrides the
config file.
The configuration file for the GridFTP server is read from the following locations, in the given order. Only the first file which can be located will actually be loaded:

If the value contains spaces, they should be enclosed in double-quotes (“). Flags or boolean options should only have
a value of 0 or 1. Blank lines and lines beginning with # are ignored.
For example:
port 5000
allow_anonymous 1
anonymous_user bob
banner “Welcome!”

For complete command documentation including all options, see globus-gridftp-server(8).
This page includes information about general configuration of the GridFTP server. Security options are discussed below as well as some other suggested configuration options.  If you want to use proxies to connect to the server remember you need a method of passing authentication over using the proxy.  Without user authentication being available the server would have to accept anonymous connections with no credentials, clearly a security risk.

Security should be the primary concern for any configuration though, particularly for a public facing FTP server.  Any breaches are liable to involve costly bandwidth bills and possible legal issues if the service is used for suspicious purposes.  These would be traceable to this specific server, especially if the attack used proxies in order to hide their true location,  If you’ve never seen how much bandwidth an FTP server installed on a hacked server can use, then you’d be truly amazed.