#student readiness

[lodiwayoflearning]

Computer History, A Personal Perspective

By Felipe Lodi

As developer, 15 years ago, my first professional initiative was to create software for hardware stores in Brazil. Made with Clipper 5.2 I had different versions for my different clients and a very smart way of enabling and disabling modules depending of the (verbal) contract I got with each.

The software itself was not enough, since they needed some check points on their counters and at least one computer using the financial module. Normally the manager or owner had this module enabled on his station on the background office.

Because of this common scenario, I was presented to the concept of networking. There were no dedicated servers as I could choose one of the stations to store the Database and be the server as well. All computers had to talk to each other conceptually.

The solution I had by that time was the Novell NetWare 3.12. In this solution I could basically have the stations interconnected and they did not have to have Hard Drive, which used to be too expensive. A Boot ROM Chip on each network adapter was essential though. My proprietary software only required DOS and this infrastructure was sufficient.

A ring network topology was compulsory and sometimes we were used to lost the network connection because of chewed cables (Rats in warehouses were common). Bradley Mitchell describes the Ring Topology as when every device has two neighbors and the information travels in one chosen direction. (Mitchell, n.d.)

Years later the requirements from my clients increased as well my development skills improved so I upgraded my software to a graphical interface version using Delphi. Apart of the knowledge curve to create the new version, the infrastructure again had to follow the needs.

A Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 was the right choice and a sensitive upgrade on my client’s computers had to happen. As a Client/Server application in some cases even using SQL Server 6.5, my software required a higher availability. Then at least one dedicated server was configured for each client. Most scenarios had the same computer with PDC, BDC and Database Server roles.

Once again Bradley Mitchell describes the Client as computers with network software requesting and receiving information over the network. (Mitchell, n.d.).

This type of network by that time did not require Boot ROM Chips neither ring topologies. We had more flexibility using a small 6-ports HUB and 100 meters independent cables. Different layouts to my client’s networks were possible too.

How hard was to make a Novell or NT networks work properly? How many issues I had to address besides coding which I was supposed to do?

In my opinion, I couldn’t make better comparison between these two types of networks and topologies with the actual wireless networks. Nowadays, connect several devices to the wireless router is easy. The system makes the whole job for you. Behind the scenes there are the drivers, protocols and so on.

Back to the past, if I were able to use wireless technology in my clients I would have made cheaper my service and even happier my clients.

What is next?

REFERENCES LIST

Mitchell, B., n.d. Introduction to Client Server Networks. [Online] Available at: http://compnetworking.about.com/od/basicnetworkingfaqs/a/client-server.htm [Accessed 4 August 2010].

Mitchell, B., n.d. Network Topologies. [Online] Available at: http://compnetworking.about.com/od/networkdesign/a/topologies.htm [Accessed 4 August 2010].

[lodiwayoflearning]

About Felipe Lodi

By Felipe Lodi

I am currently engaged in a very exciting project. From the very beginning I realized that it would the biggest challenge in my career even though many of the projects I worked in were fulfilling too. My contribution to something that might change to better a specific segment and be recognized by that makes me wonder what is next.

I mean in my professional life, this actual project has no place for failing and as I usually do, I bring this to my personal life, I live it combined and every new achievement becomes awardable.

As an architect in a SharePoint virtual learning environment for Dell, I have been designing solutions for part of this huge initiative. Then I propose to my other technical colleagues and managers a way to integrate the customer needs with this brilliant Microsoft tool.

Conceptually SharePoint has been chosen as platform due to its collaborative and reusable components. Amongst other things that I am used to say about SharePoint: A Website became a collection object rather than relational Databases and several layers you have to build up in every new project. I also did that a lot.

And because of my experience working with different platforms and tools I was able to choose what suits me the most. For the last 4-5 years, Microsoft SharePoint. How deliverable, friendly, complete, scalable and integrated a solution can be when using SharePoint.

But to be a specialist on that, the tool itself requires many others skills. And then my developer roots led me to choose what I judge the best: The .Net Framework. Nothing could be greater to work along SharePoint. Plus more than 10 years in SQL Server, this is my portfolio.

And as everybody knows, nobody knows everything about IT. Almost as fast as light, it grows. Like Doctors and Lawyers, I will be forever and pleasantly studying whilst working and if I have the opportunity to improve a bit, I am on the right place now. I can combine the need of keep learning, I can be in touch with Internet professionals other than my buddies at work, I will fill in my lack of knowledge in some pieces and achieve my Master and a professional market requirement.

Here are my thoughts by now but they represent pretty much what I believe.

[lodiwayoflearning]

Concerning IT

By Felipe Lodi

In an open world would be impossible to manufacture and delivery without Information Technology. From the very beginning, when the first commercial transactions started some kind of technology has been used.

The slaves were used to carry on food and other products for days and kilometers until the destination. When someone realized that it could be made “faster” and “better”, the humanity made the ships. “During the 18th century, the ships were bigger and the journeys took around 30 days”. (The Slave Trade, n.d.)

But something was missing to lift the goodies on board. It had to be assembled as well. Parts of ships and lifts were boarded and transported by ships and lifts again.

Technology is created and improved by this web of efforts allied to strategy that defines, based on recent experiences, which method is the better.

However, this improvement cannot be achieved without information that documents and spreads the word about operational procedures (how to do it) and strategy once again (who is going to do it and when).

Based on that, companies around the world rule their strategies always considering the factor IT or even ICT in which communications became essential to “ship” the information as an analogy to the old vessels that shipped messages between worlds.

Regardless of the segment, IT is present in many different ways. The system the farmer uses harvesting his production probably doesn't use computers but it is still IT related given that the tractor was assembled using technology as well its production will be packed using other kind of technology.

Libraries and books, great source of information are changing to be adapted to IT. “Information technology has influenced the very nature of business and management libraries”. (Kanamadi & Kumbar, 2007)

And all this Technology is being sold, improved, used and reused.

Information Technology is a considerable resource as much important as people. “The complexity of IT projects is escalating due to increased and more intense interdependencies between individuals, organizations, and technology”. (Jacucci et al., n.d.)

Then the best choice for service suppliers and equipments is the key for accurate results and brings the company to a good position on the global market.

It is been proved that since ancient times, several technologies were used to transform the world. But rather than keep using the same old procedures and tools, we were hungry for innovations that were used, reused and improved as an important factor on being the best amongst countries, people organizations and companies.

The way the companies make their decisions concerning IT is the way they will operate and be organized. This infinite combination of choices, errors and successes, people and machine, slower or faster will make the difference.

The results of this vital concurrence we just have to look everywhere.

REFERENCES LIST

Jacucci, E., Hanseth, O. & Lyytinen, K., n.d. Special issue of Information Technology and People on Complexity and IT design and evolution. [Online] Available at: http://www.itandpeople.org/complexityspecialissue.htm [Accessed 6 July 2010].

Kanamadi, D.S. & Kumbar, D.B.D., 2007. Impact of Information Technology Innovations on Resources and Services of Management Institute Libraries in Mumbai: A Librarians’ Approach. [Online] (8.1) Available at: http://southernlibrarianship.icaap.org/content/v08n01/kanamadi_s01.htm [Accessed 6 July 2010].

The Slave Trade, n.d. Conditions on Slave Ships. [Online] Available at: http://4thebest4e.tripod.com/id15.html [Accessed 6 July 2010].

[lodiwayoflearning]

20 Hive: My position in 10 years

By Felipe Lodi

There is an internal term commonly used among SharePoint professionals: The Hive folder. This is the place where all server files are placed and each new version earns a number. In ten years, probably this will be the sequence to be used.

In 2020, SharePoint professionals will accumulate their hands-on jobs with their projects management roles. Voice commands will create the 3D Cabinets once called Libraries, Folders and Directories. Ordinary files are no longer printed due to the restrictions of paper usage and big plasma walls will virtually show the repositories of files.

Internet III has arrived and SharePoint Websites will be called as Virtual Rooms. Once they enter into these places, they are authenticated by iris checking or it will be enough if they just say their names. There are no keyboards or pointers anymore. The rooms are something evolved from Microsoft Surface and Silverlight. Both technologies are integrated natively.

During the analysis time, the room is totally empty but they can see the customer representation, something similar to the actual video conferences. The environments are created in the same time the talking happens. Hours later when finished, since the customer has the same platform on the other side, they just have to say: “Transfer Environment”.

The Project Manager is the Analyst, the Analyst is the Architect, the Architect is the DBA and the DBA is the Developer. And apart of the big technology improvement, IT professionals have to be specialists in several areas to be able to understand customer needs and turn these into reality, or virtual reality.

To be a SharePoint Professional, very young they will have their potentials identified. DNA tests will replace vocational tests and these intended professionals will be put into training where they still have to understand how everything has happened, from the first PCs until the Virtual Rooms. Since they still have to deal with documents as information unit, understand past needs will help these people to deliver better and faster.

Accessibility is something integrated to the environments as during their training they have their sight disabled as well locomotion and talking.

Searching components were used to be very powerful on the first versions. Not differently currently voice commands can seek content within videos, images and audios. Many documents were replaced by multimedia files as example of video content auto-generated during meeting minutes.

And SharePoint can deal very well with all this kind of data. Part of Microsoft Operating Systems, in 2020 SharePoint has become the most powerful tool for companies, small offices and home.

For all these reasons then, the Professionals aimed to manipulate such thing, have to be complete.