Category Archives: Integration
Running pdnsd with split dns, bind and windows dns for your internal network
As a follow up to my last post on installing and configuring a sample pdnsd setup for cache only dns server, I wanted to share the context I made my setup in.
In our scenario we have a windows AD environment supporting all windows workstations and domain authentication. We also have a bind dns server on the side where we update all other local dns server entry for various servers.
We have placed couple of pdnsd server to process all dns requests from the local network
All dns requests are served by pdnsd server, while pdnsd server forwards appropriate requests to appropriate server and cache the data as per the systems configuration.
pdnsd Server: 192.168.XXX.99 Active directory dns1: 192.168.XXX.X1 Active directory dns2: 192.168.XXX.X2 Bind dns: active directory dns1: 192.168.XXX.X2
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Howto pdnsd on redhat/centos from Source
What is pdnsd
pdnsd is a cache only name server can be used independently or alongside your authoritative name server for faster name lookup.
pdnsd does not aim to be a complete name server implementation, such as the BIND. It is optimized for caching, and you can only specify a small subset of all dns record types pdnsd knows in your local “zone” definitions. This of course reduces the code size drastically, and such the memory footprint. There are some features especially interesting for dialin networks, ordinary (non-server) internet hosts and computers that are often not connected to to their network, e.g. notebooks (I originally wrote this program for use with my notebook). These features are:
- permanent disk cache (useful for frequent power-offs/reboots)
- usually smaller memory footprint (depends on cache size) (see next question)
- better control about timeouts (also to prevent hangs)
- better control over the cache
- better run-time control of the cached records
Setting up Web Proxy Autodiscovery Protocol (WPAD) using DNS
In order to use the DNS only method to setup Web Proxy Autodiscovery Protocol (WPAD) you need to check on the following
- To use WPAD using DNS method a DNS entry is needed for a host named WPAD. This name should be resolvable from the clients machine
- Web server must be configured to serve the WPAD file with a MIME type of “application/x-ns-proxy-autoconfig”
- A file named wpad.dat must be located in the WPAD Web server’s root directory.
- The host at the WPAD address must be able to serve a Web page.
- So if you are a member of example.com domain the browser is looking for this url for the PAC file http://wpad.example.com/wpad.dat
Proxy auto configuration for an enterprise network
Proxy servers are commonly used in corporate network. I prefer using squid proxy, probably one of the most robust, feature rich proxy servers out there.
I usually use web proxy servers (squid) for end users are used for the following reason
- Cashing of the web contents and DNS, which helps with Internet bandwidth optimization and Faster website load time
- Access control to internet resources, client bandwidth control
- Assist with content filtering (like SquidGuard)
- Maintaining client access log for security compliance
- Protecting client machines from direct exposure to Internet
Setting up proxy server setting in all client machine can be a time consuming business, if we have to manually configure and maintain each and every browser running on the network. However running a transparent proxy on the gateway is a quick and easy to way ensure all traffic goes through proxy server.
Open Source Hardware! Build your own design you can touch and interact
Open source software was born when software started to become expensive. All you needed was hardware and a complier and a group of people who was willing to share their work for free to the world provided code stays free in its re-distribution. We have come a long way since that first day. Today we all are using open source in some way or others and some using it more than the others.
Interaction with logic using just software and a computer limits our ability to interact and automate within visible 3D graphic and sound. Occasionally the software can recognize your voice and respond.
The birth and mass production of 3D printers changes a lot. It gives us the ability to share and re-produce and build on Open Source Hardware.
This recent ted talk from Arduino shows how much progress we have made in hardware and design innovation using Open Source hardware. This makes me ask why, should Sony or apple lead all design innovation? There is so much we would like to have but just have to wait for the big guys to think it is feasible and can bring billion dollars before they makes a move on it.
Chinese has shown you can just copy hardware and rule the world. We software users have been working so long for software integration and automation. Imagine how much we can accomplish with hardware and design innovation. The next great innovation could be a design innovation with Open Source Hardware.
I am interested in seeing what comes out of open source hardware like Robotics and Renewable energy projects
Massimo Banzi: How Arduino is open-sourcing imagination
Marcin Jakubowski: Open-sourced blueprints for civilization
Source: bog.ted.com ted global 2012
Open-sourcing the blueprints of civilization: Marcin Jakubowski on TED.com
Moodle overview and feature lists 2.2 and 2.3
About Moodle
Moodle (abbreviation for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) is a free source e-learning software platform, also known as a Course Management System, Learning Management System, or Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). As of December 2011 it had a user base of 72,177 registered and verified sites, serving 57,112,669 users in 5.8 million courses
Moodle is used to host online/offline classes. It can also be used in various other aspects of business, besides classroom delivery platform
Example
- Hiring and Interviewing
- Roll-out Products and Services
- Managing Compliance Training
- Competency Tracking
- Create and maintain collaborated knowledge base
- Inter organization discussion forum,
- Web Conferencing
- Running workshop
- Getting employee feedback
Moodles modular design allows hosting various different types of activities and resources.
Moodle supports various different learning delivery formats and can be integrated with platform both in software and application layer.
In this article we shall try to give an overview of the feature and capability list of Moodle. This article can also be used as a reference/list of modules for activities, resources, block design and reports supported by Moodle right out of the box, with a brief description of that module.
Body powered fuel cell to run a chip on your Brain
In the meantime at MIT researchers are testing out a fuel cell that runs on blood sugar (glucose). The fuel cell is fused with a silicon chip. This chip is for your brain. This can eventually be a part of integrated circuits.
Glucose fuel cell idea comes from the 1970s, originally proposed to power the heart pacemaker, an idea never saw the day light as lost to the lithium-ion batteries.
In this fuel cell a platinum catalyst embedded in the chip strips electrons from glucose, mimicking the activity of cellular enzymes. Platinum has a proven record of long-term biocompatibility within the body. The fuel cell can generate up to hundreds of microwatts which is enough to power an ultra-low-power and clinically useful neural implant.
In a matter of years, the technology could be used to power neural implants in the brains of patients with spinal cord injuries. The immediate goal is to help them regain control of limbs which, due to their injuries, they are no longer able to control.
The potentials are enormous can be used as input-output device to interact with the technology world. A step closer to be cyborgs!
related article
http://tektab.com/2012/05/23/the-future-of-computer-human-interface-braingate/
Reference
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120613133150.htm
http://bigthink.com/ideafeed/bodys-own-sugar-could-power-neural-implants
tag: fuel cell, blood sugar, glucose, silicon chip, brain implant, cyborg, MIT, power, spinal cord injuries, brain patients
Moodle changes across major upgrade 1.9 to 2.0 to 2.1 to 2.2 to 2.3
Moodle development has always been active. In recent years the changes has resulted in improved end users and teachers experience. Administration process and interface has also improved a lot.
We see most of the major upgrade from version 1.9 to 2.0. Most of these changes has been improved and refined over time up to 2.2. We continue to observer the same improvement process to continue for the upcoming release of 2.3 with few new features.
New Moodle promises for easier management for teachers, better user experience for student and many performance enhancements and additional integration for administrators. The product looks more promising and stable for large deployment in education and business use.
iPad/iPhone enterprise deployment
iPad/iPhone enterprise deployment
In my opinion a tablet is most useful if used as a consumer (read your mail, news, presentation, view documents etc) as oppose to a content creator. The limiting factor is how much content you might be able to create using an iPad, even one with Bluetooth keyboard. The enterprise standard integration of an iPad is probably derived from the idea of integrating laptop in a business environment. While we run a laptop program which is integrated to the business environment, we look into accessibility, data security, authentication, enterprise application integration and miscellaneous productivity software and tools. Ability to do seamless integration, providing backup and recovery services and technical support is the key to its success. In this blog I shall try to describe how to deploy tablet for enterprises/ educational institutes in a step by step
The future of computer human interface, BrainGate
Computer and human interface will probably be one of the most important areas of development in next few decades. While we work to master our technology to make computers work for us more efficiently, and double processing power every 18month, little we have seen to improve our direct interaction with computers.
What we seen is form factor changes (tablet/smart phone), introduction to motion sensing input (Kinect), use of GPS, accelerometer, google goggle, google glass, etc. In my opinion, we probably took a step back by heavily depending upon touch keyboards moving away from using 10 fingers (QWERTY keyboard) to 2 fingers. Fashion statements have become one of the key driving factors in the market. Most of our attempts to make handwriting recognition popular were never successful.
Our ability to instruct computers directly from our brain will probably be one of the great leap forward. We have the technology in hand. Project BrainGate is one of them.
BrainGate is a brain implant system, currently under development and in clinical trials, designed to help those who have lost control of their limbs, or other bodily functions, such as patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or spinal cord injury. The sensor, which is implanted into the brain, monitors brain activity in the patient and converts the intention of the user into computer commands.
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