Category: Concept & Definition

CollabNet delivers Subversion Edge to ease deployment, administration

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When you think of the cloud, Agile application lifecycle management may not be the first thing that comes to mind. CollabNet is hoping to change that with a beta distribution that combines Subversion, Apache and ViewVC with a web-based management interface.

Dubbed CollabNet Subversion Edge, the graphical user interface (GUI) works to simplify installation, administration, use, and governance of the software stack. It does this with a built-in update mechanism that alerts users when new software components are ready to install. Users can then install those updates directly from the browser.

The idea is to make it faster and easier to deploy Subversion servers by reducing administration time. And the promised end result is cost savings, says CollabNet in Brisbane, Calif. The graphical user interface on the open-source software is central to the promise. The interface aims to eliminate admin errors, make management of employee and external partner development teams more secure, and provide operational analytics.

CollabNet CEO Bill Portelli says the new product fits in with the company’s mission to advance the way in which Agile teams develop software. He went on to say that the company listened to the market and worked closely with global talent on the open source project.

“What’s clear is that Subversion installation, administration, security, and governance have historically been command-line-driven, requiring special expertise and up-to-the-minute knowledge,” Portelli says, adding that CollabNet Subversion Edge is a response to that challenge.

A closer look at Subversion Edge
In an effort to make it easier to deploy Subversion servers, CollabNet Subversion Edge includes a certified bundle of all the software components of a fully functioning, Apache-based Subversion stack. This bundle effectively does away with the need to search the web for software versions that work together. Then there’s the administration console that installs, manages, and updates the entire stack.

Beyond the deployment, the web-based user interface also works to streamline common administrative tasks, like creating and managing Subversion repositories, starting and stopping the Subversion server, and monitoring server health. The software automatically rotates and archives the logs, and an integrated auto-update feature lets users know when compatible updates are available for any of the distribution components.

On the security and governance front, CollabNet Subversion Edge offers web-based, role-based access control to manage all of the software’s administration features. It also lets admins manage internal and external user access to the Subversion repositories to bolster governance.

Free downloads of the beta version are available immediately on the CollabNet site. General availability is expected later this summer.

BriefingsDirect contributor Jennifer LeClaire provided editorial assistance and research on this post. She can be reached at http://www.linkedin.com/in/jleclaire and http://www.jenniferleclaire.com.

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Workforce Management Software Helps Call Centers Save Money

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One way to increase revenues in your inbound call center might be via workforce management software.

For call centers that realize revenue by answering calls (be they catalogues, reservation centers, what have you), workforce management automation can help reduce queue times and improve service, thereby reducing the number of abandoned calls and increasing revenue calls completed.

These call centers can increase revenues by tens of thousands of dollars per year in addition to the cost savings.

And since cost is a prime consideration, you’ll want to look at the SaaS (News – Alert)-based model.

Do be careful, though: “Often vendors who sell on-premise software may offer a hosted model for on-demand options and often misleadingly call it SaaS-based software,” say officials of Monet Software, which offers cloud-based WFM. “However, sometimes it’s simply a hosted client server application on a server at the vendor’s site, providing an application that was not originally designed to be hosted and delivered, with a few changes, over the Web via a single, dedicated server.”

You’ll be able to tell such impostors as they’ll almost always lack multi-tenant architecture and require separate servers and installations for each customer. In the end, Monet officials warn, they’re “much more costly and less scalable, and also usually require support for multiple releases, which is very resource intensive.”

Genuinely useful SaaS workforce management software, however, is a boon to users. A product such as Monet WFM Live uses a new multi-tenant architecture “designed to deliver Web-based applications at the lowest possible cost,” company officials say, focusing on “fast set up, low operating costs through shared services, highest security for Web-based deployment and high performance and scalability through the scaling of computer resources also called ‘elastic cloud computing.'”

This is nicely cost-effective, as it ensures available computing capacity only when you need it, at the lowest possible cost.

With SaaS there’s no large upfront investment for software and hardware either, it’s usually offered via a low monthly subscription fee that includes support, maintenance and upgrades.

And of course with the SaaS provider managing the IT infrastructure, costs are lowered by avoiding IT participation time for hardware and software issues as well as the personnel resources required for IT management. These “hidden costs” for hardware replacements, upgrades, and IT operation resources are typical for other premise-based software.

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Jacksum – a java checksum utility – Introduction and usage

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Jacksum, a java checksum utility

Software Name : Jacksum

Website : http://jacksum.net/en/index.html

Version : 1.7.0

Jacksum is a platform independent checksum utility (written entirely in Java) for computing and verifying (integrity check) checksums, CRC and hashes (fingerprints). It supports 58 popular hash algorithms and a lot of unique features.

The Jacksum is a freeware tool and suitable for more advanced users verify checksum values. It is platform independent software (support Windows and Unix) and supports 58 popular standard algorithms (Adler32, BSD sum, Bzip2’s CRC-32, POSIX cksum, CRC-8, CRC-16, CRC-24, CRC-32 (FCS-32), CRC-64, ELF-32, eMule/eDonkey, FCS-16, GOST R 34.11-94, HAS-160, HAVAL (3/4/5 passes, 128/160/192/224/256 bits), MD2, MD4, MD5, MPEG-2’s CRC-32, RIPEMD-128, RIPEMD-160, RIPEMD-256, RIPEMD-320, SHA-0, SHA-1, SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512, Tiger-128, Tiger-160, Tiger, Tiger2, Tiger Tree Hash, Tiger2 Tree Hash, Unix System V sum, sum8, sum16, sum24, sum32, Whirlpool-0, Whirlpool-1, Whirlpool and xor8).
The Jacksum is written in Java and open source, we can download the source code and try to understand how Jacksum implement the above algorithm.
Use of Jacksum

  • Often time, while we downloading files or software via some secure website, “Checksum” values in MD5 or SHA1 format are provided to protect users from downloading corrupted files or trojan infected files. Unfortunately, many users has no idea how to verify the downloaded file with “Checksum” value, end up in downloading virus or trojan infected files.
  • With Jacksum you can check if a filetransfer was successful. If you download software or huge files, like CD-images (so called iso files) from the internet, often there is a checksum or a hashcode provided. With Jacksum you can calculate such a checksum or hashcode from your local copy. If both checksequences are identical you know that the filetransfer was successful.
  • As Jacksum supports recursively file processing, you can compare two directory trees. Therefore you will be able to verify, if your copies or backups are identical with the original source, even if you don’t have access to both trees at the same time (compare two DVDs with just one drive for example).
  • Jacksum can assist you if you want to perform an unidirectional sync of two directory trees, even if they are on two different computer without a connection in between.
    As Jacksum reads each byte of a file, you can check if all files are still readable on your CD-ROM or DVD.
  • As Jacksum supports a platform independent and compatible file format, it helps you to verify data integrity of burned data on CD-ROMs or DVDs even after many years and even if you will have changed your Operating System.
  • Jacksum can help you to create incremental backups. If you are a developer, Jacksum can help you to create patches for your customers.
  • You can use Jacksum for intrusion detection, because Jacksum can check whether and what files have been changed or deleted on your system. Jacksum can not only check the content of each file you want, but also the file timestamps.
  • Use Jacksum for website content change detection, so get informed if something has changed on your favorite website (can be useful if the website has no announcement-mail-alias).
  • This software is OSI Certified Open Source software
  • It is entirely free software (it runs on free platforms and therefore it is listed also at the Free
  • Software Foundation directory)
  • It is free of charge, it costs nothing
  • It is free of registration (well, I’m happy if you write an e-mail to jonelo@jonelo.de for feedback
  • It never expires
    Requirements:· JRE version 1.3.1 or later

Links:
http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/jaunty/man1/jacksum.1.html
http://linux.softpedia.com/get/Utilities/Jacksum-7175.shtml
http://packages.ubuntu.com/lucid/jacksum
https://jacksum.dev.java.net/
http://www.jonelo.de/java/jacksum/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/jacksum/

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Introduction of RFT(Rational Functional Testing)

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Introduction of RFT(Rational Functional Testing)

Functional Tester is available in two integrated development environments and two scripting languages.
Functional Tester, Java™ Scripting uses the Java language and the IBM® Rational® Software Delivery Platform.
Functional Tester, VB.NET Scripting uses the VB.NET language and the Microsoft® Visual Studio .NET development environment.
Use Functional Tester to:

  • Perform full functional testing. Record and play back scripts that navigate through your application and test the state of objects through verification points.
  • Create and edit simple and easy-to-read, object-oriented test scripts. In addition to automatically recording test scripts, Functional Tester contains wizards for generating code, for example, for automatically creating a verification point. Functional Tester’s test scripts are implemented in your choice of Java or VB.NET.

Object Based Testing
The object-oriented recording technology in Functional Tester lets you generate scripts quickly by recording applications against the application-under-test. Functional Tester uses object-oriented technology to identify objects by their internal object properties, not by screen coordinates. If the location or text of an object changes, Functional Tester can still find it on playback.
The object testing technology in Functional Tester enables you to test any object in the application-under-test, including the object’s properties and data. You can test objects in Java, VB.NET, Windows®, and Web-based applications, whether they are visible or hidden in the interface.
When you record a script, Functional Tester automatically creates a test object map for the application-under-test. The Functional Tester test object map lists the test objects available in the application, whether they are currently displayed or not. You can also create a new test object map, either by pasing it on an existing map or by adding objects as required. The object map provides a quick way to add objects to a script. Since the test object map contains recognition properties for each object, you can easily update the recognition information in one central location. Any scripts that use this test object map also share the updated information.

Verification points
During recording you can insert verification points into the script to confirm the state of an object across builds of the application-under-test. The verification point captures object information (based on the type of verification point) and stores it in a baseline data file. The information in this file becomes the baseline of the expected state of the object during subsequent builds. Functional Tester has an object properties verification point and five data verification points (menu hierarchy, table, text, tree hierarchy, and list). You can use the Verification Point Comparator to analyze differences across builds and update the baseline file.

Platform-independent
Functional Tester features platform-independent and browser-independent test playback. For example, you can record a script on Windows and play it back on Linux®. You can record a script using Firefox, Mozilla, Internet Explorer or Netscape. Because the script contains no references to the browser used during recording, you can play back the script using any of the supported versions of Firefox, Mozilla, Internet Explorer or Netscape.

Integrated with Rational TestManager
Functional Tester is integrated with Rational TestManager, which enables you to record and play back a Functional Tester script from TestManager and make use of TestManager features, such as the Log. If you have TestManager installed, you can use these integrated features. See Understanding Functional Tester integrations for information.

Integrated with Rational ClearQuest
Functional Tester is also integrated with Rational ClearQuest® Test Manager, which enables you to play back a functional test script from ClearQuest TestManager, generate logs, and track defects. If you have ClearQuest Test Manager installed, you can use these integrated features.

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Software versioning – What is Build Versioning?

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Version:  It is a set of code to which major/minor or a Patch of changes is made. Hence we say a build is released to the QA team for testing. Version is normally the Proper number given for the final package after fixing all issues. Normally in most Cases both numbers, version & build are given in order to release a product.

For example, if you see MSN Messenger About box the version
number is given as:

Skype Version: 3.8.0.139

Now if you check the Version number there are 4 different head for this release. Starting from left 3.8.0 is the main version number, and .139 is the Build number which is linked with Version number.

Build:  It is a set of code in executables to which changes are made which is mile stone, Release candidate or general availability based. Build is a complete setup package which is developed

For Internal use, mostly for QA Purposes, if there are issues then they are fixed and new Build number is given to package.

The resource version number is a structure of two double word values, the Most Significant Value (MSV) and the Least Significant Value (LSV). Each value is broken into two parts, the high word and the low word. In a resource script, this is represented by something like “FILEVERSION 1,0,0,1” or “PRODUCTVERSION 1,0,0,1”.   The “1,0” is the high word/low word of the MSV. The “0,1” is the high word/low word of the LSV. There is also a string representation of the versions in the StringFileInfo block.

Version Number to the Build will be Application Packaging team or the Team in charge of Releasing in most of the situations; sometimes it was also done by the Development Team.

Version number is incremented by one number for each and every release. At the start of the application goes to testing it will start with the version number 1.0. For each and every release, it will be incremented by one.
This is done in the SDLC which follows iterative method. The increment is to indicate that the scheduled changes are done to the system in one version and it is tested, and simultaneously the changes are done to the system in the forthcoming builds and subsequently tested.

The version is not necessarily to be incremented by one number, sometimes it is also incremented in the points, this will happen in the case of Defects found in the current build or testing activity abandoned due to application not stable.

Version number is one of the important things in build release as it keeps track of all changes in the code.

Process:
Once the Dev team develops a build, this is sent to the configuration management team. They maintain a document, of version, the change, module, release details etc. This detail of build is stored in server and viewable by all. So that whenever there is a issue, it is enough if we have a look at the history and pull out that particular version and deliver.

Why do we need?
•    To revert back to old working condition Executables
•    To Maintain the Bug fixes and Enhancement Record with particular label
•    To Keep Track of major/minor or a Patch of changes is made.
•    To have the Process of Achieving Milestone Achieved
•    To have Better Transition between QA, Dev and Release Team
•    To Make the  Build and release process Smooth with milestone achieved.

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Perforce Basic Concepts | Perforce Overview | What is Perforce ?

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Perforce Basic

connects to a Perforce server to move files between Perforce depots and yourworkspace, as shown below. 

The precise definitions for these Perforce terms are as follows:• depot: a file repository on the Perforce server. It contains all existing versions of all files ever submitted to the server. There can be multiple depots on a single server. Theexamples in this guide show a single depot.• server: the program that executes the commands sent by client programs, maintains depot files, and tracks the state of workspaces.• workspace: folders on the client computer where you work on revisions of files that are managed by Perforce.

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Introduction of p4win | p4win Overview | What is p4win?

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P4Win is a Windows-Explorer-style program that helps you manage files that are stored in the Perforce software configuration management system. Using P4Win, you can view files, check them in and out, compare them, and handle conflicts that arise in team development settings. P4Win is highly configurable, and you can add custom tools to the P4Win menu to perform specialized tasks.This guide helps you get started with P4Win, and tells you how to perform the basic tasks you’re likely to want to do on the first day you start working with P4Win. For details about using P4Win, refer to its online help system: from the P4Win Help menu, choose the Help Topics menu item, or press the F1 key.

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