Software Configuration Management Essay Example

Software Configuration Management Essay In this world of rapidly changing technology, it has become a need for IT companies to have people working in parallel on Software projects across different geographical locations. Under these circumstances, using Software Configuration Management tools to keep track of all the changes in the code is the need of the times. This essay outlines the definition and primary characteristics of a Software Configuration Management system, and its role in any organization. It also explains the SCM Technology used by IBM ClearCase as an example of how SCM tools actually work.Full Text (907 words)In this era of rapid advancements in the world of Software Technology, there are Software developers working together on the same project across continents and geographical locations due to the evolution of the Global Delivery Model.   Projects now involve global teams working in parallel and modifying the same code base from different locations at the same time .Under these circumstances, the absenc e of a version control system would have caused the most unimaginable catastrophes. In the event of two programmers made changes to the same part of the code simultaneously, changes made by the second developer could undo or break the changes by the former, affecting the project dramatically. Tested features would disappear mysteriously, and the entire development could be marred by many such crippling and frustrating problems.To circumvent these problems however, all IT companies use a Software Configuration Management tool to keep track of all the changes in the code. According to the definition of SCM, â€Å"Configuration management is the discipline of developing uniform descriptions of a complex product at discrete points in its lifecycle with a view to controlling systematically the manner in which the product evolves.†Ã‚   (K.Narayanaswamy and W. Scacchi, Maintaining configurations of evolving software systems, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering March 1987, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 323-334.)   As the definition clearly explains, Software Configuration Management keeps a track of all the changes made to all components, recording the way they contribute to every release. It is a boon for parallel development, and also for the growth of sub projects within a project..SCM tools primarily create a different version of the entire system for every user, and isolate the changes made by a developer from the rest of the code until the differences are resolved. The code is merged to the main label only after all conflicting merge points are taken care of, and it is ensured that the present changes will not have any undesired adverse effect on any other part of the code. They keep a track of the history of the source code, isolate files relevant to a particular task and reproduce the past releases. This is essential because software development goes through evolutionary phases. Initially after it’s release to the customer, there come in the defect fixing and enhancement requests for the next release. Hence if a bug is found at any point, it needs to be fixed in all the older versions also. For this we need to keep an exact snapshot of the previous versions which is done by SCM tools. These tools control the entire software and the release. They also provide security by having an authentication mechanism to validate the user before granting access the code repository.The kind of SCM tools used depends on the company’s requirements and the compatibility of the SCM tool with its code base. There are may SCM tools available in the market, like ClearCase , Microsoft Visual Souce Safe, CVS, RCS, PVCS and Synergy to name a few. Out of them, probably the most widely used and acclaimed is IBM’s Clearcase Version control system.   The ClearCase Version control system supports parallel development and inbuilt Build Management. Its strategy works equally well for LAN based or geographically distributed development environ ments. ClearCase has an inbuilt utility called â€Å"Multisite† which is used to create a copy of an entire repository across geographical locations. In this case, apart from support for parallel development, there is also a periodic sync up to keep the changes up to date across locations You could also call this WAN based ClearCase support. The various components of the ClearCase version management system are:-Version Object Base:The ClearCase system creates a Version Object Base (VOB) which is read-only repository storing information about the directories and files under its control. This is also a globally accessible database which requires proper authentication to access it. It keeps a record and reports actions, and its history records provide reproducibility and traceability. It has powerful concepts of branching and merging, which are extremely useful for parallel development.View:In the ClearCase system, every user has a private workspace, which is derived from a part icular set of rules defined in his/her configuration specification. This private workspace is called a view. Every view has a private data storage, and is isolated from the activities in other views.   All views have access to the VOB, and the access to the versions transparently and automatically.Metadata:The data which is related to VOB objects, but distinct from the contents of these objects is called Metadata. It consists of Event records created whenever any change is made to the VOB object. It keeps track of who modifies what data when and where in the VOBs. This is done by permanently stored and logically assessed information related to a particular object. Metadata also comprises of Labels and Branches. Labels are user defined tags used to identify files and directories. Branches are also tags, but they are used for parallel development and can be merged back to the main stream using the merge utility.By default, all files in ClearCase are read-only and you would need to c heck-out the files to make any modifications in them.   Once the changes are made, the files are checked in and integrated with the VOB. In Windows operating system, ClearCase gets automatically integrated with Internet Explorer so the VOBS can be viewed just like any other directory.

Aids Related Stigma Essays - HIVAIDS, Health, Discrimination

Aids Related Stigma Essays - HIVAIDS, Health, Discrimination Aids Related Stigma Introduction Since the appearance of AIDS in the late seventies and early eighties, the disease has had attached to it a significant social stigma. This stigma has manifested itself in the form of discrimination, avoidance and fear of people living with AIDS (PLWAs). As a result, the social implications of the disease has been extended from those of other life threatening conditions to the point at which PLWAs are not only faced with a terminal illness but also social isolation and constant discrimination throughout society. Various explanations have been suggested as to the underlying causes of this stigmatization. Many studies point to the relationship the disease has with deviant behaviour. Others suggest that fear of contagion is the actual culprit. Examining the existing literature and putting it into societal context leads one to believe that there is no one cause. Instead, there would appear to be a collection of associated factors that influence societys attitudes towards AIDS and PLWAs. As the number of people infected with HIV increases, social workers are and will be increasingly called upon to deal with and serve PWAs. Although not all social workers chose to work with PLWAs, the escalating incidence of HIV infection is creating a situation in which seropositive people are and will be showing up more often in almost all areas of social work practice. This paper aims to examine AIDS related stigma and the stigmatization process, hopefully providing insights into countering the effects of stigma and perhaps the possibility of destigmatization. This is of particular pertinence to the field of social work due to our growing involvement with the HIV positive population. Association to Deviant/Marginal Behavior One of the most clearly and often identified causes of AIDS related stigma is its association to deviant behaviour. The disease has had and still does have a strong association for many to homosexuality, IV drug use, sexual promiscuity and other liberations of sexual practice (OHare, et al., 1996; Canadian Associacion of Social Workers, 1990; Quam, 1990 & Beauger, 1989). An especially strong association exists between homosexuality and AIDS. This is largely due to the fact that, in the early years of the disease, it was far more prevalent within the gay community and almost non-existent outside of it. In fact, until 1982 the disease was referred to as GRID or Gay Related Immune Deficiency. Even today, AIDS is often referred to as the gay plague (Giblin, 1995). Even though AIDS is now far less prevalent in the homosexual community and increasingly more outside of it, this link still remains strong for many. Along with the historical context of AIDS, the media is partly to blame for this not so accurate association. The Canadian Association of Social Workers (1990) reports that, often the media has not distinguished between gay and AIDS, so that public understanding of homosexuality and AIDS has become enmeshed (p.10). In recent years, the media has started to make more accurate distinctions between homosexuality and AIDS, but messages are still mixed and often ambiguous. The situation is quite similar in regard to IV drug use, prostitution, and other activities commonly associated with AIDS. This focus that the media has put on marginalized groups incorrectly places emphasis on high risk groups rather than high risk activities. As a result, the word AIDS alone conjures, for many, images of those who deviate from what society deems to be normal behaviour. Already Stigmatized Groups Many of the groups to which AIDS is associated have long histories of stigmatization before the appearance of AIDS. Homosexuals, in western culture, have almost always suffered the effects of being a stigmatized population. The same is true of prostitutes, IV drug users, and people of color (OHare, et al., 1996; Giblin, 1995 & CASW, 1990). It is significant to mention colored populations, as the parts of the world that are most severely effected by AIDS, such as countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia, and Haiti, are mostly populated by races other than Caucasian. As a result, a strong association has been also been made between AIDS and people of color (Quam, 1990). The fact that AIDS is associated with already stigmatized groups has two principal effects. First and most obvious, is that societys negative attitudes towards the group in question are transferred to AIDS and PLWAs. Second, is an amplification of the existing negative feelings that society holds towards the groups associated with the disease (CASW, 1990). As a result, homosexuals, prostitutes, colored people and other groups associated to HIV infection

Using Tan and Tanto in Spanish Comparisons of Equality

Using 'Tan' and 'Tanto' in Spanish Comparisons of Equality Probably the most common way that Spanish uses to indicate that two people or things are equally a certain way is to use the phrase tan ... como where the ellipsis (three periods) is replaced by an adjective. The phrase is the equivalent of the English phrase as ... as. Examples Diego es tan alto como Pedro. (James is as tall as Peter.)Eres tan inteligente como cualquier hombre. (You are as intelligent as any man.)Cervantes es tan conocido como Shakespeare. (Cervantes is as well known as Shakespeare.)No estoy tan feliz como me gustarà ­a. (I am not as happy as I would like to be.) Such comparisons are known as comparisons of equality. Note how they are both similar to and different than  expressions of inequality, such as Diego es ms alto que Pedro (James is taller than Peter). Comparisons of equality using tan are similar when adverbs are used to indicate the way in which things are done: La cerveza puede afectarle tan rpidamente como el vino. (Beer can affect you as quickly as wine.)Las infopistas transformarn nuestra cultura tan poderosamente como la imprenta de Gutenberg transformà ³ los tiempos medievales. (The information highway will transform our culture as powerfully as Gutenbergs printing press transformed medieval times.) A similar sentence structure is used when a noun is used in the comparison. In such cases, however, a form of tanto, an adjective, is used, and it must agree in number and gender with the noun referred to. (Tan is an adverb.) A few examples: El paà ­s exporta tantos dà ³lares como importa. (The country exports as many dollars as it imports.)La experiencia tiene tanta importancia como el conocimiento de libros. (Experience has as much importance as book knowledge.)Nada tiene tanto à ©xito como à ©l. (Nobody has as much success as he.)No tengo tantas preguntas como antes. (I dont have as many questions as before.) The similar construction of tanto como can also be used to mean as much as. Note that this form of tanto is an invariable adverb; it doesnt change form to agree with words around it: Nadie habà ­a hecho tanto como mi padre. (No one has done as much as my father.)Dormir poco disminuye el rendimiento tanto como el alcohol. (Lack of sleep reduces performance as much as alcohol.)Tienen un lado bueno tanto como uno malo. (They have a good side as much as a bad side.)

What impact does nurses have on obtaining their own accu check versus Research Paper

What impact does nurses have on obtaining their own accu check versus nursing assistants on the timely delivery of insulin therapy to patients - Research Paper Example Nurses should be in the fore front in enhancing diabetes control mechanisms. Bearing in mind that some patients may be too old to use the advanced technology in trying to curb the disease, nurses come in handy in ensuring the patients are taken care of (Farmer et al., 2007). Nurses may be involved in teaching patients how to handle the monitoring devices. To avoid patients having further complications from the disease due to lack of proper insulin therapy, nurses and nurses assistants should make sure they oversee the insulin therapy process. They should ensure patients are assisted wherever possible and that they (patients) get their dosage in time. Patients benefit from nurses who undertake their own accu check as the results are received in less time. The accu check gets results in the least time possible and nurses have the privilege of administering relevant dosage to patients as they require. This has led the nurses to get accurate information of a patient’s diabetic state, from where nurses can give the right medication to the patient. This trend of nursing obtaining their own accu check has made patients feel more confident about the treatment they get as they know the results are highly reliable. Some stakeholders involved in this sector are: patients, nurses, the medical agencies. Diabetes has been of a major concern thus, necessitating the unveiling of new methods to deal with the challenges it brings. Patients are directly affected by the disease and any invention towards their treatment affects them directly. Accu checks are meant to assist the patients undertake their glucose tests in real time. The results for accu check are efficient thus promoting efficient medication towards controlling the effects of diabetes. When nurses undertake their own accu check, efficiency can be easily achieved as a patient may be confident of getting the right treatment. Patients

Political Obligation Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Political Obligation - Thesis Example The basic thesis is that obeying the law enables people to be more free within their actions than not. Rousseau's The Social Contract was a highly influential treatise on hos a society based upon laws should work, and why it does actually work. It is a firm foundation for why people should obey the law. Within this work Rousseau suggests that the individual person gives up certain freedoms in return for the protection of society as regards much larger freedoms. For example, most people try to obey traffic laws such as stopping at a red light. This might be seen as a curtailment of their freedom to drive their car wherever they want whenever they want, but obeying red light laws preserves a much greater freedom: that of surviving your journey. Thus the individual gives up a small right in return for a much greater one. The "contract" that thus ensues between the individual and society is one that is "social" in nature. The individual agrees to obey the laws and the State, in the form of the government, police force, justice system etc. agrees to provide an environment in which people are as safe as possible and free to go about their own business. The social contract can also be understood by a consideration of those societies in which it is not present. Thus in times of anarchy, such as a civil war, individuals are free to "do" virtually whatever they want as law and order has broken down. Does this imply more freedom In a theoretical sense perhaps, but the reality of the situation is that most people are afraid for their lives much of the time. The law of the jungle is no law at all. Does this imply that the modern society, as exemplified by advanced Western countries, with sophisticated justice systems and capitalist economic paradigms are totally favorable One giant of philosophy, Karl Marx, would suggest not. Karl Marx suggested that laws were generally a codified means by which one class (the ruling) keeps everyone else (ie. you and me) in check. Marxists in general recognize that for society to function efficiently, there needs to be social order. However, they believed that in all societies except the Communist one, laws were designed to be of advantage to the wealthy. Thus the famous Marxist dictum that "property is theft". It is interesting to note that even for Marx laws were necessary, as was public obedience to them. It was the nature of those laws that Marx disagreed with, not the fact that they should exist at all. One reason the individual may find for obeying the law is the tendency for "labeling" to occur within society.Labeling theory suggests that the labels we give to individuals effects how they eventually act. Thus if a person comes from a gender or racial group that is perceived to be criminal, then they are more likely to act in a criminal way. The converse is also true - if you come from a supposedly law-abiding group - within American society, white upper class would be an example, then you are less likely to become a criminal. Having a system of theoretically objective laws in place stops such stereotyping as much as is possible. If people obey those laws then labeling is much likely to occur. For example, this author was once stopped in bookstore for acting in a supposedly suspicious manner. While I did not fit the classic profile of a "criminal", I was acting as one in the eyes of store security and so was stopped and eventually searched. In my situation I was labeled as a

Sport Psychology :: essays research papers

A Summary of: The Psychosocial Characteristics of Olympic Track and Field Athletes Fortunately, it was quite a simple task to find a research topic related to the material that we have covered so far in sport psychology. After some quick searching, we ran across a rather interesting article written in the International Journal of Sport Psychology that could obviously be useful. Conveniently, it was in the most recent issue of this particular journal available in the Evansdale Library. Entitled, Psychosocial Characteristics of Olympic Track and Field Athletes, this article happened to be one that we could easily relate too. Because both of us are runners, we share a definite commonality with the subjects of the study. This is true, even though neither of us will actually make it to the Olympics to perform at the subjects' standards. At least, though, it is possible to relate highly to these interesting people. Basically, the purpose of this particular study was to identify the specific personality characteristics of 15 Olympic caliber track and field athletes. Certainly, several people, especially sport psychologists, would like to know if there are specific attitudes and personalities that belong to the topnotch athletes of the world. Pretty simple request, right? Or at least it sounds that way. To perform this experiment, each of the athletes was asked six standardized questions. For instance, one of the questions focused directly on the subject of â€Å"How do you prepare for a competition.† The athletes’ responses to these questions were recorded word for word and analyzed for content. Interestingly enough, typical themes could be found throughout their responses. For example, some of the athletes would mention that a higher power was some how related to everything that they have done. The people performing this study would relate this to the category of spiritual/ religious factors. Also, a couple of the runners claimed that their lives were completely based on the theme of mental skills and attitudes such as hard work and perseverance. It was very easy to notice that these themes appeared time after time, for each question answered by the same person. The researchers concluded that these emerging themes play an important role in the psychological development of each athlete. While it isn’t a direct correlation, the work these researchers have done could be somewhat related to developments in psychological skills training.

Relaxation Destination

My day usually consists of doing homework in the morning, going to class at noon, then going to work after class. I go to class for two hours a day Monday through Friday, and work six hours a day seven days a week. A short drive to my lake house in Keystone, Florida is all it takes for me to get away. My lake house is my relaxation destination for when I need to get away from my everyday life. It only takes forty-five minutes for me to get there when driving a brisk sixty miles an hour.Just before I arrive at my lake house, I can catch a glimpse of the cobalt lake water shimmering in the sun, and begin to smell wood burning in the air. From this point on it feels as if time is standing still. When I get out of my truck, the smell of sweet bar-b-que ribs and wild flowers awaken my senses to the great outdoors. Just one look at my lake house and I am relaxed. The siding on my lake house is made of solid rough cut cedar panels. My lake house has two screened in porches; the one on the b ack of the house is used for entertaining and cooking.The second porch is on the front of the house. This is where we unwind in the hot tub, watch TV, enjoy exuberant sunsets, and listen to the melody of nature. Our porches are where I usually hangout and spend most of my time when I visit the lake house. The inside of my lake house is vividly rustic, with attractive antiques scattered throughout it. My lake house has two bedrooms, one bath, and is approximately fifteen hundred square feet. The yellow pine hard wood floors throughout the house give it a rustic feeling. All the walls in the house are painted pistachio with yellow pine trim.When I walk in the house the smell of home cooking makes my mouth water. The living room has an old cast-iron wood burning stove that comes in handy on chilly winter nights: I love to cuddle by it, and roast marshmallows with it. The living room, also called the family room is where we play board games, watch movies, and tell stories in the winter. The kitchen has Carmel colored granite counter tops and dark cherry cabinets with stainless steel handles. When I am at the lake house, it is always as peaceful as the night before Christmas that is why it is my most favorite place to go when I need to get away.