Search Results

Search found 22625 results on 905 pages for 'must do better'.

Page 183/905 | < Previous Page | 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190  | Next Page >

  • Mobile HCM: It’s not the future, it is right now

    - by Natalia Rachelson
    Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii- mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi- mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} A guest post by Steve Boese, Director Product Strategy, Oracle I’ll bet you reached for your iPhone or Android or BlackBerry and took a quick look at email or Facebook or last night’s text messages before you even got out of bed this morning. Come on, admit it, it’s ok, you are among friends here. See, feel better now? But seriously, the incredible growth and near-ubiquity of increasingly powerful, capable, and for many of us, essential in our daily lives mobile devices has profoundly changed the way we communicate, consume information, socialize, and more and more, conduct business and get our work done. And if you doubt that profound change has happened, just think for a moment about the last time you misplaced your iPhone.  The shivers, the cold sweats, the panic... We have all been there. And indeed your personal experiences with mobile technology echoes throughout the world - here are a few data points to consider: Market research firm IDC estimates 1.8 billion mobile phones will be shipped in 2012. A recent Pew study reports 46% of Americans own a smartphone of some kind. And finally in the USA, ownership of tablets like the iPad has doubled from 10% to 19% in the last year. So truly for the Human Resources leader, the question is no longer, ‘Should HR explore ways to exploit mobile devices and their always-on nature to better support and empower the modern workforce?’, but rather ‘How can HR best take advantage of smartphone and tablet capability to provide information, enable transactions, and enhance decision making?’. Because even though moving HCM applications to mobile devices seems inherently logical given today’s fast-moving and mobile workforces, and its promise to deliver incredible value to the organization, HR leaders also have to consider many factors before devising their Mobile HCM strategy and embarking on mobile HR technology projects. Here are just some of the important considerations for HR leaders as you build your strategies and evaluate mobile HCM solutions: Does your organization provide mobile devices to the workforce today, and if so, will the current set of deployed devices have the necessary capability and ecosystems to support your mobile HCM initiatives? Will you allow workers to use or bring their own mobile devices, (commonly abbreviated as ‘BYOD’), and if so are your IT and Security organizations in agreement and capable of supporting that strategy? Do you know which workers need access to mobile HCM applications? Often mobile HCM capability flows down in an organization, with executives and other ‘road-warrior’ types having the most immediate needs, followed by field sales staff, project managers, and even potential job candidates. But just as an organization will have to spend time understanding ‘who’ should have access to mobile HCM technology, the ‘what’ of the way the solutions should be deployed to these groups will also vary. What works and makes sense for the executive, (company-wide dashboards and analytics on an iPad), might not be as relevant for a retail store manager, (employee schedules, location-level sales and inventory data, transaction approvals, etc.). With Oracle Fusion HCM, we are taking an approach to mobile HR that encompasses not just the mobile solution needs for the various types of worker, but also incorporates the fundamental attributes of great mobile applications - the ability to support end-to-end transactions, apps that respond with lightning-fast speed, with functions that are embedded in a worker’s daily activities, and features that can be mashed-up easily with other business areas like Finance and CRM. Finally, and perhaps most importantly for the Oracle Fusion HCM team, delivering mobile experiences that truly enhance, enable, and empower the mobile workforce, and deliver on the design mantras of the best-in-class consumer applications, continues to shape and drive design decisions. Mobile is no longer the future, it is right now, and the cutting-edge HR leader of today will need to consider how mobile fits her HCM technology strategy from here on out. You can learn more about our ideas and plans for Oracle Fusion HCM mobile solutions at https://fusiontap.oracle.com/.

    Read the article

  • How to eliminate screen jitter in Flash game?

    - by Huang F. Lei
    We made a flash game with a big screen size(1000x600), and the terrain graphic will jitter while the screen scrolling(that's, camera moving with player) continuously. What's the root cause? Or if you know how to eliminate this problem, please tell me. Any help is appreciated. UPDATE: The map's size is more bigger than screen, e.g 6000x1200. And the map has more than one layer, generally it has 3 layers. Terrain is composed by tiles. And FPS is 24. If the FPS is set to 60, things will be better. But any way, it should work well at 24 FPS. I'm not sure if it is a natural problem of flash player, because some times a terrain object(e.g a house) look like a little bit distorted.

    Read the article

  • Dropbox’s Great Space Race Delivers Additional Space to Students

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    If you’re a student or faculty member (or still have an active .edu email account) now’s the time to cash in on some free cloud storage courtesy of Dropbox’s Great Space Race. Just by linking your .edu address with your Dropbox account you’ll get an extra 3GB of storage for the next two years. The more people from your school that sign up, the higher the total climbs–up to an extra 25GB for two years. The Space Race lasts for the next eight weeks, you can read more about the details here or just jump to the signup page at the link below. The Great Space Race [Dropbox] Why Enabling “Do Not Track” Doesn’t Stop You From Being Tracked HTG Explains: What is the Windows Page File and Should You Disable It? How To Get a Better Wireless Signal and Reduce Wireless Network Interference

    Read the article

  • Initial review of Developer's Guide to Collections in Microsoft® .NET

    - by TATWORTH
    The code is well illustrated by diagrams. The approach is practical. The code is well commented, however the C# code samples would be better had they been fully Style Cop compliant. I am looking forward to reviewing the rest of this excellent book. I recommend this book to all C# and VB.NET Development teams. I concur with the author who states that the book is not for learning C# or VB.NET. It is an excellent book for C# or VB.NET developers to extend their knowledge of the Dot Net framework. To buy a copy, please go to http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0790145317193.do

    Read the article

  • Flash/Flex/Air and iOS

    - by David Archer
    I'm just a little confused with all of the news recently regarding the cancellation of mobile flash, so was hoping for a little help. I've had a search through and can't find the answers to these questions, so any help would be great. First up, I'm looking to create a game in Flash first, to test whether the concept works as a fun game (on Newgrounds/Kongregate/Facebook etc.). Would it be best to use Flash CS5.5, or Flash Builder? Secondly, with mobile flash now being discontinued by Adobe, could I still port this game over to iOS through the Flash platform, or would it be better at that point to re-write the whole game using Objective C? (NOTE: I'm not an Objective C developer, but am instead a Javascript and Actionscript dev). Any help would be great. Thanks!

    Read the article

  • Oracle President Mark Hurd Highlights How Data-driven HR Decisions Help Maximize Business Performance

    - by Scott Ewart
    HR Intelligence Can Help Companies Win the Race for Talent Today during a keynote at Taleo World 2012, Oracle President Mark Hurd outlined the ways that executives can use HR intelligence to help them make better business decisions, shape the future of their organizations and improve the bottom line. He highlighted that talent management is one of the top three focus areas for CEOs, and explained how HR intelligence can help drive decisions to meet business objectives. Hurd urged HR leaders to use data to make fact-based decisions about hiring, talent management and succession to drive strategic growth. To win the race for talent, Hurd explained that organizations need powerful technology that provides fact-based valuable insight that is needed to proactively manage talent, drive strategic initiatives that promote innovation, and enhance business performance. To view the full story and press release, click here.

    Read the article

  • So LibGDX / Java or XNA / C# [on hold]

    - by Israel G.
    I am curious to know what will be better for me - LibGDX / Java or XNA / C#. I am on the same level with C# and Java (I am pretty advanced with both of them). I really want to get into game development, develop indie games and such. So what are the pros and cons of XNA and LibGDX, what do you prefer personally and why? Java - LibGDX is cross platform and uses OpenGL. C# - XNA is for windows only ( you can use monogame but it will hurt performance and other things), Unfortunately, XNA is not going to be supported anymore but I still see people that recommend it over libGDX. (XNA is more popular and has more tutorials then libGDX). So please help me to pick, I really don't know what to choose. Thanks a lot!

    Read the article

  • When returning from a period of not programming, do you find you've improved?

    - by Jon Purdy
    It seems as though whenever I take an extended break from programming—whether to pursue other interests or simply because I fall out of the habit for a while—I invariably find that when I return to a project and set to coding, I come with an abundance of new ideas, novel approaches, and just plain better code. It may be because I have a lot of other creative interests besides programming, and my mind likes to find correlation and crossover between them, so while I'm doing one thing, in the back of my mind I'm usually also applying it to another. So what's your experience? Do you ever return from a break (whether intentional or not) feeling not only refreshed, but also somehow noticeably improved? Is it actually the norm?

    Read the article

  • Ubuntu tweak not showing all the menus

    - by Gaurav Butola
    Ubuntu-Tweak doesn't have the option Startup which includes Session Manager Session Control and few other options are not there. I am running the latest version available to download. I remember having all those menus in lucid. for a better difference comparison see the menus in the ubuntu tweak homepage http://ubuntu-tweak.com/ with mine.... how can I get these option back. here is the error I get when I run Ubuntu Tweak from terminal ERROR:dbus.proxies:Introspect error on :1.142:/com/ubuntu_tweak/daemon: dbus.exceptions.DBusException: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.AccessDenied: Rejected send message, 1 matched rules; type="method_call", sender=":1.141" (uid=1000 pid=16550 comm="/usr/bin/python) interface="org.freedesktop.DBus.Introspectable" member="Introspect" error name="(unset)" requested_reply=0 destination=":1.142" (uid=0 pid=16560 comm="/usr/bin/python)) Update: I installed the same deb on another computer and that has nothing wrong. all the menus are listed fine.

    Read the article

  • The Beginner’s Guide to Linux Disk Utilities

    - by Zainul Franciscus
    Knowing how to check the condition of your hard disk is useful to determine when to replace your hard disk. In today’s article, we will show you some Linux disk utilities to diagnose the health of your hard disk. Image by Scoobay Latest Features How-To Geek ETC The Complete List of iPad Tips, Tricks, and Tutorials The 50 Best Registry Hacks that Make Windows Better The How-To Geek Holiday Gift Guide (Geeky Stuff We Like) LCD? LED? Plasma? The How-To Geek Guide to HDTV Technology The How-To Geek Guide to Learning Photoshop, Part 8: Filters Improve Digital Photography by Calibrating Your Monitor The Brothers Mario – Epic Gangland Style Mario Brothers Movie Trailer [Video] Score Awesome Games on the Cheap with the Humble Indie Bundle Add a Colorful Christmas Theme to Your Windows 7 Desktop This Windows Hack Changes the Blue Screen of Death to Red Edit Images Quickly in Firefox with Pixlr Grabber Zoho Writer, Sheet, and Show Now Available in Chrome Web Store

    Read the article

  • Best/Bad practices for code sharing?

    - by sunpech
    The more I explore Github, the more I like it. I really enjoy how coding is becoming more social. I'm curious as to if there are any bad practices that programmers should avoid in sharing their code with each other. And in naming bad practices, what are the best practices for code sharing? For example: Is it a bad practice for a single repo to have multiple scripts/projects named 'MiscProjects'? Where this repo, as the name suggest, is a collection of miscellaneous small scripts and projects. This may resemble how a programmer organizes projects on his/her local storage, but it's possibly not optimal for code sharing? Maybe if a good README/documentation is done, it would be better? Or as long as it's well documented, anything goes?

    Read the article

  • Looking for VPS Hosting for a LAMP Web Application

    - by Ali
    Hi guys, Trying to find a Managed VPS Hosting Solution for a LAMP Web Application. The more CPU, RAM, and Disk space the better Don't need a huge amount of bandwidth for now Would like to be able to easily grow into a stronger server Have really responsive, dedicated, smart support staff -- our current hosting is just terrible My main problem is that I can't even find a non-biased website out there that does a proper comparison of VPS Hosting providers. Can anybody either suggest a reviews/ranking site or a hosting with proven record? How would you go about finding the best hosting service? Thanks a lot! Ali

    Read the article

  • O&rsquo;Reilly Deal of the Day 7/August/2014 - Windows PowerShell for Developers

    - by TATWORTH
    Originally posted on: http://geekswithblogs.net/TATWORTH/archive/2014/08/07/orsquoreilly-deal-of-the-day-7august2014---windows-powershell-for.aspxToday’s half-price Deal of the Day from O’Reilly at http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920024491.do?code=MSDEAL is Windows PowerShell for Developers. “Want to perform programming tasks better, faster, simpler, and make them repeatable? Take a deep dive into Windows PowerShell and discover what this distributed automation platform can do. Whether you’re a .NET developer or IT pro, this concise guide will show you how PowerShell’s scripting language can help you be more productive on everyday tasks.”

    Read the article

  • WebLogic Server Performance and Tuning: Part I - Tuning JVM

    - by Gokhan Gungor
    Each WebLogic Server instance runs in its own dedicated Java Virtual Machine (JVM) which is their runtime environment. Every Admin Server in any domain executes within a JVM. The same also applies for Managed Servers. WebLogic Server can be used for a wide variety of applications and services which uses the same runtime environment and resources. Oracle WebLogic ships with 2 different JVM, HotSpot and JRocket but you can choose which JVM you want to use. JVM is designed to optimize itself however it also provides some startup options to make small changes. There are default values for its memory and garbage collection. In real world, you will not want to stick with the default values provided by the JVM rather want to customize these values based on your applications which can produce large gains in performance by making small changes with the JVM parameters. We can tell the garbage collector how to delete garbage and we can also tell JVM how much space to allocate for each generation (of java Objects) or for heap. Remember during the garbage collection no other process is executed within the JVM or runtime, which is called STOP THE WORLD which can affect the overall throughput. Each JVM has its own memory segment called Heap Memory which is the storage for java Objects. These objects can be grouped based on their age like young generation (recently created objects) or old generation (surviving objects that have lived to some extent), etc. A java object is considered garbage when it can no longer be reached from anywhere in the running program. Each generation has its own memory segment within the heap. When this segment gets full, garbage collector deletes all the objects that are marked as garbage to create space. When the old generation space gets full, the JVM performs a major collection to remove the unused objects and reclaim their space. A major garbage collect takes a significant amount of time and can affect system performance. When we create a managed server either on the same machine or on remote machine it gets its initial startup parameters from $DOMAIN_HOME/bin/setDomainEnv.sh/cmd file. By default two parameters are set:     Xms: The initial heapsize     Xmx: The max heapsize Try to set equal initial and max heapsize. The startup time can be a little longer but for long running applications it will provide a better performance. When we set -Xms512m -Xmx1024m, the physical heap size will be 512m. This means that there are pages of memory (in the state of the 512m) that the JVM does not explicitly control. It will be controlled by OS which could be reserve for the other tasks. In this case, it is an advantage if the JVM claims the entire memory at once and try not to spend time to extend when more memory is needed. Also you can use -XX:MaxPermSize (Maximum size of the permanent generation) option for Sun JVM. You should adjust the size accordingly if your application dynamically load and unload a lot of classes in order to optimize the performance. You can set the JVM options/heap size from the following places:     Through the Admin console, in the Server start tab     In the startManagedWeblogic script for the managed servers     $DOMAIN_HOME/bin/startManagedWebLogic.sh/cmd     JAVA_OPTIONS="-Xms1024m -Xmx1024m" ${JAVA_OPTIONS}     In the setDomainEnv script for the managed servers and admin server (domain wide)     USER_MEM_ARGS="-Xms1024m -Xmx1024m" When there is free memory available in the heap but it is too fragmented and not contiguously located to store the object or when there is actually insufficient memory we can get java.lang.OutOfMemoryError. We should create Thread Dump and analyze if that is possible in case of such error. The second option we can use to produce higher throughput is to garbage collection. We can roughly divide GC algorithms into 2 categories: parallel and concurrent. Parallel GC stops the execution of all the application and performs the full GC, this generally provides better throughput but also high latency using all the CPU resources during GC. Concurrent GC on the other hand, produces low latency but also low throughput since it performs GC while application executes. The JRockit JVM provides some useful command-line parameters that to control of its GC scheme like -XgcPrio command-line parameter which takes the following options; XgcPrio:pausetime (To minimize latency, parallel GC) XgcPrio:throughput (To minimize throughput, concurrent GC ) XgcPrio:deterministic (To guarantee maximum pause time, for real time systems) Sun JVM has similar parameters (like  -XX:UseParallelGC or -XX:+UseConcMarkSweepGC) to control its GC scheme. We can add -verbosegc -XX:+PrintGCDetails to monitor indications of a problem with garbage collection. Try configuring JVM’s of all managed servers to execute in -server mode to ensure that it is optimized for a server-side production environment.

    Read the article

  • Webcast Replay: Upgrading to Oracle Database 11g with Tom Kyte

    - by john.brust
    On Friday, we caught up with Tom Kyte, Oracle database expert and host of AskTom.oracle.com. Join us to hear what Oracle Database 11g Release 2 means to Tom. Learn how you can make 'change' safe and benefit from new functionality to make better use of your standby databases, capture and replay workloads, tune SQL performance, flashback for rapid recovery from human error, and more. Click to view webcast (and Q&A) replay. We also invite you to visit us our Oracle Database 11g upgrade page on otn.oracle.com.

    Read the article

  • New Version: ZFS RAID Calculator v7

    - by uwes
    New version available now. ZFS RAID Calculator v7 on eSTEP portal. The Tool calculates key capacity parameter like  number of Vdev's, number of spares, number of data drives, raw RAID capacity(TB), usable capacity (TiB) and (TB) according the different possible  RAID types for a given ZS3 configuration. Updates included in v7: added an open office version compatible with MacOS included the obsolete drives as options for upgrade calculations simplified the color scheme and tweaked the formulas for better compatibility The spreadsheet can be downloaded from eSTEP portal. URL: http://launch.oracle.com/ PIN: eSTEP_2011 The material can be found under tab eSTEP Download.

    Read the article

  • Ten Things I Wish I’d Known When I Started Using tSQLt and SQL Test

    The open-source Unit Test framework tSQLt is a great way of writing unit tests in the same language as the one being tested. In retrospect, after using tSQLt for a while, what are the 'gotchas'; those things that you'd have been better off knowing about before you get started? David Green lists a few tips he wished he'd read beforehand. Learn Agile Database Development Best PracticesAgile database development experts Sebastian Meine and Dennis Lloyd are running day-long classes designed to complement Red Gate’s SQL in the City US tour. Classes will be held in San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and Seattle. Register Now.

    Read the article

  • Oracle Linux at Oracle Openworld 2011

    - by Zeynep Koch
    In the Oracle Linux track, you'll learn how organizations of all sizes, in all industries, worldwide, are realizing the true benefits of complete and integrated solutions with Oracle Linux and Oracle's world-class Linux support program. Find out what Oracle is doing to simplify the development, deployment, and management of Linux solutions via significant testing initiatives including the Oracle Validated Configurations program. Also discover how Oracle is driving the enterprise Linux technology roadmap with new features and enhancements, making Linux a faster, better operating system for all. Meet Oracle's Linux engineers, experts, customers, and partners, and get answers to all your Linux questions. Here are the Linux sessions and demos that you don't want to miss. · Oracle Linux Strategy and Roadmap · New Features in Oracle Linux · End-to-End Data Integrity Solution for Linux · Debugging and Configuration Best Practices for Oracle Linux · Demos · Hands-on-Labs Register by July 29 and get a $500 discount.http://bit.ly/kSjDMD

    Read the article

  • Where are some good resources to learn Game Development with OpenGL ES 2.X

    - by Mahbubur R Aaman
    Background: From http://www.khronos.org/opengles/2_X/ OpenGL ES 2.0 combines a version of the OpenGL Shading Language for programming vertex and fragment shaders that has been adapted for embedded platforms, together with a streamlined API from OpenGL ES 1.1 that has removed any fixed functionality that can be easily replaced by shader programs, to minimize the cost and power consumption of advanced programmable graphics subsystems. Related Resources The OpenGL ES 2.0 specification, header files, and optional extension specifications The OpenGL ES 2.0 Online Manual Pages The OpenGL ES 3.0 Shading LanguageOnline Reference Pages The OpenGL ES 2.0 Quick Reference Card OpenGL ES 1.X OpenGL ES 2.0 From http://www.cocos2d-iphone.org/archives/2003 Cocos2d Version 2 released and one of primary key point noted as OpenGL ES 2.0 support From http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Compiz-now-supports-OpenGL-ES-2-0-1674605.html Compiz now supports OpenGL ES 2.0 My Question : Being as a Game Developer ( I have to work with several game engine Cocos2d, Unity). I need several resources to cope up with OpenGL ES 2.X for better outcome while developing games?

    Read the article

  • Cocos2d+pybox2d vs Cocos2d-Iphone

    - by DraskyVanderhoff
    I'm now working with two guys for making our first pc indie game and we decide to use cocos2d+pybox2d ( yeah , 2d python game :) ). We decide this based on what i seen in cocos2d iphone games , but i don't get very clear if cocos2d-iphone is just a porting with just a little more features or is far more better than cocos2d for pc. If you can get me out of this dilemma it would be great. I just want to be sure that i'm on the right track ( and also i want to porting this game for android and iphone if it got success in pc , but first my lovely pc :P ) PD: For the maps we will use Tiled , so is totally compatible with cocos2d ( any of both cases i think... )

    Read the article

  • Ask How-To Geek: Fix Annoying Arrows, Play Old-School DOS games, and Schedule Smart Computer Shutdowns

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    You’ve got questions and we’ve got answers. Today we highlight how to fix the oversized shortcut arrows in Windows 7, play your favorite DOS games in emulation, and schedule intelligent shutdown routines for your PC. We get tons of emails with every kind of technology and computer question under the sun. Today we’re answering some reader emails and sharing the solutions with you. Latest Features How-To Geek ETC The Complete List of iPad Tips, Tricks, and Tutorials The 50 Best Registry Hacks that Make Windows Better The How-To Geek Holiday Gift Guide (Geeky Stuff We Like) LCD? LED? Plasma? The How-To Geek Guide to HDTV Technology The How-To Geek Guide to Learning Photoshop, Part 8: Filters Improve Digital Photography by Calibrating Your Monitor The Brothers Mario – Epic Gangland Style Mario Brothers Movie Trailer [Video] Score Awesome Games on the Cheap with the Humble Indie Bundle Add a Colorful Christmas Theme to Your Windows 7 Desktop This Windows Hack Changes the Blue Screen of Death to Red Edit Images Quickly in Firefox with Pixlr Grabber Zoho Writer, Sheet, and Show Now Available in Chrome Web Store

    Read the article

  • On which crowdsourced design site have you the best experience? (ie, crowdspring, mycroburst, etc)

    - by Darryl Hein
    I wasn't sure which site to ask this on (as Graphic Design hasn't reached beta yet), so I thought I would try here. I'm looking to have a couple logos and website designs done. I've had some great local designers, but each one has moved or gone else where so I keep having to look for new designers. My thought and realization in the last couple days is to go to a crowdsourced design site like crowdspring.com or mycroburst.com. Both of these sites look good, but I'm wondering what else is out there? Are there better ones and how have your experiences been them?

    Read the article

  • Pygame surface rotation, rect rotation or sprite rotation?

    - by Alan
    i seem to have a conceptual misunderstanding of the surface and rect object in pygame. I currently observe these objects this way: Surface Just the loaded image rect the 'hard' representation of the ingame object (sprite). Used for simplifying object moment and collision detection sprite rect and surface grouped together What i want to do is rotate my sprite. The only available method i found for rotation is pygame.transform.rotate. How do i rotate the rectangle, or even better, the whole sprite? Below is the image of how i visualize this problem.

    Read the article

  • Yelp Like Adjective Rating System

    - by clifgray
    I am building a website that has users list their outdoor adventures (skydiving, surfing, base jumping, etc) and the other people can comment on them. I want to have a rating system like Yelp which has "Useful, Funny, or Cool" but with different adjectives. I have thought of a few such as Daring, Adventurous, and Unique but I wanted to get some feedback on what a few other good adjectives would be. Also does anyone have experience with other such systems or advice for better systems? Primarily I just want the user to have somewhat more descriptive voting options than u and down or 1 though 5.

    Read the article

  • Lessons from a SAN Failure

    - by Bill Graziano
    At 1:10AM Sunday morning the main SAN at one of my clients suffered a “partial” failure.  Partial means that the SAN was still online and functioning but the LUNs attached to our two main SQL Servers “failed”.  Failed means that SQL Server wouldn’t start and the MDF and LDF files mostly showed a zero file size.  But they were online and responding and most other LUNs were available.  I’m not sure how SANs know to fail at 1AM on a Saturday night but they seem to.  From a personal standpoint this worked out poorly: I was out with friends and after more than a few drinks.  From a work standpoint this was about the best time to fail you could imagine.  Everything was running well before Monday morning.  But it was a long, long Sunday.  I started tipsy, got tired and ended up hung over later in the day. Note to self: Try not to go out drinking right before the SAN fails. This caught us at an interesting time.  We’re in the process of migrating to an entirely new set of servers so some things were partially moved.  This made it difficult to follow our procedures as cleanly as we’d like.  The benefit was that we had much better documentation of everything on the server.  I would encourage everyone to really think through the process of implementing your DR plan and document as much as possible.  Following a checklist is much easier than trying to remember at night under pressure in a hurry after a few drinks. I had a series of estimates on how long things would take.  They were accurate for any single server failure.  They weren’t accurate for a SAN failure that took two servers down.  This wasn’t bad but we should have communicated better. Don’t forget how many things are outside the database.  Logins, linked servers, DTS packages (yikes!), jobs, service broker, DTC (especially DTC), database triggers and any objects in the master database are all things you need backed up.  We’d done a decent job on this and didn’t find significant problems here.  That said this still took a lot of time.  There were many annoyances as a result of this.  Small settings like a login’s default database had a big impact on whether an application could run.  This is probably the single biggest area of concern when looking to recreate a server.  I’d encourage everyone to go through every single node of SSMS and look for user created objects or settings outside the database. Script out your logins with the proper SID and already encrypted passwords and keep it updated.  This makes life so much easier.  I used an approach based on KB246133 that worked well.  I’ll get my scripts posted over the next few days. The disaster can cause your DR process to fail in unexpected ways.  We have a job that scripts out all logins and role memberships and writes it to a file.  This runs on the DR server and pulls from the production server.  Upon opening the file I found that the contents were a “server not found” error.  Fortunately we had other copies and didn’t need to try and restore the master database.  This now runs on the production server and pushes the script to the DR site.  Soon we’ll get it pushed to our version control software. One of the biggest challenges is keeping your DR resources up to date.  Any server change (new linked server, new SQL Server Agent job, etc.) means that your DR plan (and scripts) is out of date.  It helps to automate the generation of these resources if possible. Take time now to test your database restore process.  We test ours quarterly.  If you have a large database I’d also encourage you to invest in a compressed backup solution.  Restoring backups was the single larger consumer of time during our recovery. And yes, there’s a database mirroring solution planned in our new architecture. I didn’t have much involvement in things outside SQL Server but this caused many, many things to change in our environment.  Many applications today aren’t just executables or web sites.  They are a combination of those plus network infrastructure, reports, network ports, IP addresses, DTS and SSIS packages, batch systems and many other things.  These all needed a little bit of attention to make sure they were functioning properly. Profiler turned out to be a handy tool.  I started a trace for failed logins and kept that running.  That let me fix a number of problems before people were able to report them.  I also ran traces to capture exceptions.  This helped identify problems with linked servers. Overall the thing that gave me the most problem was linked servers.  In order for a linked server to function properly you need to be pointed to the right server, have the proper login information, have the network routes available and have MSDTC configured properly.  We have a lot of linked servers and this created many failure points.  Some of the older linked servers used IP addresses and not DNS names.  This meant we had to go in and touch all those linked servers when the servers moved.

    Read the article

< Previous Page | 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190  | Next Page >