Justin's Blog

March 31, 2004

SCTP

Wow, I am actually learning stuff on my Open University course. One of the questions asked for an analytical view on SCTP and TCP. I actually know a shed load more about TCP (i.e. I can construct a TCP packet in binary, which is never a good thing!). But the main thing is SCTP, it is a new transport protocol that supersceeds TCP on many fronts, mainly the ability to do multihoming.

SCTP allows multihoming. Basically, a TCP connection is constructed by specifying src/dst IP and src/dst ports, but with SCTP you specify the IP addresses you wish to make an "association" (the term used to describe what would be a TCP "connection"), and the server you connect to will specify what IPs it wishes to have in the association. If the primary link goes down, SCTP will just route over another NIC/IP. This is great for network services that REALLY need long connections and connection resilience. SCTP was originally designed to provide signalling transport for things like VoIP I think, so this lends well. The generalisation of the protocol is coming about now to be usable in realy situations. Linux already has an SCTP stack, so I think I may start playing around with it at some point to see how it works from an API level.

IBM Software

FINALLY! I have access to the IBM Value Pack now, so I can start playing with Lotus, DB2, Tivoli and Portal. Looks like Roger doesn't know what he has let himself in for. When do you think I should tell him that he doesn't have a laptop yet?

Bugger it all to hell

I am supposed to start fencing this Saturday, with an intense course, problem is, I am unfit to a high degree and I am now coming down with a cold. I am not lookingforward to snotting onto my visor, as well as collapsing in a heap on the floor. All I need now is to twist my ankle and I will be well on the way to being the fencing gimp of the world!

March 25, 2004

Novell

Novell has made some very nice announcements around XD, SuSE and Netware, so hopefully what I have been telling customers about a better desktop distro from Novell is coming true. I am very interested in the iFolder announcement, hopefully something good will come out of it all.

Other nice things comming out of all of the Novell/X/SuSE aquisition is the release of the buddy build system. I am thinking of trying to build XD for YDL on the Mac. It is just a shame I recently re-partitioned my machine to use the whole disk for OSX, will have to re-partition it again now I guess!

Site upgrade to MT

Decided to us MT instead of B2 for the blogging backenbd, and managed to integrate the usual "random pic" code to work with gallery in MT, so far so good.

March 22, 2004

LPI submissions

Well, seeing as I am the SME/editor for the level 1 exams for the LPI, I am looking for submissions of questions to use in the exams. If you are an existing LPI member, you can use your web login to submit new questions, or you are welcome email me with questions and I will gladly add them if I feel they are at the appropriate level and style. Please take a look at the LPI website for information on the style of questions etc.

On another note, we also need objectives to categorize the questions, for example, setting up a DNS server (although that is quite a bit off what a junior admin would be expected to do, and this is covered in the 202 exam) etc.

March 19, 2004

Orkut

Looking at the Orkut site, I am now like a kid who can't get in the cookie jar. You can't join unless you are asked by someone who is already a member. So if there is anyone out there who is a member, invite me, please, I am curious as to what it is like!

March 18, 2004

PlanetSuSE

I purchased the planetsuse.org domain name, and am now hosting the domain for james. Any bloggers who syndicate to p.s are welcome to have an email alias setup. email me at: justin at palmcoder.net and I will set it up for you.

LPI

Got an email from Kara Pritchard from the LPI today. It looks like I am going to be the Lead Subject Matter Expert (SME) and editor for the LPI level 1 certifications, which is pretty cool!

Roger's Picture

James sent Roger a picture of the old SuSE guys, and it was in "Dome" in Earls Court. Roger, you do indeed have a memory like a sieve!

March 16, 2004

OU Results

Aimee rang me this morning to say I had some post from the Open University. It was the results of my first assignment, on signal theory and I managed to get a distinction (87%), which I was really not expecting! The fact I passed is a god send seeing as I have not been in education for five years since I left university.

Linux PPTP and Windows

There are a few problems that you may come up against if you are using the Linux PPTP server and Windows. In my case, it was Win2k, but I think thos may be related to anything after that too. Basically, you really MUST disable QoS and Internet Sharing to get Windows to talk to PPTP for anything over 10 minutes. I had major problems with a customer that kept on dropping the link. I assumed it was a bug in PPTPD, but I guess I should not have been so naive :o) I managed to track it down my thinking about TCP packets, which is never a good thing!

March 15, 2004

Poor Rog

James Oagley just told me to look at Roger's FAQ, and I had to laugh. Whenever I talk about Roger, people either start singing, or they have a look of excitement on their face. To be perfectly honest, until I met Roger, I had no idea there was a singer called Roger Whittaker. Take a look at Roger's FAQ here, and just so that you know, Roger, after singing to me on Tottenham Court Road, I hope to God the other RW is a better singer :o)

March 14, 2004

SCO

The sco case is looking more and more shakey. I have decided to talk about Linux and the business side of things more on the site, seeing as I am linked at planetsuse now (PS), and we have the likes of Mr Meeks, Mr Oagley, the Nermster and others who talk the geek, I may as well talk the business seeing as that is what I now have to deal with (I still do geeky things, but my job takes me away from that most of the time now!).

With the Halloween document surfacing, albeit on shakey terms (i.e. some people reading too much into it, ahem!), it does make SCO's life a bit more difficult when talking to the SEC and also Judge Wells. But then looking at the IBM side of things, we still do not see definitive evidence that Novell can prove the English of the original contracts, and this seems to be the biggest problems at the moment. Everyone is clear on what the contracts say, the problem is, how the contracts are saying it. We can all sit back and smoke a big cigar and pat ourselves on the back and say we have won, but the problem is, we will never know the outcome until the Judge tells us, or we see firm evidence. And that has not happened.... ...yet!

IBM

All I can think about is IBM at the moment and getting the Linux expo sorted out. Lots of things happening with CSF and the expo, and I unfortunately am the person that has to deal with this stuff. Will be having a bladecenter there with lovely flashing lights, but first have to wrangle with IBM about what to do with it. I have a feeling I will be learning lots of heavy apps on Linux, which is good, but also bad. My head is tired with all of the customer projects I am overseeing and also sorting out the business side of Linux with IBM.