Interesting comparison of Apple and Blackberry stock performance

 

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IBM AIX: TCP connections results in delayed acknowledgements (ACK) and tcp_nodelayack setting

 

If you are observing slow performance and see a delayed ACK response from an application running on AIX replying back, then you might be seeing the negative impact of Nagle algorithm ( more).

By default, AIX has a feature called "delayed acknowledgement" enabled in order to improve performance for some network traffic, such as large chunks of data.
This feature is controlled by the AIX setting "tcp_nodelayack" which is set to 0 by default:
tcp_nodelayack=0

If you change the default "tcp_nodelayack" option to enabled (set tcp_nodelayack=1) , it prompts TCP to send an immediate acknowledgement, rather than the default 200 ms delay.

Sending an immediate acknowledgement might cause a few more ACKs on the network, but in some cases with some application generally when sending small messages back and forth, it may greatly improve performance.

How to check the current setting for your system:
$> /usr/sbin/no -o tcp_nodelayack

How to change to enable immediate acknowledgement:
$>/usr/sbin/no -o tcp_nodelayack=1

Note: To make the change persistent across reboots use “-p” flag.

 

More Information:

1. IC70828: SLOW TCP/IP CONNECTION FROM TPC TO EMC CIMOM

2. EMC / AIX also recommends setting this parameter (EMC CLARiiON iSCSI ServerSetup Guide for AIX)

For maximum performance, IBM recommends that you enable rfc1323, and set tcp_recvspace and tcp_sendspace to appropriate values. For additional considerations and information, see the iSCSI performance considerations in the IBM AIX support documentation.Under certain conditions, performance issues may occur that could cause PowerPath® connections to the storage system to either degrade or fail.We recommend that you enable the AIX tcp_nodelayack option to prevent failed PowerPath connections. To set the tcp_nodelayack option, use the no command.

Filing and Obtaining a Patent

 

If you do have a unique business idea that you’d like to protect, then you can file for a patent. The process, of course, requires filling out a few forms. The website uspto.gov, or the United States Patent and Trademark Office site, is a good place to start. Jump to the homepage.

 

6 Mind-Blowing TED Talks About Psychology and Human Behavior

 

The human brain is complex and confusing, which explains why human behavior is so complex and confusing. People have a tendency to act one way when they feel something completely different.

How many times have you been asked “What’s wrong?” only to answer “Nothing,” even though something truly was wrong? Personally, I’ve lost count. Humans are strange creatures, indeed.

And yet, the craziness of human behavior doesn’t end there. There are hundreds–even thousands–of different aspects to our behavior that have a strange science behind them. Some of what you believe may actually be false.

Here are a few interesting TED Talks that delve into human psychology and try to explain why we are the way we are.

 

The Paradox of Choice

The secret to happiness is low expectations.

With a quotable snippet like that, I think it’s easy to see that the giver of this TED Talk is very entertaining in his delivery and insightful in his material…

 

A Kinder, Gentler Philosophy of Success

Alain de Botton, a Swiss philosopher, presents a philosophical discussion on the modern world’s idea of success and how the structure of society influences our notions of success and failure. With a number of insightful illustrations and analogies, I think Botton successfully challenges the popular understanding of individual success…

 

The Surprising Science of Motivation

In this talk, Daniel Pink discusses the outdated notion of extrinsic motivators in the modern world. Outside factors, like increased pay and other incentives, can actually be damaging to creativity, inspiration, and motivation…

 

How We Read Each Other’s Minds

In this TED Talk, scientist Rebecca Saxe discusses a region of the brain–called the Right Temporo-Parietal Junction–that is used when you make judgments about other people and what they’re thinking…

 

What You Don’t Know About Marriage

Nowadays, it’s a well-known fact that marriages–at least in America–are more likely to end in divorce than a happily-ever-after scenario. However, writer Jenna McCarthy presents her researched findings about the factors that are common in all successful marriages…

 

The 8 Secrets to Success

Secrets? Perhaps if you’re young or if you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last decade. The topic of success–and how you can achieve it–has been examined and studied to death. Everyone wants to be successful, but not everyone is successful…

More @ 6 Mind-Blowing TED Talks About Psychology & Human Behavior Joel Lee

Why You Need to Make a Life Plan

 

Do you have a life plan? Have you ever thought about how to make a life plan? Most people haven’t, but they should.

We are not talking about a 50-page business plan with maps and checklists. A life plan is really just meant to be general summary of where you are now in all the areas that matter to you, where you want to improve and what you’d like your life to look like in the future.

Don’t be scared off by the title. It may sound ominous, but creating a life plan does not need to be a difficult or lengthy process. It’s worth an hour to get the life we want, instead of chasing the wrong things and working hard, only to find that we have been following the wrong path.

The Process

How would you rate your life?

What is going on in your life now?

What makes you happy?

What are the drains?

What isn’t working in your life? 

What would your ideal life look like?

What do you need to do to get that life?

More @ Why You Need to Make a Life Plan - Royale Scuderi

The Magic of Doing One Thing at a Time

Why is it that between 25% and 50% of people report feeling overwhelmed or burned out at work?

It's not just the number of hours we're working, but also the fact that we spend too many continuous hours juggling too many things at the same time.

What we've lost, above all, are stopping points, finish lines and boundaries. Technology has blurred them beyond recognition. Wherever we go, our work follows us, on our digital devices, ever insistent and intrusive. It's like an itch we can't resist scratching, even though scratching invariably makes it worse.

…

If you're a manager, here are three policies worth promoting:

1. Maintain meeting discipline.

2. Stop demanding or expecting instant responsiveness at every moment of the day. 

3. Encourage renewal.

It's also up to individuals to set their own boundaries. Consider these three behaviors for yourself:

1. Do the most important thing first in the morning

2. Establish regular, scheduled times to think more long term, creatively, or strategically.

3. Take real and regular vacations.

More @ Tony Schwartz

Accept the Job Offer or Walk Away?

 

The hiring manager calls with great news: the job is yours. Phew, the hard part is over, right? Maybe not. Determining whether to take a job offer can — and should — be a difficult decision. In a bad economy or if you're eager to get out of your current job, it can be tempting to accept any offer. But before you take on job, you need to evaluate the situation carefully.

What the Experts Say
Shape the offer along the way
Do more in-depth research
Be realistic about your prospects
What if you really need the job?
If you decide to say no
Principles to Remember

Do:

• Find out as much as you can about the organization, its future prospects and what it's like to work there
• Shape the offer along the way by expressing your expectations and desires about the job
• Be reasonable about what other offers might come in

Don't:

• Take a job you don't want unless you absolutely have to
• Overvalue an offer just because you feel desperate
• Imply that the job offer is not good enough when declining it

More @ Accept the Job Offer or Walk Away?

5 Simple Steps: Configuring SAML 2.0 for SAP AS ABAP as a Service Provider

 

The Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) version 2.0 is a standard for the communication of assertions about principals, typically users. The assertion can include the means by which a subject was authenticated, attributes associated with the subject, and an authorization decision for a given resource.

Following is straight forward 5 steps procedure to configure SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP as a SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) 2.0 service provider (SDP).

1. Enable HTTP Security Session Management on AS ABAP

SICF_SESSIONS > Select the relevant line (system) > Activate

2. Enable SAML 2.0 support

SAML2 > Enable SAML 2.0 Support button > Name it and continue through the wizard and enter data as required

3. Determine & configure how your SDP communicates with identity providers (IDP)

          Configuring Front-Channel Communication
          Configuring Back-Channel Communication
          Configuring Support for Enhanced Client or Proxy

4. Trust IDP and determine how to federate the identities as AS Java.

5. Configure the applications you want..

As always refer to the SAP documentation relevant to your landscape and version @ http://help.sap.com