Word of the Day : OpenNMS

OpenNMS (Open Network Management System) is the first enterprise-grade network management platform developed under the open source model. It was designed to manage tens of thousands of devices from a single server as well as manage unlimited devices using a cluster of servers. OpenNMS includes a discovery engine to automatically configure and manage network devices without operator intervention. It is written in Java and is published under the GNU General Public License. OpenNMS is listed as one of the top 400 projects on Sourceforge and won the Best Systems Management Tool at LinuxWorld Expo in August of 2005.

Currently, OpenNMS has three main functional areas:

• Service monitoring, where a number of monitor modules can determine if network-based services (ICMP, HTTP, DNS, etc.) are available.
• Data Collection by using SNMP and JMX.
• Event management and notifications, which includes alarm reduction and a robust notification system with escalations and duty schedules.

OpenNMS is known for its scalability. Although it can be easily used to manage a small SMB network, it is scalable enough to be used in place of large enterprise management products such as HP OpenView, IBM Tivoli or IBM Micromuse.

Windows XP Professional LifeCycle

Products Released	General Availability Date	Mainstream Support Retired	Extended Support Retired	Service Pack Retired	Notes
Windows XP Professional	31/12/2001	14/04/2009	08/04/2014	30/08/2005

The definitions of mainstream and extended can be found in the table here.

Information extract from Microsoft Website.

Word of the Day : Cloud computing

Cloud computing is a computing paradigm in which tasks are assigned to a combination of connections, software and services accessed over a network. This network of servers and connections is collectively known as "the cloud." Computing at the scale of the cloud allows users to access supercomputer-level power. Using a thin client or other access point, like an iPhone, BlackBerry or laptop, users can reach into the cloud for resources as they need them. For this reason, cloud computing has also been described as "on-demand computing."

This vast processing power is made possible though distributed, large-scale cluster computing, often in concert with server virtualization software, like Xen, and parallel processing. Cloud computing can be contrasted with the traditional desktop computing model, where the resources of a single desktop computer are used to complete tasks, and an expansion of the client/server model. To paraphrase Sun Microsystems' famous adage, in cloud computing the network becomes the supercomputer.

Cloud computing is often used to sort through enormous amounts of data. In fact, Google has an initial edge in cloud computing precisely because of its need to produce instant, accurate results for millions of incoming search inquries every day, parsing through the terabytes of Internet data cached on its servers. Google's approach has been to design and manufacture hundreds of thousands of its own servers from commodity components, connecting relatively inexpensive processors in parallel to create an immensely powerful, scalable system. Google Apps, Maps and Gmail are all based in the cloud. Other companies have already created Web-based operating systems that collect online applications into Flash-based graphic user interfaces (GUIs), often using a look and feel intentionally quite similar to Windows. Hundreds of organizations are already offering free Web services in the cloud.

In many ways, however, cloud computing is simply a buzzword used to repackage grid computing and utility computing, both of which have existed for decades. Like grid computing, cloud computing requires the use of software that can divide and distribute components of a program to thousands of computers. New advances in processors, virtualization technology, disk storage, broadband Internet access and fast, inexpensive servers have all combined to make cloud computing a compelling paradigm. Cloud computing allows users and companies to pay for and use the services and storage that they need, when they need them and, as wireless broadband connection options grow, where they need them. Customers can be billed based upon server utlilization, processing power used or bandwidth consumed. As a result, cloud computing has the potential to upend the software industry entirely, as applications are purchased, licensed and run over the network instead of a user's desktop. This shift will put data centers and their administrators at the center of the distributed network, as processing power, electricity, bandwidth and storage are all managed remotely.

Word of the Day : Rootkits

A rootkit is a collection of tools (programs) that enable administrator-level access to a computer or computer network. Typically, a cracker installs a rootkit on a computer after first obtaining user-level access, either by exploiting a known vulnerability or cracking a password. Once the rootkit is installed, it allows the attacker to mask intrusion and gain root or privileged access to the computer and, possibly, other machines on the network.

A rootkit may consist of spyware and other programs that: monitor traffic and keystrokes; create a "backdoor" into the system for the hacker's use; alter log files; attack other machines on the network; and alter existing system tools to escape detection.

The presence of a rootkit on a network was first documented in the early 1990s. At that time, Sun and Linux operating systems were the primary targets for a hacker looking to install a rootkit. Today, rootkits are available for a number of operating systems, including Windows, and are increasingly difficult to detect on any network.

Rootkits have become more common and their sources more surprising. In late October of 2005, security expert Mark Russinovich of Sysinternals discovered that he had a rootkit on his own computer that had been installed as part of the digital rights management (DRM) component on a Sony audio CD. Experts worry that the practice may be more widespread than the public suspects and that attackers could exploit existing rootkits. "This creates opportunities for virus writers," said Mikko Hypponen, director of AV research for Finnish firm F-Secure Corp. "These rootkits can be exploited by any malware, and when it's used this way, it's harder for firms like ours to distinguish the malicious from the legitimate."

A number of vendors, including Microsoft, F-Secure, and Sysinternals, offer applications that can detect the presence of rootkits. If a rootkit is detected, however, the only sure way to get rid of it is to completely erase the computer's hard drive and reinstall the operating system.