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Mixed methodologies – Agile Prince2

Several Project Managers think that they are completely different things aiming for different results whereas other colleagues believe that both methodologies could be combined.

Today’s IT project leaders might think they suffer from dual-personality disorder. They’ve grown accustomed to conventional project management, which typically follows a waterfall methodology, whereby projects move progressively through each step of a defined process, with each one “checked off” before moving on to the next. But, project management methodologies are changing - where waterfall used to be the gold standard for every project, agile is quickly becoming the favorite. And then some teams opt for a mixed methodology environment.

So do you think Agile and PRINCE2 can be mixed?

It's the wrong question. It's more important to ask "Is it worth it?"

Mixing Agile and PRINCE2 can have significant cost; you may end up running two parallel project management approaches. But it will also create conflicts, what happens when they disagree?

The real question should be: "What is the benefit of mixing the two?"

PRINCE2 is a formal, structured approach to project management. Agile methods are a family of developer-oriented software engineering approaches.

PRINCE2 is about project management. It provides a framework for project managers to track the construction and delivery of products against a plan. Agile methods are about constructing software in a more responsive, more customer-focused way, with an emphasis on built-in quality.

Given the differences, and the fact that some aspects of each are polar opposites of the conventions of the other, it’s easy to see how switching from one to the other or combining the two can cause friction within the organization. But in reality, combining the two actually gives any organization the best of both worlds, allowing each team to use the methodology that works best for them.

The beauty is, you can use PRINCE2 to manage the *project* and your favorite Agile methods to write the *software*. The two methods are entirely complementary; they touch only in the definition of what constitutes a "work package" - and they even agree on how big that should be!

Project leaders who have to manage mixed methodologies will especially struggle with merging the logistics, including timelines, metrics, due dates, time and cost budgets

But how to make marriage successful..

It’s tempting to resist the urge to marry the two out of fear it might be too complicated, confusing and costly in terms of time, resources and effort. 

Clearly communicate the benefits and expectations. 

Recognise that change is difficult and don’t expect an overnight success. Ease the transition by carefully outlining the advantages to this new dual-method approach. There will be new language, new procedures and new software to learn, which adds to their existing workload.

Merge metrics. 

Trying to track two sets of non-integrated metrics can be a nightmare, so find a way to merge them. For most managers and the C-suite, waterfall-style reporting makes the most sense - they want to know how the project stands per the objectives, timeline and budget expectations.

Create and measure against benchmarks. 

Despite some likely resistance from the agile camp, you must set some clearly-defined benchmarks for project success. To ease the discomfort, start by establishing mutual agreement about how you will measure success based on business objectives, time and budget targets, sales or whatever other metrics you choose. Collect data along the way and track progress against those markers. Compare these against the waterfall metrics to measure success at each step in the process or timeline, and use this global view to make decisions about how and when to move forward. 

COMMON PITFALLS

Zero Training

Often, a company or group will decide to employ this new methodology without any instruction on how to assign stories, plan sprints, etc. Project leaders assigned to manage these teams are also often not trained on how to wrap iterations into an overarching Waterfall plan.

Zero Buy-in

Culture is the key to success in implementing an Agile strategy for development. Without middle management’s buy-in, the Agile team will be siloed, forgotten, and probably disbanded at some point.

Zero Translation

The metrics that each methodology produces don’t automatically translate. A timebox doesn’t equal a due date and a story point doesn’t always equal one hour or one day of work in a Waterfall plan. Companies that don’t anticipate the differences and make a plan for metric translation will most likely scrap the Agile approach, returning to the familiar, rigid arms of a Waterfall methodology.

BENEFITS OF MIXING METHODOLOGIES

Mixing methodologies isn’t about pigeonholing one methodology into another. It’s also not about forcing one group to adopt a new solution that won’t work for their projects.

Increased Visibility

With proper planning, training, and benchmarks, an organization that allows both Agile and Waterfall methodologies will have complete visibility into what work is in the queue, what work is in progress, and what work will be completed in the future.

Increased Productivity

Allowing teams to work in their methodology of choice opens doors to increased productivity. Software teams are more inclined to pick an Agile methodology to increase production of working code. Project managers and other departments may choose Waterfall because it’s simply a better approach for projects that require strict deadlines and have a long list of dependencies.

CONCLUSION

You don’t have to continue down the path of disjointed methodologies that distance departments or teams and create chaos with reporting. Both methodologies can work together and with the right technology, you can prove the value of all work to your organization.

MongoDB on Windows Environment

This blog will mainly focus on the MongoDB installation on windows environment, but before moving onto that direction, we will get familiar with what Mongo DB is all about, its salient features,  and then on installation of Mongo DB on windows environment. 

What is Mongo DB?

MongoDB (from humongous) is a cross-platform document-oriented database. Classified as a NoSQL database, MongoDB eschews the traditional table-based relational database structure in favor of JSON-like documents with dynamic schemas (MongoDB calls the format BSON), making the integration of data in certain types of applications easier and faster. Released under a combination of the GNU Affero General Public License and the Apache License, MongoDB is free and open-source software.

Features of Mongo DB

• Flexible Data Model: MongoDB’s document data model makes it easy for you to store data of any structure and dynamically modify the schema.
• Highly Scalable: Scale up or scale out horizontally, from a single server to thousands of nodes. Deploy in the cloud and across multiple data centers.
• Robust Operational Tools: MongoDB Cloud Manager and Ops Manager allow you to deploy, monitor, back up and scale MongoDB with ease.
• Expressive Query Language: MongoDB’s query language provides varied field-level operators, data types and in-place updates. Drivers for just about any programming language make it intuitive to use.
• Secondary Indexes: Fast, fine-grained access to data, including fully consistent indexes on any field, as well as geospatial, text search and TTL indexes.
• Fastest-Growing Community: Startups and enterprises rely on MongoDB for mission critical apps. MongoDB stands behind its software to ensure your success, providing enterprise software and services to make life easier.

Install MongoDB on Windows

PLATFORM SUPPORT: Starting in version 2.2, MongoDB does not support Windows XP. Please use a more recent version of Windows to use more recent releases of MongoDB.

Requirements: On Windows MongoDB requires Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista, or later. The .msi installer includes all other software dependencies and will automatically upgrade any older version of MongoDB installed using an .msi file.

Download MongoDB for Windows.

Download the latest production release of MongoDB from the MongoDB downloads page. Ensure you download the correct version of MongoDB for your Windows system. The 64-bit versions of MongoDB do not work with 32-bit Windows.

Install MongoDB for windows

In Windows Explorer, locate the downloaded MongoDB .msi file, which typically is located in the default Downloads folder. Double-click the .msi file. A set of screens will appear to guide you through the installation process.

You may specify an installation directory if you choose the “Custom” installation option.

NOTE: These instructions assume that you have installed MongoDB to C:\mongodb. You can run MongoDB from any folder you choose. You may install MongoDB in any folder (e.g. D:\test\mongodb).

Run MongoDB

Set up the MongoDB environment

MongoDB requires a data directory to store all data. MongoDB’s default data directory path is \data\db. Create this folder using the following commands from a Command Prompt:

md \data\db

You can specify an alternate path for data files using the --dbpath option to mongod.exe, for example:

C:\mongodb\bin\mongod.exe --dbpath d:\test\mongodb\data

Start MongoDB

To start MongoDB, run mongod.exe. For example, from the Command Prompt:

C:\mongodb\bin\mongod.exe

This starts the main MongoDB database process. The waiting for connections message in the console output indicates that the mongod.exe process is running successfully.

Connect to MongoDB

To connect to MongoDB through the mongo.exe shell, open another Command Prompt.

C:\mongodb\bin\mongo.exe

Note: Blog content has been taken from various sites/blogs. References have been provided where ever applicable.

References:

•     Installation on Windows
•     Mongo DB Download

BY – Vishal

कहानी - चोर
एक जेन साधक ध्यान में बैठा था। रात का वक्त था। एक चोर उसके घर में घुसा। साधक ने उसे देख लिया। चोर घबरा गया और बोला, मुझे अपना पैसा दे दो, नहीं तो जान से मार दूंगा। 

मुझे बेकार परेशान मत करो। साधक ने उसे डांटा। पैसा यहां अलमारी में है। चुपचाप ले लो और जाओ। 


चोर ने अलमारी खोली और पैसे उठा लिए। साधक ने उसे डांटा , सारे पैसे मत लो, कुछ पैसा दूसरों का भी है। कुछ घबराए, कुछ शरमाए चोर ने कुछ पैसा वापस रख दिया। और दबे पांव वहां से जाने लगा। साधक ने फिर डांटा, सलीका नहीं है। जब कोई कुछ दे तो उसका शुक्रिया अदा किया जाता है। 

शुक्रिया ! बड़ी मुश्किल से चोर के मुंह से निकला और वह वहां से भाग गया। अगले दिन संयोगवश चोर पकड़ा गया। जब राजा के सैनिकों ने उससे सारी बातें उगलवाईं तो वे उसे लेकर साधक के पास पहुंचे। उन्होंने साधक से कहा कि आप भी मुकदमा दर्ज कराइए। साधक ने कहा, इसने तो मेरा कुछ चुराया ही नहीं, फिर मुकदमा कैसा? मैंने इसे खुद कहा था कि पैसे ले लो। इसने पैसे लेकर मेरा शुक्रिया भी अदा किया। 

दूसरी चोरियों के लिए उसे जेल हुई। पर जेल पूरी करने के बाद वह सीधा जेन साधक के पास गया। और उसका शिष्य बन गया।

The Hindu : Life & Style / Travel : Inside Story: A Ram temple in Orchha

The Hindu : Life & Style / Travel : Inside Story: A Ram temple in Orchha

चुटकुले

एक आदमी को धर्म के प्रति बहुत रुचि थी। उसने बहुत सारी प्रार्थनाएं छपवाकर अपने बेडरूम की दीवारों पर चिपका दी। रोज रात को सोने से पहले वह भगवान से प्रार्थना करता और कहता- भगवान कृपया इन्हें आराम से पढ़ लेना... मुझे नींद आ रही है।

Find your Car in Parking spot with Android Car Locator App

Now with Android mobile phone in your hand, you don’t need to worry where you have parked your car in the railway station, airport or any restaurant. Solely Android mobile phone doesn’t do this task for you but you have to use Car-pass Car Locator app on your Android mobile phone.

This app locates your car in parking places where ever you go. The location difference between you and your car is shown through compass and also on the Google Maps with driving direction automatically to reach your car. If there is no auto update of driving direction available you can hit the recalculate button to relocate the driving directional path. It pinpoints the correct location of your car in the parking lot both by visual and by address location too. You can also use the timer to indicate the paid parking time and this app also allows you to remind you when the end time of the paid parking is allocated.

Now if SMS parking is available, then you can send text messages to start and stop payment for your parking. Car Locator App for Android was developed by Car-Pass which is an official Belgian provider of mileage certificates.

So if you feel like you might forget the location of the car where you have parked it, then take out your Android mobile, install this app and check out where is your car located.

Car-pass Car Locator App Download

Car-pass Car Locator is an Android app available for free download at Android Apps Labs which is the best site to download the best Android Apps. The app size is 3.3 MB and its freely available for download. This app is among the good apps filed under Transportation.

Android Advices Apps Rating 3 / 5.

Intel partners Asus, RCom to offer netbooks at Rs 9,999

Global chip maker Intel today said it had partnered with computer maker Asus and telecom services provider Reliance Communications (RCom) to offer netbooks in the country at Rs 9,999.

Intel said the move is aimed at helping people, who do not own a PC yet, to gain access to computing and the Internet.

Intel has collaborated with Asus to produce entry-level netbooks designed for the first time buyers, students and people on the go.

Both RCom and Intel aim to increase device footprint among internet subscribers through joint retail promotions and selling Intel processor-based devices through RCom stores.

"Our endeavour is to bring whole new levels of affordability to the netbook category without compromising on performance, usability or aesthetics," Intel South Asia Director (New Platforms Business Group) Prashanth Adiraju said.

The collaboration offers the opportunity to deliver computing and connectivity proposition to first-time buyers in India, especially in high potential Tier III and IV towns, he added.

"This proposition will appeal to the 90 million households that can now afford an entry level PC with less than one month of income," he said.

Asus has launched its Eee PC X101, which will come pre-loaded with 'MeeGo' open source operating system along with applications for email, social networking, entertainment and education.

"Reliance is delighted to support Intel's cloud driven Meego OS and offer a complete package of affordable computing and wireless broadband access to bridge the digital divide in semi-urban and rural India," RCom Senior Vice President (Data and Devices) Kaushik Pillalamarri said.

http://business-standard.com/india/technology/news/intel-partners-asus-rcom-to-offer-netbooks-at-rs-9999/147763/on

Railways contemplating setting up Station Authority of India

NEW DELHI: In a bid a to shore up its finances, the Ministry of Railways is contemplating setting upStation Authority of India on the lines of Airport Authority of India for creation of additional facilities at the stations and making them commercially more viable. 

"We can have Station Authority of India like Airport Authority of India (AAI). We have not exploited the stations at all. We can have multiplexes, shopping complexes, libraries, parking lots and offices at stations," Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi said at the inaugural ceremony of the International Railway Equipment Exhibition here. 

There are more than 7000 railway stations across the country. 

"AAI provides so much of logistics and comforts and it is slushed with money. Why can't railways have a similar body for modernisation of stations?" Trivedi asked. 

On the fare hike issue, the Minister said, "It is very easy to increase the fare but we have to think out of the box. Fare hike is the easiest thing to do and I do not think we should have easy options." 

Pitching strongly for private sector participation in the railways sector, he said, "I do not think railways can be modernised by increasing passengers fares and freight rates. We need total participation of the private sector." 

"We will not achieve 8 per cent GDP growth unless Indian Railways grows by 10 to 12 per cent. Modernisation of signalling system, track, stations, freight terminals are the need of the hour. We have to redifine railways with a modernisation plan," he said.


ReBlogged from: Economics Times 

General Android Tricks - Android OS Tips and Tricks

Setup One Touch Dialing and Texting

If you want to have a one touch method for dialing or texting people you contact often then you can make shortcuts for them on your home screen. To do so simply long hold your finger on an open area of your home screen and then select Shortcuts. Then tap on Direct dial and chose the person from your list of contacts. For texting shortcuts, choose the Direct message option.

Create Website Shortcuts on Your Home Screen

If you have a certain website or websites you go to often then you can make a shortcut to in on your home screen or desktop. To do this go to your browsers bookmarks and long hold on the site in your bookmarks list and then select the Add shortcut to home option.

Creating Folders

Folders are a good way to keep your apps and other items organized. You can store similar app icons or other items you use often in a folder. To create a home screen folder long hold on a blank space and select Folders to create a new folder. You can then drag frequently used apps etc into your new folder. To rename the folder, press and hold the folder's title bar while it's open and type in a new name.

Copying and Pasting Text

Just like on computers, the ability to cut, copy and paste text is a real time saver. To do this you simply long hold on the text in the input area. This also works for web pages but the procedure is a little different. To highlight text on a web page press your menu key and choose Select text. You may have to go to More first if it’s not on your first option screen. Then you will select the text with your finger.

Close the On Screen Keyboard

You may have noticed that when you are typing something on your Android that the keyboard sometimes stays on the screen if there is no next or done button to tap to make it go away. It’s very easy to make the on screen keyboard go away when you don’t need it. Simply touch it and swipe downward to make it disappear.

Show the Date

If your Android device doesn’t show the date on the screen or if you aren’t using a widget etc that shows the date then you easily check the date with a touch of the finger. You can view the current date by touching your finger to the top left corner of the screen.

Send Certain Callers Straight to Voicemail

If you want to send certain contacts straight to voicemail every time they call then you have that option. The first thing you need to do is open that person from your contacts. Next press the Menu button and then Options. Finally check the Incoming calls box to send that contact directly to your voicemail. You can also set custom ringtones for certain people in this area if you just want to know when a certain person is calling.

Set MP3 Files as Ringtones

If you have a certain song or sound effect that is in the form of an MP3 file and you want to use it as a ringtone then here is how you do it. First, make a new folder on your memory card and named ringtones. Then copy the MP3 files you want to use as ringtones to that folder. After you do that they will show up in your selection list. You can also make folders called notifications and alarms and these will do the same thing for those sounds.

Manage Your Power with the Android Power Control Widget

With the Android Power Control widget you can quickly disable all your Android’s battery killing features such as like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and syncing. Long hold on your home screen and choose Widgets and then Power Control to add it to your home screen.

Create Keyboard Shortcuts

Android devices have a customizable collection of app launcher shortcuts that can be quickly used to launch apps or other functions. To get to these keyboard shortcuts go to Settings, Applications and then Quick Launch. To create a new keyboard shortcut simply choose a shortcut key that’s not assigned and tap it to choose an application to add to it.

Find Your Version of the Android OS

If you want to find out what version of the Android OS you are running simply go to Settings and then to the About phone section. There you will see the Android version as well as your phone’s model number.

Using Airplane Mode on a Flight.

Most airlines will allow you to use your phone on the plane as long as there is no cell signal being sent or received from your phone. This way you can do things like check your calendar, watch movies and play games. To get to airplane mode hold your power button down as if you were going to turn off the phone and you should get the phone menu where there will be a selection to turn on airplane mode. If this doesn’t work on your phone then you can go into Settings and then Wireless & network settings and turn it on from there.

Changing Your Wallpaper

Just like your computer, the Android OS lets you have different wallpapers for your background. The easiest way to get to this setting is to press your menu button while on your home screen and then choosing Wallpaper.

Then depending on how your device is setup you will have various options as to what type of wallpaper you can use. The Gallery setting lets you choose an image from pictures you have taken with your device’s camera. Live wallpapers are animated wallpapers that move in the background. If you use custom launchers then they may offer their own wallpapers.

Switch Quickly Between Apps

If you want to get back to an app that you recently used or one that is still running then there is an easy way to do this. Just like with Windows, Android offers a quick way to tab between apps. With Windows the shortcut key is Alt-Tab but with Android all you need to do is hold down your Home button and you will get a listing of recent apps. Then tap the one you want and it will switch to it.

Reblogged from : http://www.onlineandroidtips.com

Users Can Now Replace Blogger Profile With Google+ Profile

By Juan Carlos Perez, IDG News

In the first integration between the Google+ social networking site and the Blogger blog publishing platform, users will be able to replace their Blogger profiles with their Google+ profiles, the company announced on Monday.

The benefits for Blogger publishers of using the Google+ profile include giving their readers "a more robust and familiar sense of who you are" as well as having their posts surface with an annotation in the search results of their social connections, Google said.

"Plus, bloggers who switch will automatically get access to the Google+ integrations we'll be rolling out in the future," wrote Vardhman Jain, a Google software engineer, in the post.

Of course, since Google+ requires that people use their real name, doing this profile switch may not be a good option for the many bloggers who publish using a pseudonym.

"That's why we've made it completely optional to switch," Jain wrote.

The option to replace a Blogger profile with a Google+ profile is available in Blogger In Draft, the testing site where Blogger publishers can turn on new features before they're generally available to everyone on Blogger.

Google expects the profile replacement option to be ready for all Blogger publishers through the main Blogger site "in the coming weeks."

Google officials, from CEO Larry Page on down, have made it very clear that Google+ isn't meant to be just a stand-alone social networking site, but rather a unifying service that ties Google products together and adds social components to them.

As such, the expectations for Google+ within the company are extremely high already, although it's a fairly new product launched in limited beta in June and to the general public about a month ago. It recently topped 40 million members, according to the company.

However, it's unclear whether the Google+ real names requirement will deter a significant number of users from linking their various Google accounts with Google+ because they may not want their real identity associated with some or all of those services, such as YouTube and Gmail.

For this reason, it will be interesting to see how Blogger publishers respond to this new option of slapping their Google+ "real" identity on the blogs they publish.

It's well known that many bloggers opt to keep their identity hidden for fear of possible consequences from expressing their opinions, such as problems with their employers and political persecution in countries where dissent isn't tolerated.

Google officials have said that they plan to allow for the use of pseudonyms in Google+ at some point, but it's unclear when that will happen and to what extent it will be possible to withhold one's real identity.

At this point, it's not required for users of Google services to have a Google+ account. However, people who do opt to join Google+ must first set up a public Google Profile which, at minimum, must make their real name visible to anyone who views the page.

Reblogged from : http://www.pcworld.com

The anti-iPad: India releases world's cheapest computer at £22

- By Dean Nelson, New Delhi

India has unveiled the world's cheapest computer device, a £22 tablet, and hailed it as the 'anti-iPad' which will help millions of poor people around the world join the digital revolution.

Ministers declared the "Aakash" – Hindi for "sky" – was a "defining moment" for India and the world, and that the device will accelerate the decline of "digital illiteracy," boost educational resources, and reduce corruption by allowing users to access government services online.

The seven-inch tablet was developed by a UK-based technology company in partnership with the Indian government. Two years ago Indian officials presented a "$10 laptop" which turned out to be a storage device.

It later pledged to develop a $35 laptop, which became the £22 tablet unveiled yesterday. It operates on Android's 2.2 operating system, has only 2GB of memory and its screen is spongy to the touch and temperamental. But at £22, it is £377 cheaper than the iPad 2 and £357 cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy.

Kapil Sibal, India's minister for human resource development, said on Wednesday the Aakash "is not just for us but all those who are disempowered, all of you who have no access, who are marginalised, who live on the fringes of society."

Suneet Singh Tuli, the device's creator, said in this sense the Aakash was the "anti-iPad", which appeared to be true when The Daily Telegraph tested it on Wednesday, but not in a good way.

This article was originally written on an Aakash, and while it connected to the internet, its word processing application deleted the content while "saving" it. "I'm so sorry," said Mr Tuli.

The world's digitally illiterate may be closer to crossing the divide, but the journey may take some time.

Reblogged: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

छोटी सी कहानीः हर दाने पर लिखा है नाम

बहुत पुरानी और परखी हुई कहावत है कि हर दाने पर खाने वाले का नाम लिखा होता है। सेठ जी को यकीन नहीं आया, सो साधू से बहस कर बैठे। देखो, नतीजा क्या हुआ। एक सेठ जी आंगन में बैठे कुछ दाने चबा रहे थे। तभी एक साधू उधर से निकला। उसने सेठजी से कहा - ‘कुछ भिक्षा मिल जाए।’ सेठी जी बोले- ‘जाओ-जाओ।’
साधू बोला - ‘भूखा हूं। खाने के लिए कुछ दाने ही दे दो।’
सेठ जी बोले, ‘दाने मुफ्त में नहीं मिलते। बच जाएंगे, तो दे दूंगा।’
साधू बोला, ‘एक व्यक्ति सभी दाने कैसे खा सकता है? दाने-दाने पर खाने वाले का नाम लिखा होता है।’

यह सुनकर सेठजी को क्रोध आ गया। वे बोले, ‘अपने आपको बहुत ही ज्ञानी समझते हो। इधर मेरे हाथ में पकड़े इस दाने को देखो और बताओ कि इस पर किसका नाम लिखा है?’ साधू ने मुस्कराते हुए कहा, ‘इस पर कौए का नाम लिखा है। यह दाना उसी का आहार है।’ सेठ जी बोले, ‘देखो मैं इसे खा जाऊंगा। कहां है तुम्हारा कौआ?’

ऐसा कहते हुए सेठ जी ने वह दाना मुंह में डाला, पर वह मुंह में न जाकर उनकी नाक में घुस गया। सेठजी की सांस रुक गई। लोग इकट्ठा हो गए। उन्हें वैद्य जी के पास ले गए। वैद्य जी ने फौरन चिमटी से सेठ जी की नाक में फंसा दाना निकाल दिया और पास ही फेंक दिया। तभी एक कौआ आया और वह दाना चोंच में दबाकर उड़ गया। साधू भी उस समय वहीं पर था। वह बोला - ‘देखो, उस दाने पर कौए का ही नाम लिखा था।’
सेठ जी की अकल ठिकाने आ गई। उन्होंने साधू से माफी मांगी और अपने घर ले जाकर आदरपूर्वक भोजन कराया।