Slate

This would be the first of many posts to come, which I intend to put on the blog about my current work assignments. (I hope I do keep this resolution.)

For last 3 weeks I am involved in building an HRMS module which would enable a new online workflow in my organization. And of course the workflow and its related features will be built on Lotus Softwares. Though the complete solution is not pure Lotus and it involves an HR ERP built on Sybase/Powerbuilder as the main system. This Lotus based workflow is a subsystem which is tightly integrated with the Sybase backend. For the Lotus part we are using Lotus Workflow, Lotus Connectors and Notes.

The functionalities which are on Lotus Software will be used by a user base of 4000, though the transactions will be handled for 15000 employees, which include a large number of those who don't have access to PC/Lotus.

The objective of building this module on Lotus was to minimize the license requirements for Sybase and the organization can reuse their existing Lotus platform. Thus the users won't have direct connection with Sybase database.

This workflow is governed by a complex and huge number of Rules and Parameters, based on the group to which the employee belongs too. The workflow and the functionality on the Lotus are based on these Rules/Parameters, which are generated and stored in Sybase.

That's where the design challenge for this system is involved, but after 3 weeks of intense development the Application is taking shape and ready to be tested. Its really a Joy to see the code works.

Most of the friends in my group do think so. Over the week the debate has split us in two groups - A hard core Schumi backers and the last-year-schumi-fans-and-this-year-bashers. I am still of the opinion that its not over yet for Michael Schumacher.

He has been one of the best and most talented driver on F1 circuit and its 60 year history. Till last year he was unbeatable and the other teams just did not had any formula to break the Schumi-Ferrari dominance. This year though has not been so lucky with the Ferrari team. Lots of technical gliches had resulted in unqualified races for both Schumi and his teammate Rubens Barrichello.

But Schumi is still flying on the track. He has been the fastest driver in last 5 out of 6 races. So given a good car he will definitely roar back. But Formula 1 is all out about Team play and it matters alot on how the Technical Team and the Pit Teams deliver. Their performance effects the drivers on circuit.

And the season 2005 has just started and there are many races to wait and watch for.

With a host of services that now are part of Google, Google is search no more. Its fast running on to become your web portal. With the launch of Google Personalize at Google Labs, the company is testing a new tool to provide personalize view of various content and services that Google hosts.

Apart from search I am a regular user of various other google services which includes Google News, Gmail, Google Suggest, Search History, Web Alerts, Google as a word dictionary, Image Search, and sometime the Translation facility.

And all these features provides a very high value to the web users. Like Search History facility for an example, at times I am looking back and searching for a thing which I had in the past but now I am not able to recall the keywords used. So Search History helps in performing a Search Redo :)

Google News is another marvelous site as it saves lots of time for a web user in visiting various news websites looking for news. With Google News in single page you get to see content from thousands of news sources.

the dried leaves
that lay ahead
on the ground
so dead
went rolling
like a silvery stone
down on an icey river
which froze to heal the lone
and to shiver on its own..

From Kaheesha