Seconds ticked away to minutes, minutes turn to hour, hours passed more slowly before becomes day, and day by day has passed until it already at the end of year 2007.
Globally and nationally, so many events happened during 2007 that it will be put into the history chapter of the planet Earth. The war of terror keep going on with one by one US allies withdrawing their soldiers from Afghanistan and Iraq. Soldiers keep dying in worthless battle to control energy sources. Bersih movement that with the threat from police, and ministry amazingly can gather enough people to participate in the peaceful march. Hindraf ultimatum that sicken me although I can understand why Hindu Indian have to resort to do the protest. The death of Benazir Bhutto that shock the world. The protest by Myanmar's monks and citizens towards the junta's government. And lots of other events that I think will be covered by all media around the world.
2007 is among the best year for me. I went to Japan in the earlier days of 2007 for ITAC courses. Meet a lot of nice people there. And also the trip there is unforgettable. Lots of thing occured during the courses that much of it I didn't write (or didn't has time to write) in this blog.
When I return from Japan, my boss asked me to represent him to PRAGMA's meeting in Bangkok. Of course I agreed because I've never been to PRAGMA's meeting. Meet A and Walisa there although we just manage to have a dinner together. A and Walisa, when you come to Malaysia, contact me. I will try to meet you.
Return from Thailand, there is a crisis happened that need to be settled. Give my best to settle the problem (but cost me a week time).
Work in 2007 keep piling although I think I'm happy with it because I passed PTK 1 with Level 3. QUite good for someone who just take PTK exam.
I've been trusted with more responsibility in my projects. Made a lot of purchase and help lots of my colleagues and friends during the year. From hard disk to servers to rack, I've bought it all.
Although I got more work and responsibility, I'm really happy with it. I've got 2 helpers that can do work well. The help me a lot in inventory management and every tiny things in our projects. We always got informal meetings (we never had any formal meetings this year), after I take over the project. Incidentally, I manage two projects this year with my 2 friends and colleagues become my assistant.
My private life is blessed with the birth of Danial on 30th June at Hospital Sungai Buloh. I can't contain the excitement in me when I saw Danial for the first time. He open his eyes for a moment and then he went back to sleep. Danial's arrival into this world also bring happiness to both my parents and in laws. Although they didn't said it a loud, but from the way they care for my son, I know they really happy.
I meet and know a lot of people this year. Most of it in IT. But I meet a bunch of nice people from the game I play on the Internet. I play three games this year. Star Wars Combine, Imperial Online, and Tribal Wars. I also built my city online this year.
This year also bring sadness in my life. 2 people that I loved is passed away this year. My grandfather from my father's side and my aunt from my mother's side is passed away. Although I already accepted the fact for some years already (my grandfather's had heart problem while my aunt had a stomach's cancer), but it still sadden me when they passed away.
The floods that occurred at the end of this year worried me a lot. The flood water came into both my grandfather and my dad's home. But luckily no one (that I know) hurt. Because of the flood I had to cancel the plan to celebrate Eid at my parents home.
Anyway, the year is almost over. I will miss this year like I miss the years past.
Goodbye 2007 and welcome 2008.
Danial @ Putrajaya
We went to Putrajaya yesterday (23/12/2007). We went there with my in-laws, brothers and sisters in laws. Just went there to see the view. These is the third time I went there. Anyway, I don't want to write a long entry for this post. Just enjoy the pictures.
I really tired after that. I still feel the tiredness until today.
I really tired after that. I still feel the tiredness until today.
Vundo - Part 2
Remember that I've written about my laptop been infected with trojan(s)? Well, I've clean the trojan from my laptop.
After several attempts using HijackThis and several other security tools failed, I finally wanted to give up. Until someone proposed to me to use Avira Antivirus. So, I thought, why not since I've tried using most of my security toolkits without any success.
The nice thing about Avira compared to Avast is that, Avira can detect virus, trojans, worms and etc in .dll files while Avast can't (maybe Avast Pro can). But since Avira does not has scan during rebooting facility like Avast, so, it can't remove the trojans although it can stop the trojans from taking over my laptop.
Anyway, that's fine to me. Then I reconfigure my IE not to accept ActiveX add-ons without my permission. Although it can't stop the current trojans but at least I know the bad 'things' will be hard to get into my laptop for a while.
Why I can't remove Vundo? It is simple. It stuck to Winlogon.exe like parasite plant stuck to the tree. Everytime Winlogon.exe is launched (which mean every single time you login into your Windows XP whether in normal bootup or in safe mode), Vundo will also be launched. The creator of Vundo is smart I think because it keep changing the filename of Vundo each time it try to make contact to the outside world. The firewall built into the Windows will not care about this program since it using the HTTP port to make a connection. As you know, most firewall will not block HTTP port unless you explicitly asked it to.
Then I encounter with RegistryBooster version 2 program. It is a trial version. But it can detect unused registry key including registry key use by Vundo. But trial version only can remove 15 'bad' entries from your registry. I side-stepped the limitation by patching the software. But it can't totally stop Vundo. But I can live with it since Avira, RegistryBooster, Spybot S&D, Ad-Aware and HijackThis will make sure the trojans will be confined in my laptop.
But still when I'm doing something important, suddenly the Vundo's message popup. Its disgusting and not to mention it popup during unsuitable time (like when I'm teaching security class. Can you imagine it, the security 'expert' has trojan in his laptop). Suddenly my friend advised me to use Trojan Remover. At first it didn't remove the Vundo because I'm not stopping IE and Explorer processes. So, I tried for the second time. Miraculously its work.
Now my laptop does not has any Vundo anymore. The software fix my Winlogon.exe. Maybe I will consider to buy the application as my appreciation in cleaning my laptop.
So, the final score is me 2 and Vundo 1. Bye bye Vundo. See you later.
After several attempts using HijackThis and several other security tools failed, I finally wanted to give up. Until someone proposed to me to use Avira Antivirus. So, I thought, why not since I've tried using most of my security toolkits without any success.
The nice thing about Avira compared to Avast is that, Avira can detect virus, trojans, worms and etc in .dll files while Avast can't (maybe Avast Pro can). But since Avira does not has scan during rebooting facility like Avast, so, it can't remove the trojans although it can stop the trojans from taking over my laptop.
Anyway, that's fine to me. Then I reconfigure my IE not to accept ActiveX add-ons without my permission. Although it can't stop the current trojans but at least I know the bad 'things' will be hard to get into my laptop for a while.
Why I can't remove Vundo? It is simple. It stuck to Winlogon.exe like parasite plant stuck to the tree. Everytime Winlogon.exe is launched (which mean every single time you login into your Windows XP whether in normal bootup or in safe mode), Vundo will also be launched. The creator of Vundo is smart I think because it keep changing the filename of Vundo each time it try to make contact to the outside world. The firewall built into the Windows will not care about this program since it using the HTTP port to make a connection. As you know, most firewall will not block HTTP port unless you explicitly asked it to.
Then I encounter with RegistryBooster version 2 program. It is a trial version. But it can detect unused registry key including registry key use by Vundo. But trial version only can remove 15 'bad' entries from your registry. I side-stepped the limitation by patching the software. But it can't totally stop Vundo. But I can live with it since Avira, RegistryBooster, Spybot S&D, Ad-Aware and HijackThis will make sure the trojans will be confined in my laptop.
But still when I'm doing something important, suddenly the Vundo's message popup. Its disgusting and not to mention it popup during unsuitable time (like when I'm teaching security class. Can you imagine it, the security 'expert' has trojan in his laptop). Suddenly my friend advised me to use Trojan Remover. At first it didn't remove the Vundo because I'm not stopping IE and Explorer processes. So, I tried for the second time. Miraculously its work.
Now my laptop does not has any Vundo anymore. The software fix my Winlogon.exe. Maybe I will consider to buy the application as my appreciation in cleaning my laptop.
So, the final score is me 2 and Vundo 1. Bye bye Vundo. See you later.
If I am a millionaire
I will settle all my debts
I will buy another home for my family
I want to buy a car each for my dad and father-in-law
I will put several thousand each for me and my wife younger siblings so they can use the money to further their study
I want to put more fund into my unit trust
I want to spend my holiday at Japan
I want to buy a Toyota Vios for me and wife
I want to start my own business
I will remove all ads from my blog
So, pray for me so I can win RM1 million from TM. :P
I will buy another home for my family
I want to buy a car each for my dad and father-in-law
I will put several thousand each for me and my wife younger siblings so they can use the money to further their study
I want to put more fund into my unit trust
I want to spend my holiday at Japan
I want to buy a Toyota Vios for me and wife
I want to start my own business
I will remove all ads from my blog
So, pray for me so I can win RM1 million from TM. :P
How to create user in Rocks
Creating user in Rocks is simple. And also because of the availability of lots of scripting tools build into the operating system made exporting username and password to client nodes is much more simpler than before.
Before I use Rocks in my cluster, I had used Red Hat 7.0, 7.3, 8.0, 8.1, 9.0, Fedora Core, FC2 and Slackware 9, 10, and 11 in my cluster. Except Slackware 11 where I'm tinkering with LDAP to do some authentication, I used NIS (Network Information Services) to manage the authentication at client nodes. At those time, I'm not that good in creating script using BASH or CSH (still not good today). But I managed to create some script to add user based on input file.
So, back to the topic. How to create user(s) in Rocks? Simple.
1. Use useradd command to a new user.
$ useradd myUser
2. Create password for the user
$ passwd myUser
Changing password for user myUser
New UNIX password :
Retype new UNIX password :
passwd : all authentication tokens updated successfully
After you sending the particular to the user, remind the user to change the password. It is a good practice if you can integrate some sort of tools to test the strong'ness' of user's password.
3. Use command rocks-user-sync to send the user's details throughout the cluster.
$ rocks-user-sync
There are many output will be displayed to your screen. Don't panic. It's means the process work smoothly (unless it mentioned fail somewhere in the output)
4. Ask your user to try to login into the account. You can do the test by login into the account. Or if you create 100 or more accounts, you can pick random account to test. After you login into the account, test login into other nodes in the cluster by using ssh. Lets say I has a compute node name compute-0-0.
$ ssh compute-0-0
5. If the client didn't prompt password during login, its mean everything works fine. Or if its prompt password and you can successfully login without any problem, it also means everything works fine.
There are other test to run to make sure the user's accounts work fine.
1. NFS test
Copy any file into the user account in the main node (or any node). If the file appear in other nodes, so, NFS work fine. If not, contact your admin (or if you are the admin, please troubleshoot NFS) so, they can troubleshoot the NFS.
2. SGE test
note to self : please put some test for SGE
3. MPICH test
Before I use Rocks in my cluster, I had used Red Hat 7.0, 7.3, 8.0, 8.1, 9.0, Fedora Core, FC2 and Slackware 9, 10, and 11 in my cluster. Except Slackware 11 where I'm tinkering with LDAP to do some authentication, I used NIS (Network Information Services) to manage the authentication at client nodes. At those time, I'm not that good in creating script using BASH or CSH (still not good today). But I managed to create some script to add user based on input file.
So, back to the topic. How to create user(s) in Rocks? Simple.
1. Use useradd command to a new user.
$ useradd myUser
2. Create password for the user
$ passwd myUser
Changing password for user myUser
New UNIX password :
Retype new UNIX password :
passwd : all authentication tokens updated successfully
After you sending the particular to the user, remind the user to change the password. It is a good practice if you can integrate some sort of tools to test the strong'ness' of user's password.
3. Use command rocks-user-sync to send the user's details throughout the cluster.
$ rocks-user-sync
There are many output will be displayed to your screen. Don't panic. It's means the process work smoothly (unless it mentioned fail somewhere in the output)
4. Ask your user to try to login into the account. You can do the test by login into the account. Or if you create 100 or more accounts, you can pick random account to test. After you login into the account, test login into other nodes in the cluster by using ssh. Lets say I has a compute node name compute-0-0.
$ ssh compute-0-0
5. If the client didn't prompt password during login, its mean everything works fine. Or if its prompt password and you can successfully login without any problem, it also means everything works fine.
There are other test to run to make sure the user's accounts work fine.
1. NFS test
Copy any file into the user account in the main node (or any node). If the file appear in other nodes, so, NFS work fine. If not, contact your admin (or if you are the admin, please troubleshoot NFS) so, they can troubleshoot the NFS.
2. SGE test
note to self : please put some test for SGE
3. MPICH test
Danial @ Swiss-Inn Hotel
On 30th November until 2 December 2007, my family and I stay at Swiss-Inn Hotel Sungai Petani. I've got some work to attend at the hotel and I grab this opportunity to bring my wife and son along.
Because of the function, I've need to pay only RM140 per night. Because of the unavailability of normal room, they upgraded my room to junior suite (without any extra cost - thank you Swiss Inn). The room is the best room that I get. Before this, the best room is at Legend Hotel. The suite consists of 1 king size bed, 2 sofa, 1 'meja solek', 1 study table, 1 coffee table, bath tub with jacuzzi, and other accessories.
This is the first time Danial went to Sungai Petani and stay at hotel. Why I decided to bring Danial is to make sure he can adapt to any environment later.
Because some of the people stayed at the hotel know me, so during breakfast Danial got the usual attention given to him (anywhere we go). Even the waitress there carry Danial for a while around the restaurant (under my watchful eyes of course). So, these are a few of pictures that we managed to capture before the battery went kaput.
Danial really like staying at the hotel. He sleep quite a lot in the room. Maybe because the bed is bigger and also the availability of air-conditioner.
Because of the function, I've need to pay only RM140 per night. Because of the unavailability of normal room, they upgraded my room to junior suite (without any extra cost - thank you Swiss Inn). The room is the best room that I get. Before this, the best room is at Legend Hotel. The suite consists of 1 king size bed, 2 sofa, 1 'meja solek', 1 study table, 1 coffee table, bath tub with jacuzzi, and other accessories.
This is the first time Danial went to Sungai Petani and stay at hotel. Why I decided to bring Danial is to make sure he can adapt to any environment later.
Because some of the people stayed at the hotel know me, so during breakfast Danial got the usual attention given to him (anywhere we go). Even the waitress there carry Danial for a while around the restaurant (under my watchful eyes of course). So, these are a few of pictures that we managed to capture before the battery went kaput.
Danial really like staying at the hotel. He sleep quite a lot in the room. Maybe because the bed is bigger and also the availability of air-conditioner.
What I'm doing nowadays?
I'm not in the mood of writing blog this day. Always got a lot of nice ideas but when I logging into blogger, I can't write anything. Stuck most likely.
My laptop still got that Vundo trojan. Damn to the creator of Vundo. Damn to the people who spread it intentionally. Damn to the Microsoft who didn't fix known bugs in IE. Why I can't clean it? Because the trojan hooks to a critical process that can't be terminated and also load during safe mode.
My works keep piling now. There are about 200 data that need to be updated. 1 letter to write. 1 meeting report need to type. 2 meetings that need to be arranged. And not to mention lines of code that need to be debug and 2 web based system that currently on development. It seems everyday there will be a new request from user about something new. Adoi!
Danial is growing nicely. Did I mentioned that he already know how to laugh? And when my wife and I pick him from his pengasuh home, he will smile whenever he see us. Clever boy. Although I had to admit that sometimes he don't want to sleep at night.
Lack of sleep nowadays. Sleep at 11 but almost everyday Danial wake up at 2,3 or 4 a.m waiting somebody to play with him. Kalau kadang-kadang geram memang buat tak layan je. Then he will go back to sleep after 1 or 1 1/2 hour talking to himself.
I will spend this coming holiday (Hari Raya and Christmas) at my MIL and mum house. Already take the leave from 22 until 26/12. Most of my equipments will arrived before and after that.
Oh, do I also mentioned I'm a proud owner of c7000 HP Blade System? You should see it here. It working nicely although I think I need to buy replacement for fans in not too distance future.
What else? Oh, I'm always cursing nowadays. Blame it on people who park at our office carpark. The security office already printed a different sticker for us who work there. Suppose they put one guard there to allow only car with that sticker to park there or people who has business there. But now every fucking people who don't found any parking space at other place come to our place to park. The lack of parking space make me mad and also increasing my carbon emission since I go around the place to find a parking space.
My laptop still got that Vundo trojan. Damn to the creator of Vundo. Damn to the people who spread it intentionally. Damn to the Microsoft who didn't fix known bugs in IE. Why I can't clean it? Because the trojan hooks to a critical process that can't be terminated and also load during safe mode.
My works keep piling now. There are about 200 data that need to be updated. 1 letter to write. 1 meeting report need to type. 2 meetings that need to be arranged. And not to mention lines of code that need to be debug and 2 web based system that currently on development. It seems everyday there will be a new request from user about something new. Adoi!
Danial is growing nicely. Did I mentioned that he already know how to laugh? And when my wife and I pick him from his pengasuh home, he will smile whenever he see us. Clever boy. Although I had to admit that sometimes he don't want to sleep at night.
Lack of sleep nowadays. Sleep at 11 but almost everyday Danial wake up at 2,3 or 4 a.m waiting somebody to play with him. Kalau kadang-kadang geram memang buat tak layan je. Then he will go back to sleep after 1 or 1 1/2 hour talking to himself.
I will spend this coming holiday (Hari Raya and Christmas) at my MIL and mum house. Already take the leave from 22 until 26/12. Most of my equipments will arrived before and after that.
Oh, do I also mentioned I'm a proud owner of c7000 HP Blade System? You should see it here. It working nicely although I think I need to buy replacement for fans in not too distance future.
What else? Oh, I'm always cursing nowadays. Blame it on people who park at our office carpark. The security office already printed a different sticker for us who work there. Suppose they put one guard there to allow only car with that sticker to park there or people who has business there. But now every fucking people who don't found any parking space at other place come to our place to park. The lack of parking space make me mad and also increasing my carbon emission since I go around the place to find a parking space.
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