Windows vista has number of memory management improvements including extensive use of lock-free synchronization techniques, finer-grained locking, tighter data-structure packing, larger paging I/Os, support for modern GPU memory architectures, and more efficient use of the hardware Translation Lookaside Buffer. Windows Vista also offers dynamic address space allocation for different workloads. Windows Vista also has four performance enhancing features SuperFetch, ReadyBoost, ReadyBoot, and ReadyDrive. Instead of discussing all of them in one post I will discuss each feature in a separate post. In this post I am discussing SuperFetch.

SuperFetch
Previous version of windows uses Standby List Management for managing physical memory. Standby List management has two limitations

1. For prioritization of pages relies on the past activities of processes and there is no mechanism for anticipating the future requirement of memory pages.
2. Data used by windows for prioritizing pages is only depends on the pages owned by the processes.

These two shortcomings can result in “after lunch syndrome” when computer is ideal for some time then some memory intensive processes may start running. Memory intensive processes can be antivirus scan or disk defragmentation processes. These processes overwrite their data to active processes cached data and code. When you again start working on the computer system you get the sluggish performance.

SuperFetch is implemented in %SystemRoot%\System32\Sysmain.dll as a Windows service that runs inside a Service Host process (%SystemRoot%\System32\Svchost.exe). SuperFetch relies on support from the Memory Manager. So now operating system can get the page usage history as well as Memory Manager can preload data and code from files on disk or from a paging file into the Standby List and assign priorities to pages. The SuperFetch service essentially extends page-tracking to data and code that was once in memory, but that the Memory Manager has reused to make room for new data and code. It stores this information in scenario files with a .db extension in the %SystemRoot%\Prefetch directory alongside standard prefetch files used to optimize application launch. Using this deep knowledge of memory usage, SuperFetch can preload data and code when physical memory becomes available.

Whenever any process exists or releases the memory, SuperFetch asks the Memory Manager to fetch data and code that was recently evicted. This is done at a rate of a few pages per second with Very Low priority I/Os so that the preloading does not impact the user or other active applications. SuperFetch also includes specific scenario support for hibernation, standby, Fast User Switching (FUS), and application launch. When the system hibernates, for example, SuperFetch stores data and code in the hibernation file that it expects (based on previous hibernations) will be accessed during the subsequent resume. In contrast, when you resume Windows XP, previously cached data must be reread from the disk when it is referenced.

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Microsoft Windows XP is still preferred operating system, instead of the fact that it has a number of security loop holes. When Microsoft started building Vista, there primary goal is to make an operating that can address most of security issues that are addressed in Windows XP. Windows Vista comes with a number of security improvements. It’s important for end user to understand how to use these new security features.

• Network Access Protection (NAP): Network Access Protection (NAP) is one of the most desired and highly anticipated features of Windows Server 2008. NAP is a new platform and solution that controls access to network resources based on a client computer’s identity and compliance with corporate governance policy. NAP allows network administrators to define granular levels of network access based on who a client is, the groups to which the client belongs, and the degree to which that client is compliant with corporate governance policy. If a client is not compliant, NAP provides a mechanism to automatically bring the client back into compliance and then dynamically increase its level of network access. Network Access Protection is complicated to setup but I think it’s a good idea to setup Network Access Protection. Step by step guide: How to Set up Network Access Protection.

• Turn on Phishing Filter: Make sure that Phishing Filter is turned on for all your desktop computers. The Phishing Filter combines a local (client side) system scanning for suspicious website characteristics with an online service. Phishing Filter checks website characteristics to common Phishing websites, warn if it finds any fraudulent and legitimate website.
  The Phishing Filter is not enabled by default—you must actively enable the feature the first time you use the browser after installation. You can enable and disable the Phishing Filter with just a single click at any time using the browser menus.
• Use Network Profiles: Windows Vista does not treat all network connections equally as compare to previous version of Windows operating system. Vista’s Network and Sharing center designate a networks as public, private or a domain network. Vista treats domain networks automatically when computer is used to login into a domain. It’s very important to select proper network network profile because vista implements various security features based on network type.
• Use Vista 64-Bit Version: Windows Vista’s 64-Bit version is more secure as compare to 32-Bit version. Vista 64bit version offers Data Execution Prevention feature. DEP is a security feature that can help prevent damage to your computer from viruses and other security threats. DEP can help protect your computer by monitoring programs to make sure they use system memory safely. If a program tries running (also known as executing) code from memory in an incorrect way, DEP closes the program.

This Post is created reading  a number of Microsoft Technet Articles.

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The government has made it mandatory for all broadcasters — representing about 350-plus television channels that are currently allowed to be beamed on cable and direct-to-home (DTH) platforms — to share their feed with Headend-In-The-Sky (HITS), IPTV and Mobile TV, the new cable distribution platforms that have emerged recently.

This is going to be a bonanza for the customers as they will now have the option of watching television programs through a multitude of platforms. The governments decision is expected to make possible the entry of many more players into the Indian market. With Dish and TataSky already locked in a head on battle for increasing their subscriptions, this decision by the government is going to take the already fierce competition one step ahead with the arrival of newer players. All these new technologies will eventually lead to a vastly superior viewing experience and reduced cost of service for the consumers. The arrival of DTH brought salvation to many a consumer, who had to earlier dance to the whims of their local cable walas. With the entry of corporates into this market the consumers have witnessed an overall improvement in the quality of service.

The decision was a shot in the arm for the Dish TV owner Essel group whose HITS venture was locked in a dispute with broadcasters like STAR, SONY for sharing their channels with HITS. This move will also make Subhash Chandra-promoted Essel Group the pioneer of private DTH (Dish TV) and HITS. Dish TV is the first private DTH company in the country launched in late 2004, while WWIL an Essel subsidiary will become the first cable company to have launched HITS starting July-end.

Similarly, operators of IPTV (Bharti, Reliance Communications and MTNL) or Mobile TV (Doordarshan) can now demand from the broadcasters any channel they want, even in the trial-phase, till an overall policy for all the new platforms comes out, an industry source said. The government is yet to bring out its policy on HITS, IPTV and Mobile TV.

Headend in the Sky (HITS) is a new cable distribution platform that is similar in its technology with DTH. But unlike DTH, where the television signals reach the end consumers directly via satellite, in HITS, the cable operator receives the channels via a satellite multiplex service and then pushes them to the consumers through a set-top box. At a traditional cable television headend, multitudes of satellite dishes and antennas are used to grab cable stations from dozens of communication satellites. In contrast, HITS combines cable stations into multiplex signals on just a few satellites; cable television companies can then pull in hundreds of channels at the local headend with relatively little equipment; the HITS feed effectively replaces the more complex traditional headend operations.

Mobile TV involves bringing TV services to the mobile phones. It combines the services of a mobile phone with television content. Mobile TV over cellular networks allows viewers to enjoy personalized, interactive TV with content specifically adapted to the mobile medium. In addition to mobility, mobile TV delivers a variety of services including video-on-demand, traditional and live TV programs. Another exciting opportunity for users is Mobile TV pod casts, where content is delivered to a user’s mobile on demand or by subscriptions. Stored locally on the handset, this content can then be viewed even when there’s no network connection. And a service provider can schedule the delivery to “off-peak” hours, for example during the night.

IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) is a system where a digital television service is delivered using Internet Protocol over a network infrastructure, which may include delivery by a broadband connection. For residential users, IPTV is often provided in conjunction with Video on Demand and may be bundled with Internet services such as Web access and VoIP. The commercial bundling of IPTV, VoIP and Internet access is referred to as “Triple Play” service (adding mobility is called “Quadruple Play”).

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The rampant practice of inflating one’s CV in the IT industry seems to have hit a major road block. TCS has just fired 20 employees at its Kolkata centre supposedly for their fake CV’s after background verification made hollow their claims. Even though it is common knowledge in IT circles that inflating one’s CV is rampant, still it is very uncommon to hear about employees being fired en-masse for fake CV’s. Earlier Infosys had asked close to 100 employees to leave in FY07 due to discrepancies found in the resumes. Some time back it was even reported that Wipro would be sharing with other IT firms the database of job applicants who have faked information in their CV’s.  This strong step sends out a clear message to all those job hopping professionals who till recently so unprofessionally inflated figures like their past salary, designation and in some bizarre cases even the technology that they may have worked on and still managed to get away with it!

The modus operandi of the people involved in the racket is extremely professional. There are people who create shell companies and let loose candidates in the industry who are supposed to have worked for these companies. The faking happens at all levels: companies worked for, experience, customer projects and sometimes academic qualifications. The fake CV racketeering is not just at the candidate level, but it’s a well-oiled machinery that’s operating which has to be handled.

In the recent past all the major IT firms, including Infosys, Satyam and Wipro, and many mid-sized firms have taken a hard stand on fake or fudged resumes. However, the incidents continue. First Advantage, a leading background screening firm, in its recent report states that 30 per cent of all the resumes they have screened have discrepancies. The company screened some 2 million resumes in 2006-07. And the problem is not just limited to the fresher level, it goes up to the senior level as well. "One of the leading IT firms was hiring a practice head. But after his background check it came to light that the gentleman with over 20 years of industry experience had fake IIT certificates," says a spokesperson from a leading background screening firm in India.

One praise worthy solution to tackle this problem has come from the industry body Nasscom, which created the National Skills Registry (NSR), which has a candidates personal, academic and employment details and undergoes professional verifications. It had almost 160,000 registrations by 2007 end.

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Applying tweaks on your Vista operating system is good idea but it’s also a good idea to monitor the effects of tweaks that you have been applied on Vista. The Reliability Monitor provides a graph over time so you can see how each action might have affected the running of your PC. Launch it by click Start, typing performance information and pressing [Enter]. Select Advanced tools from the left-hand pane and click Open Reliability and Performance Monitor. Select Reliability Monitor and view the graph to see what’s been going on behind the scenes.

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Pirated software’s are hurting software industry, software partners and environment partners. Pirated software’s are now reach from home users to corporate users. A new white paper on the piracy phenomenon authored by market analysis company IDC and sponsored by Microsoft and the International Association of Microsoft Certified Partners identifies no less than nine reasons which fuel software piracy.

Pirated software’s can be installed using peer-to-peer file sharing, black market via bootlegged media or Installed as genuine solutions. Pirated software’s are often cheaper then genuine software. Complex licensing is also a big factor for pirated software’s.

Here are the nine reasons as outlined by IDC for Microsoft:

1. As a deliberate attempt to save money

2. The pirated software came bundled with the hardware

3. Cash flow issues… the customer has the money, just not today

4. Procurement policies that burden IT staff. Who then use demo products to solve immediate IT needs

5. Company operations that grow faster than procurement increases legitimate licenses

6. An initial solution that has pirated software bundled into it, and when the company goes to upgrade it can’t afford the sudden cost to become legal

7. A master license agreement that is negotiated elsewhere in the company than where the software is used - confusion between implementers and procurement

8. Easily available demo or trial software that ends up deployed as production software; the vendor may never follow up

9. Vendor licensing programs that are too complex, users just give up.

Technorati Tags: Software Piracy

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Ratproxy is a semi-automated, largely passive web application security audit tool. It is meant to complement active crawlers and manual proxies more commonly used for this task, and is optimized specifically for an accurate and sensitive detection, and automatic annotation, of potential problems and security-relevant design patterns based on the observation of existing, user-initiated traffic in complex web 2.0 environments. The approach taken with ratproxy offers several important advantages over more traditional methods:

• No risk of disruptions. In the default operating mode, tool does not generate a high volume of attack-simulating traffic, and as such may be safely employed against production systems at will, for all types of ad hoc, post-release audits. Active scanners may trigger DoS conditions or persistent XSSes, and hence are poorly suited for live platforms.

• Low effort, high yield. Compared to active scanners or fully manual proxy-based testing, ratproxy assessments take very little time or bandwidth to run, and proceed in an intuitive, distraction-free manner - yet provide a good insight into the inner workings of a product, and the potential security vulnerabilities therein. They also afford a consistent and predictable coverage of user-accessible features.

• Preserved control flow of human interaction. By silently following the browser, the coverage in locations protected by nonces, during other operations valid only under certain circumstances, or during dynamic events such as cross-domain Referer data disclosure, is greatly enhanced. Brute-force crawlers and fuzzers usually have no way to explore these areas in a reliable manner.

• WYSIWYG data on script behavior. Javascript interfaces and event handlers are explored precisely to a degree they are used in the browser, with no need for complex guesswork or simulations. Active scanners often have a significant difficulty exploring JSON responses, XMLHttpRequest() behavior, UI-triggered event data flow, and the like.

• Easy process integration. The proxy can be transparently integrated into an existing manual security testing or interface QA processes without introducing a significant setup or operator training overhead.

Visit Ratproxy Website

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Four new Windows SideShow gadgets are now available for download.

• 1. Browse the TV Guide and schedule recordings. Browse Recorded TV by thumbnail.
     • Browse TV and schedule recordings. Browse the TV program guide, view metadata on upcoming or current shows, and pick shows to watch and record (single showing or series), without interrupting the TV viewing experience.
     • Recorded TV. Select a previously recorded program to play back, without interrupting the viewing experience on the TV.
  2. Browse your music library and control music playback.
     • Play Music. Browse the media library, control music playback on the PC by using the remote control device instead of the primary display, such as a TV.
     • Play radio presets. Browse your radio presets and playback that station through your Media Center.
  3. Browse Picture and Video libraries.
     • Browse the picture and video libraries.  Make a selection on the remote and that picture or video will be displayed on the TV.
  4. View “now playing” information and control Media Center with playback controls.
     • Provide “now playing” information. The remote control device shows information about the currently playing medium, such as the track title or the time elapsed.

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Installation Instructions
Gadget general information and known issues
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Gmail team seems to be working very hard to make their E-Mail service more secure. Recently Gmail team has introduced two new security features in Gmail. Gmail developers introduced Remote Sign out  and Better support for Phishing messages.

Remote Sign Out : Gmail users can sign into their Google account from different locations at different time. There might be possibility that users may forget to sign out from their Google account. At the bottom of your inbox, you’ll see information about the time of the last activity on your account and whether it’s still open in another location:

By clicking the details link users can see more details about their recent activities. Gmail users can also sign out all their active sessions.

Phishing Messages: Gmail does its best to put a red warning label on phishing messages but sometimes it’s very difficult for users to find the phishing E-Mails. Gmail supporting email authentication standards including DomainKeys and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) to verify senders and help identify forged messages. Now any email that claims to come from “paypal.com” or “ebay.com”(and their international versions) is authenticated by Gmail and — here comes the important part — rejected if it fails to verify as actually coming from PayPal or eBay. That’s right: you won’t even see the phishing message in your spam folder. Gmail just won’t accept it at all. Conversely, if you get an message in Gmail where the “From” says “@paypal.com” or “@ebay.com,” then you’ll know it actually came from PayPal or eBay. It’s email the way it should be. Gmail can easily reject as a fake anything that doesn’t authenticate.

Technorati Tags: Remote Sign out,Gmail,Ebay Phishing,Paypal Phishing

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Intel, the giant chip maker and longtime partner of Microsoft, has decided against upgrading the computers of its own 80,000 employees to Microsoft’s Vista operating system. According to insiders the company made its decision after a lengthy analysis by its internal technology staff of the costs and potential benefits of moving to Windows Vista, which has drawn fire from many customers as a buggy, bloated program that requires costly hardware upgrades to run smoothly.

“This isn’t a matter of ditching Microsoft, but Intel information technology staff just found no compelling case for adopting Vista,” the person said. An Intel spokesman said the company was testing and deploying Vista in certain departments, but not across the company. Intel’s decision is certain to sting Microsoft because the two companies have worked closely to align hardware and software from the earliest days of the personal computer. Indeed, the corporate duo is known as “Wintel” in the PC industry.

When a company as tech savvy as Intel, with full source code access and having written several large chunks of the OS, says no thank you, you know you have a problem. Well, everyone knows Microsoft has a problem, but it is nice to see it codified in such a black and white way though. Reassuring, like a warm cup of tea, or a public kick to the corporate crown jewels.

The Inquirer, a London-based technology website, was the first one to report Intel’s decision not to roll out Vista across the entire company. Intel is hardly alone in its reluctance to embrace Microsoft’s latest operating system, which was available to corporate customers in November 2006 and to consumers in January 2007. Large companies routinely hold off a year or so after a new version of Windows is introduced before adopting it, waiting for initial bugs to be eliminated and for applications to be written. “But by 18 months, you’d expect to see a significant uptake, and we haven’t seen that,” said David Smith, a Gartner analyst. “There’s not much excitement.”

His Gartner colleague, Michael Silver, said that about 30 percent of corporate customers skip any given new version of Windows. But the percentage will be higher for Vista, Mr. Silver predicted. Gartner’s corporate clients that plan to skip Vista, like Intel, do not see value of this upgrade, particularly since it requires new PC hardware at the time when the economy is weak and corporate budgets are tight. In the end, you have Intel flipping MS the bird, and telling them what they already know, Vista in undeployable by anyone with a grain of common sense.

There are more than 140 million copies of Vista installed on machines worldwide. Consumers and small businesses simply get the operating system that is on a new machine when they buy a PC, and that is Vista. Meanwhile, the Microsoft operating system engine chugs on, phasing out the old and proclaiming the new. The company reiterated this week that, despite some customer protests, it would halt shipments of the previous version of Windows, XP, to retail stores and stop most licensing of XP to PC makers next week. Microsoft also announced that the next version of its operating system, Windows 7, is scheduled to go on sale in January 2010.

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