The Blue Box Geek Guide

Excel Writer Pear and Centos

2011-09-16T16:56:00.006+02:00

Dealing with 3rdparty modules can be difficult but at Blue Box we know how to fix them.

Recently I moved from an Ubuntu Server to Centos 5.6 server. Everything worked well except for one really annoying 3rdparty application that led us down a really black hole.

History
Spreadsheet_Excel_Writer

Spreadsheet_Excel_Writer was born as a porting of the Spreadsheet::WriteExcel Perl module to PHP.
It allows writing of Excel spreadsheets without the need for COM objects.

After 2 days of looking we found that when you install pear (yum install php-pear) it created File.php which was been loaded dynamically into php and ignoring the correct File.php in the bluebox 3rdparty engine directory. This meant when calling the Excel function it did not load all its required modules.

The fix. #rm /usr/share/php/File.php

Now we able to build excel spreadsheets again.

Keeping a eye!!

2011-05-06T15:10:00.003+02:00

Recently I have made use of a SaaS application called Server Density by boxedice.com it is really awesome web based app that monitors your servers in realtime and alerts you on events that you create. For instance I need to know when my Server load reaches 4.00 I get a email and if it gets to 6.00 I get a txt. Pretty handy when you need to manage many servers.

What is really handy besides monitoring the OS you can set triggers for services like apache and mysql.

The best part of this product is I can snapshot those events so If I am out of the office and the load spikes It will snap shot and email me a link to the snap shot telling me exactly what triggered the load. This is useful when trying to find out what scripts are killing my server farm!

The power of mobile is another plus in my life. Been a Open Source fan I love the Google Andriod push technology to get alerts on my phone.

How does this tie back to Blue Box 2.0. Well having to manage many servers you tend to lose sight of what is actually happening and this product is a niche fit to my growing network. To get Server Density installed on your BB 2.0 system drop us a line in the callcenter and we will assist you.

Geek Out :)

Raid

2011-04-11T17:16:00.003+02:00

Hardware raid on linux seems to have its moments. I spent 2 days fighting a raid card and eventually wrote it off. I have been running 90% of my servers on software raid1. This has proven very stable and reliable.

What I quiet enjoy is using reiserfs filesystem it seems to handle power outages as well with very little failure.

Some tips on Software raid

I always use raid 1.

I set the raid subset to boot in degraded mode (great when you can not access the console).

I set the swap and raid size exactly the same on both drives.

Weekly check the control using cat /proc/mdstat ;-)

When choosing software raid on Ubuntu use the alternative disk it is easier to configure at install level.

When you prompted for the guided partition

Setup manual partition
Follow this useful link.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/SoftwareRAID

Chat latter while I complete this server install :)

Backup Your Blue Box2 by Shell and store data remotely

2011-04-05T15:56:00.003+02:00

Hi Geeks

Tooday I will share a simple shell backup script. The purpose of this backup script is to enable you to backup your server data quickly without doing much. You can then FTP your www and Mysql database to a remote server.

I have chosen to download my backup my data to my local linux server. the local path is /backup

So firstly create a local store

#mkdir /backup

Now Create the backup script in the global bin directory

#cd /usr/local/bin

#vi backup

Add the backup script below and edit the variables to suit your server

Save the file. Set the permissions to be executed you can run a 777 should you wish then finally test it.

Before testing if you opted for FTP remote transfer enable ncftpd

#apt-get install ncftpd

Happy Backups

Simply edit your choices.

#################################################

## ##

## Backup Procedure Start ##

## ##

#################################################

LOG="/tmp/log.txt"

EMAIL="me@email.com"

CLIENTMSG="ServerName-Bkup"

DATESTAMP="`date '+%a%H'`"

DATEMKDIR="`date '+%A'`"

CODE="/var/www/"

BAK="/backup"

NOW=$(date +"%m-%d-%Y") # mm-dd-yyyy format

FILE="fs-full.tar.gz"

#* MySQL login user name *#

MUSER="root"

#* MySQL login PASSWORD name *#

MPASS="somepass"

#* MySQL login HOST name *#

MHOST="127.0.0.1"

#* System binaries *#

MYSQL="$(which mysql)"

MYSQLDUMP="$(which mysqldump)"

GZIP="$(which gzip)"

TAR="$(which tar)"

FTP="$(which ftp)"

ZIP="$(which zip)"

#*FTP Transfer Optional

### FTP server Setup ###

FTPD="My_Backup_folder/"

FTPU="myusername"

FTPP="mypassword"

FTPS="some.ftp.server"

NCFTP="$(which ncftpput)"

#############################################################################

# #

#Starting Backup System - Backup creates folders for the DAY #

# I.E. \\server\backup\DAY Of The Week (Tuesday) #

#############################################################################

#** Clean Up Load Files

/bin/rm $BAK/$DATEMKDIR/*

/bin/echo "Old data cleaned up" >> $LOG

/bin/echo "Database Backup Time Started" >> $LOG

/bin/date >> $LOG

###Mysql backup All databases

#$MYSQLDUMP $DBNAME > /tmp/$DBNAME.sql

/bin/echo "Database Backup Time Completed" >> $LOG

/bin/date >> /tmp/log.txt

/bin/mkdir $BAK/$DATEMKDIR

#* Start Backup Mysql

# get all database listing

#DBS="$($MYSQL -u $MUSER -h $MHOST -p$MPASS -Bse 'show databases')"

DBS="$($MYSQL -u $MUSER -h $MHOST -Bse 'show databases')"

# start to dump database one by one

for db in $DBS

FILE=$BAK/$DATEMKDIR/mysql-$db.gz

# gzip compression for each backup file

$MYSQLDUMP -u $MUSER -h $MHOST $db | $GZIP -9 > $FILE

done

/bin/echo "Database Backup Time Completed" >> $LOG

/bin/date >> /tmp/log.txt

#*Code Base Backup

$TAR zcvf $BAK/$DATEMKDIR/www.tgz $CODE

###ETC System Backup

$TAR zcvf $BAK/$DATEMKDIR/etc.tgz /etc

#### FTP Dump

cd $BAK

### Dump backup using FTP ###

#Start FTP backup using ncftp

ncftp -u"$FTPU" -p"$FTPP" $FTPS<

mkdir $FTPD

mkdir $FTPD/$NOW

cd $FTPD/$NOW

lcd $BAK/$DATEMKDIR/

mput *

quit

EOF

#**Mail

/bin/cat $LOG | mail -s $CLIENTMSG $EMAIL

FireFox 4 is here

2011-03-24T08:41:00.003+02:00

And after the hype of I.E. 9 and the millions of downloads posted by Microsoft Mozilla batted back and launched FireFox 4.

I installed it and noticed a vast difference in speed of load and general browser enhancements. They seem to have taken a lot of time into cleaning up the browser clutter and making tab flicking a lot faster. The general feel is a lot less clunky and more clean.

I managed to install all of my POS requirements back into version 4 with very little conflicts. The engine remained the same to me.

What I enjoyed was going from version 3.x to 4 kept my add ons. In a POS environment the Full Screen add on is one of my favorites so having this in 4 was a pleasure. They seem to also give you a bit more control over updates and settings, this is very useful in a large network environment where you need to restrict users from making personal changes.

I can say I am impressed and will continue to recommend firefox as the Blue Box 2.0 browser choice.

Date on your BB2

2011-02-18T15:43:00.005+02:00

BB2 uses date from the server time stamp. On a traditional BB2 server the date is normally set by typing

#date -s "hh:mm:ss dd:mm:yyyy"

Also bear in mind Time Zones so to correct this on ubuntu type

#dpkg-reconfigure tzdata

This will allow you to correct the time zone of your bb2 server

Also have a look at your bb2_config.php file in the engine/conf/ direcorty you can control your date by time zone using php time zones.

Prevent Bots from searching your Portal DATA

2011-02-04T15:50:00.002+02:00

Because bb2 is web based the chances of a web boot (like google) caching some data files stored in your portal directory is very likely. In order to bypass your core data been available to the world add the following the the route of your web_folder in this case we will assume bb2 is installed in

/var/www

Within the the /var/www directory add the following to the .htaccess file

IndexIgnore *

This file needs to be saved now. Once saved your subdirectories will no longer be brows eable to the world.

Upgrade your Blue Box Ubuntu OS

2011-01-28T18:58:00.001+02:00

Quick update

If you need to update your OS online simply run

#apt-get update

#apt-get upgrade

Well let it run reboot and you on the latest distro Simple as that

Why Web Business Solutions

2011-01-19T11:22:00.008+02:00

So why would you choose a web based application. This is normally the question that runs through many technology officers heads when making that big purchase. Well my answer is simple. To super charge your business...

Choosing the right solution is always difficult. Not only do you need to ensure your software choice will be compatible with the current hardware and software infrastructure in your business. You also need to ensure the use ability and adaptability of it in your business.

Over the past few years we have seem a massive take up of “The Web”. With broadband been more accessible to many countries and applications like Twitter Facebook and MySpace running into the TOP3 used websites. Business Powered systems have also taken the major leap towards the area of Hosted Business Systems. Fortunately at Blue Box we started in this Sphere 10 years ago with Blue Box Ver1.5, and as browsers and Web 2.0 became more apparent we rapidly developed Blue Box 2.0.

A web based business system is a reality. From a start-up to a multibillion dollar corporation you can deploy these services at a click. Gone are the days of Massive IT departments having to deploy machines and version control software roll outs. With web development as an ITO your version control is managed at a central point. Distribution of software no longer a costly exercise or does it require massive process management.

You able to deploy to any environment with a web browser. So whether it is Mac Microsoft or Linux you able to make use of what you have.

Rapid Application Development is probably the biggest plus to web based business solutions. The ability to quickly change your solution and adapt it to your needs without having to stop your business will increase your operations.

From a CEO point of view the whole work any where at anytime will be the highlight of your choice. From the back of a limo to the terminal at the airport you can get sales figures update your company news check your sales force and setup new customers. Bit limiting if all of this can only be done at the office? You have now turned your teams Iphone or Blackberry into a super charged business investment.

In a nutshell what does web based applications give you.

Greater ROI
Reduced IT support
Capitalize on lower hardware outlay
Hosted infrastructure
Reduce administration costs
Rapid Application Development
Centralized data storage
Faster reporting
Reduced IT Training

Faster deployment and business growth!!!

This post was written on a Dell Vostro laptop using Google Chrome from a broadband connection at the Blue Box Business Park ;-)

Ubuntu 10.4 and backporting

2010-07-29T14:48:00.004+02:00

I upgraded a clients server to Ubuntu 10.4 last night. Well all was going well until I realised that the latest version of Ubuntu uses php version 5.3. Blue Box 2.0 has been developed on Php Version 5.2 and is in Beta testing on 5.3.

I was left with the desicion of either downgrading the O.S. (Operating System) or back porting the packages. I chose to back port. It is pretty straight forward process, you need to do the following.

Install Apache2

apt-get install apache2

Install PHP manually using dpkg

I downloaded php manually using the ZA servers http://za.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/p/php5/

Remember when you start to ensure you use the same version and architecture version.

php5-cli_5.2.10.dfsg.1-2ubuntu6_i386.deb

php5

version 5.2.10

Arch i386

Files required were

php5-common
php5-gd

php5-mysql
libapache2-mod-php5

php5-cli (if you require php at a command interface level)

Once downloaded you simply need to install one by one.

dpkg - i php5-cli_5.2.10.dfsg.1-2ubuntu6_i386.deb

dpkg - i php5-common_5.2.10.dfsg.1-2ubuntu6_i386.deb

dpkg - i php5-gd_5.2.10.dfsg.1-2ubuntu6_i386.deb

dpkg - i php5-mysql_5.2.10.dfsg.1-2ubuntu6_i386.deb

dpkg - i libapache2-mod-php5

Once done ensure to edit php.ini up your memory limit to at least 512M set your ioncube loaders zend_extions path and up your execution time limit to at least 300 for long script processing.

Now that this is done simply restart apache

/etc/init.d/apache2 restart and your system will now run php 5.2 back ported on Ubuntu 10.4

Wayne @ Blue Box

The I.T. Guy.. Listening to good music..
d-..-b

Choosing the right fit

2010-06-23T16:49:00.000+02:00

Something’s to consider when implementing a Blue Box system. When implementing a system the first thing an ITO thinks about is hardware, cost, location. These factors compounded with the stress of a new system, is probably one of the mitigating factors that delay most implementations from going live quickly.

With a Blue Box business system these factors can be reduced to assist the implementation team in making their decision. Because the technology is web based, and uses open source fundamentals the total cost of ownership (TCO) makes our technology a lot more palatable. Moving forward your first choice is simple hosted or in house.

In House:

This is the most practical solution for many clients as they feel their data is safer in the comfort of their server room, well this is a misconception. Here are some things to consider.

Cost of Hardware a decent server to run the BB2 platform will probably set you back in the region of R15 000 – R20 000 (South African Rands). This would be a Xeon 2.8, 4Gb ram, 500GB Sata Raid 0/1, DVD Rom.

Security – Your server is subject to all kinds of security issues, Physical theft is the most common factor to consider. Damage to hardware due to acts of God yes I came in one day and the roof gave in flooding my server room it happens. Malicious damage by staff, disgruntle staff have been known to take a hammer hose pipe or what ever they can find to your machine. Continuous Software updates and upgrades.

Firewall and network security.

Downtime this could be related to a number of factors like Hardware failure, theft again, network failure and many other factors.

Backups unless you have your own IT department who sits and focuses on your data backups this is the biggest downside to in house servers.

On the plus, hosting in house means faster network speed to your server. The peace of mind that you data is secure. Internet outages are not a major concern. Provided you have the right network equipment in place remote access is possible due to web based technology.

When considering in house hosting I always challenge clients to think outside their current solution and infrastructure spectrum. My challenge is always to make the use of technology. Consider going green. Look at virtualization. It is popular solution. One hardware device to manage with all your servers. Add a second server and replicate between them.

Hosted

As part of Blue Box corporate growth as well as living up to what we preach we have opted for this solution so apologies for a biased point of view.

The primary reason I opted for this solution is because we are a Global Company with many branches and users working remotely. A fully web based system makes it easy for the users to obtain data using any platform be it PC, Mobile Phone or PDA device and from any network location.

When choosing a hosted solution these are the characteristics I looked for.

Location where is the server located? We have a number of servers scatted globally. The host a variety of web sites and generally I use the United States and United Kingdom for hosting as access to these servers are relatively quick from any location in the world.

Support was a critical factor as now my corporate lively hood is on some ones network. So I checked their SLA’s and discovered one I felt comfortable with. Been the geek that I am I even called them during midnight to see if they answer calls.

Uptime most of the providers have uptime reports although 90% boast a 99.9% guarantee with a cash back for outages.

Hardware response was critical. When we did experience a hardware crash the server was swapped out and rebooted within 1 hour not bad compared to keeping your own spares in your office.

Backups, most providers offer a mirrored sql database and data sync so in the event of a disk failure they simply restore the data, there is obviously more downtime however the same will occur in a in house scenario.

TCO because I do not own the hardware I simply pay monthly for a solution that is scalable without any Capital expenditures (capex) concerns should I need to upgrade outside of the hardware life cycle. This is a real plus as most financial directors cringe at the site of their ITO’s when a new server or network system is released.

Software updates and upgrades are some one else problem reducing the requirement for expensive in house IT technicians to maintain your solutions.

In general if you looking at a web based solution for your business, you silly not to consider a Greener hosted solution. It is the way of the future; with other applications like Amazon Cloud Elastic Compute you can now make use of Geo located servers and data stores for even further redundancy, data security and pay per usage solutions.