DISCLAIMER: This is a one way process and all steps must be taken to ensure that data is backed up before attempting. The author is in no way responsible for loss of data or damage to disk, data, and the computer as a whole. Before beginning, become familiar with the following terms : FAT : File Allocation Table is a computer file system architecture that Bill Gates and Marc McDonald developed in the late 1960s and 1970s. It is the main file system in use for MS-DOS and the earlier Read More

Computer caches are memory circuits that serve to speed up a much larger memory drive. In a typical computer it takes the microprocessor 60 nanoseconds to access the RAM. To cut the time it takes for the microprocessor to access data from the RAM, a special memory bank or memory circuit is installed into the motherboard itself. This is called an L2 cache and it can deliver the needed data in 30 nanoseconds, which is half the speed of the main memory. Caches are small memory banks that serve to Read More

Bump mapping is a graphics technique that is similar to texture mapping. Its primary purpose is to make a surface appear rough, while texture mapping adds color to a visual polygon. Bump mapping adds significant detail to an object that would normally require many polygons to create a similar visual effect. It uses a minimal amount of computer resources to render the object visually. Bump maps are sometimes referred to as texture maps that are depicting light direction on the image. How does Bump Mapping Work? The bump mapping technique Read More

Palm Treo cell phones which run on GSM networks are often “locked” by the GSM carriers so that they cannot be used on another GSM carriers network. Unlocking can be done on GSM-based Treo phones such as the 650, 680, and 750. Unlocking does not apply to CDMA-based Treo phones such as the 700w. The Treo Unlocking Urban Legend There is a persistent, but incorrect, rumor on the Internet that you can unlock your Treo by pressing the key sequence *#*#1234# and then pressing the center D-pad button. The Treo Read More

The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a service that runs at the application layer of the TCP/IP protocol stack to dynamically assign IP addresses to DHCP clients, and to allocate TCP/IP configuration information to DHCP clients. This includes subnet mask information, default gateway IP addresses, DNS IP addresses, and WINS IP addresses. The DHCP protocol is derived from the Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP) protocol. The DHCP server is configured with a predetermined pool of IP addresses (scopes), from which it allocates IP addresses to DHCP clients. During the boot process, Read More

Remote Access Overview The Routing and Remote Access service (RRAS) is integrated in Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 and provides connectivity for remote users and remote offices to the corporate network. RRAS make it possible for remote users to perform their tasks as though they are actually physically connected to the corporate network. A remote access connection enables services such as file and print sharing to be available to remote users. To access network resources, remote access clients can use standard Windows tools. Dial-up networking allows a remote access Read More

RSVP (Resource Reservation Protocol) is a protocol used in VoIP to manage QoS (Quality of Service). RSVP works by requesting that required bandwidth and latency be “reserved” for the VoIP telephone call by every network device between the two endpoints. RSVP is defined in RFC 2205: Resource ReSerVation Protocol (RSVP). RSVP is a unicast and multicast signaling protocol, designed to install and maintain reservation state information at each router along the path of a stream of data. The RSVP protocol is used by a host to request specific qualities of Read More

NAT (Network Address Translation) is a technique for preserving scarce Internet IP addresses. Why NAT? The current Internet uses IP addresses in the form xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx. A sample IP address might be 202.187.4.212. Because of the way these IP addresses are allocated, there started to be a shortage of available IP addresses. The current IP (Internet Protocol) revision in use on the Internet is IPv4. IPv6 is largely a response to this potential IP address shortage. Unfortunately, IPv6 is going to take decades to implement. A much quicker fix was needed, Read More

Weather modification refers to willful manipulation of the climate or local weather. Research done in this field goes back to as far as the early 1940s when the US military experimented with cloud seeding to stimulate rain. Today, private corporations have joined the weather modification research effort to protect people, cities and assets from the damage extreme weather brings. Cloud Seeding History of Cloud Seeding Cloud seeding experiments started with the work of a scientist from General Electric named Vincent Schaefer who discovered that ice crystals can induce precipitation. Since Read More

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a collection of concepts developed Information Technology Services Management, IT development, and operations. What ITIL did was provide a description of different IT practices that were important. It took these important practices and applied a checklist to it that an IT organization could then tailor to suit its specific needs. It made things much easier for IT firms because they now could follow a comprehensive check list. ITIL Service Management ITIL service management is the support necessary to ensure that customers have access Read More