eProvisioning: Get Your Business in Hand
Articles and Tips: article
01 Oct 2001
Does the word eProvisioning mean anything to you yet? In its simplest sense, eProvisioning is a technology--or more accurately, an intersection of technologies--designed to provide your company's employees, business partners, suppliers, and customers with precisely what they need precisely when they need it.
eProvisioning automates business processes to dramatically reduce the amount of time it takes a user to acquire the tools and network access needed to ply his or her trade. This user can be an employee or anyone with whom your company wants to do business. The tools this user needs can include anything from an e-mail account to a PC to a corporate credit card.
To automate business processes, eProvisioning systems integrate electronic systems that currently cannot share information. For example, an eProvisioning system can integrate your company's customer relationship management (CRM) system with its supply chain management (SCM) system. The CRM system can then notify the SCM system about how many products customers have ordered. (By integrating these two systems, your company can automate the process of purchasing production materials based on customer orders.)
eProvisioning systems can also automate manual processes such as the process of authorizing employee credit cards. Automating electronic and manual business processes can give your company a competitive advantage. For example, an eProvisioning system can cut the amount of time your company takes to make a newly hired employee productive from a matter of hours (or even days or weeks) to a matter of minutes.
Decreasing the amount of time it takes to make new employees productive can result in "a huge return on investment" for companies that implement eProvisioning systems, explains Phil Schacter, a network strategy service director for The Burton Group. (The Burton Group specializes in networking analysis, research, and consulting. For more information about The Burton Group, visit http://www.tbg.com/.)
eProvisioning systems also reduce the burden and cost of managing a host of business systems separately. For example, an eProvisioning system can use the information in a human resource management (HRM) system to create user accounts in an e-mail system. Because eProvisioning systems can automate the process of creating user accounts in various systems, your company can potentially pay only one person to enter and maintain user information in one place.
As you may expect, the more users your company adds to its network, the greater the payoff your company can expect from implementing an eProvisioning system. In fact, large companies may need to implement eProvisioning systems just to stay competitive.
If you work for a large company or if your company plans to add a large number of customers, suppliers, or partners to its network, your future as an IT professional may include managing an eProvisioning system. In this eventuality, the bad news is that you may be responsible for information that is currently someone else's responsibility. The good news is that if your company implements Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework, managing this eProvisioning system probably won't increase your workload. In fact, Jack Mullins, a service line manager for Novell Consulting, says that implementing Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework may actually decrease your workload.
THE FIRST STEP TO SUCCESS
Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework is a customized eProvisioning solution that includes Novell and partner software and Novell and partner consulting. Because Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework is not a red-box product, it is available only through your company's Novell representative, Novell Consulting, or Novell partner consulting firms such as Cambridge Technology Partners (http://www.ctp.com/), Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (http://www.cgey.com/), and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (http://www.deloitte.com/). (Cambridge Technology Partners, a Novell subsidiary, is a business management consulting and systems integration firm. Cap Gemini Ernst & Young is a management and IT consulting firm. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu is a business assurance and advisory, tax, and consulting firm.)
Novell Consulting works with partner consulting firms to design an eProvisioning solution that meets your company's particular needs. To design this customized solution, these partner firms and Novell Consulting first assess and document the business processes and practices in which your company is currently engaged.
This assessment is the first step toward implementing your company's eProvisioning Solution Framework. Hence, Novell's consulting partners are "a very critical component" in Novell's solution, Tyler Crowder, a Net solutions campaign manager for Novell, explains. (For more information about the role Novell partner consulting firms play in Novell's eProvisioning solution, see "Novell Consulting Consults the Consultants.")
AN EPROVISIONING SOLUTION THAT LETS YOU PICK AND CHOOSE
The second step toward implementing your company's eProvisioning Solution Framework is deploying the solution. With Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework, you can plan and then deploy this solution in stages, rather than having to plan and deploy a full-blown eProvisioning system all at once. Depending on your needs, you can begin implementing one or more of the following types of Novell eProvisioning implementations:
An Employee Implementation
An employee implementation of Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework is an infrastructure that automates the process of creating, deleting, and synchronizing employee information across your company's systems and applications. For example, an employee implementation can automate the process of creating, deleting, and synchronizing user accounts across your company's directories such as Novell eDirectory, Windows domains, Active Directory, and directories running on Linux and Solaris servers. An employee implementation can also automate user-account processes in your company's e-mail system and the applications employees need on the job.
An employee implementation can also automate manual processes or tasks, such as the process of providing new employees with a telephone, PC, mobile phone, and badge. To automate manual processes, Novell Consulting incorporates these processes into a workflow system, such as Metastorm e-work. (Metastorm e-work is a business process automation tool. For more information about e-work, see the flash demonstration at www.metastorm.com/products/overview_index.asp. For more information about how Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework uses e-work, see "e-work Your Business Processes.") By automating these processes, an employee implementation can increase worker productivity.
In addition, an employee implementation can strengthen security. With an employee implementation, your company's employees have access to all of the information and applications that they need the moment they report for their first day on the job. Conversely, an employee implementation revokes this access the moment your company terminates this employee's employment (and thus disables this employee's user account in eDirectory).
A Customer Implementation
A customer implementation of Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework is an infrastructure that automates the process of providing customers with the information and services that they need when they need them. For example, a customer implementation can provide a customer with up-to-the-minute tracking information on his or her account balance.
A customer implementation can also customize the presentation of information and services based on customer preferences. For example, Novell and its partners created a customer eProvisioning solution that enables CNN Interactive's visitors to indicate the types of news and events that interest them most. The solution then uses this information to create a personalized version of the news for each visitor.
Partner and Supplier Implementation
A partner implementation of Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework is an infrastructure that can automatically provide your company's business partners with information and services that partners need. Similarly, a supplier implementation of Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework can provide your company's suppliers with information and services they need.
For example, if your company manufactures automobiles, a partner implementation can provide the automobile dealerships that sell these automobiles with access to information about automobile availability and price. With a supplier implementation, your company can also provide parts manufacturers with its latest production schedules. These manufacturers can then deliver parts where and when your company needs them.
The infrastructures for these implementations have at least two quintessential examples of Net services software in common--Novell eDirectory and Novell DirXML.
EDIRECTORY SUITS EPROVISIONING TO A T
Directory-based eProvisioning systems--particularly Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework--have clear advantages over eProvisioning systems that are not directory based. By storing and managing user identities, directory-based eProvisioning systems can put users at the center of your e-business strategy. You can then use these identities to control users' access to your company's network.
That is, directory-based eProvisioning systems can provide role-based, rules-based access to your company's network. With non-directory-based eProvisioning systems, on the other hand, you may need to manage user access to these systems through other, less efficient means such as access control lists (ACLs).
Of course, not all directories are equally capable of providing a foundation for an eProvisioning system. For example, according to a Gartner Group report called "Directory, Security and Provisioning Services: Foundation for E-Business," directories that support Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) provide a better foundation for eProvisioning systems than directories that don't support LDAP. (Novell commissioned this report from Gartner Consulting. For more information about Gartner, visit http://www.gartner.com/.)
LDAP directories store identity information that LDAP-enabled applications can access directly. Because these applications can access LDAP-compliant directories natively, an eProvisioning system that is based on an LDAP-compliant directory doesn't require specialized code to enable that access. Using an LDAP-compliant directory and LDAP-compliant applications can therefore simplify and accelerate the process of implementing an eProvisioning system.
In addition, directories that can accommodate a large number of objects--such as 100,000 or more objects--provide stronger foundations for eProvisioning systems than directories that can handle only a small number of objects. After all, an implied reason for implementing an eProvisioning system is to provide the scalability to conduct e-business. The more business partners, suppliers, customers, and employees your company adds to its network, the more your company benefits from automating the processes that provide these users with the tools they need.
Assuming that you are familiar with eDirectory, you probably know that it fits the definition of an eProvisioning-capable directory to a T. That is, eDirectory is fully compliant with LDAP 3, the most recent version of the LDAP standard. In addition, eDirectory can accommodate millions--even billions--of objects.
eDirectory also has an extensible schema: You can add objects and attributes that enable eDirectory to manage complex user identities. As a result, eDirectory can distinguish important differences between users. For example, eDirectory can distinguish the difference between users who are employees and users who are suppliers. eDirectory can then grant these users access to network resources accordingly.
In addition, eDirectory is cross-platform, so you can run the eDirectory tree that lies at the heart of Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework on virtually any platform that makes sense for your particular company. Novell Consulting creates this eDirectory tree to function as a "separate identity vault" that stores "all sorts of user information," Mullins explains. (eDirectory 8.5--the version of eDirectory upon which Novell currently bases its eProvisioning Solution Framework--runs on NetWare 5.1, Windows 2000 and NT, Linux, Solaris, Tru64 UNIX, and AIX. For more information about eDirectory, visit www.novell.com/products/nds.)
DIRXML: BECAUSE CYBERSPACE IS NOT A PERFECT PLACE
In a perfect world, all applications would be LDAP enabled and all directories would be both LDAP enabled and cross-platform. Novell could simply use a dedicated eDirectory tree to manage user access for its entire eProvisioning Solution Framework, and every application could use eDirectory as its authoritative source for user authentication and authorization. You would create only one user account to give a particular user access to every application that he or she needs. In other words, if the computing world were a perfect place, using standards-based software alone would enable you to provision users with the electronic information and applications they need.
Precisely because the world of network computing is far from perfect, the other core component of Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework is Novell DirXML. DirXML is a data-sharing tool that--as its name implies--uses eXtensible Markup Language (XML) and eDirectory to synchronize common data that reside in the directories and applications across your company's network. For example, DirXML can push a user's updated job title from your company's HRM application to the eDirectory identity management tree. (The eDirectory identity management tree is an eDirectory tree that is dedicated to managing the eProvisioning solution.)
To determine exactly what information gets pushed from a particular application to eDirectory (or vice versa), you create filters on the publisher and subscriber channels for application-specific DirXML drivers. These filters are XML documents that describe the data that can flow from the application to eDirectory and the data that can flow from eDirectory to the application. (For more information about XML, visit www.w3c.org/xml.)
For example, you can create a filter that includes an attribute for job titles. You create this filter on the publisher channel for the HRM DirXML driver. If a job title changes in the HRM application, the HRM DirXML driver then pushes that change to the eDirectory identity management tree.
Similarly, you can create a filter for telephone numbers. You create this filter on the subscriber channel for the HRM DirXML driver. When someone updates a telephone number in the eDirectory identity management tree, the HRM DirXML driver then pushes this change to the HRM application.
DirXML drivers also include application-specific shims, which use an application's native application program interface (API) to receive changes from that application through the publisher channel. In addition, DirXML uses these shims to push changes in eDirectory to the application through the subscriber channel.
With DirXML 1.0, if an application includes an API set that you cannot access remotely, you must run a DirXML driver on the same computer that is running the application. For example, PeopleSoft systems run on Windows 2000 or NT servers. Likewise, the PeopleSoft PeopleTools API set can run only on Windows 32-bit servers. As a result, you must run the DirXML driver for PeopleSoft systems on the same Windows 2000 or NT computer that is running the PeopleTools API set. (PeopleTools is an application development environment and API set through which you can access or make changes to PeopleSoft systems. For more information about PeopleSoft, visit http://www.peoplesoft.com/.)
Furthermore, you must run these drivers on a machine that is also running eDirectory and the DirXML engine. In other words, if you want to use DirXML 1.0 to synchronize information between your company's PeopleSoft HRM system database and the eDirectory identity management tree, that tree must be running on the Windows 2000 or NT server that is running PeopleTools.
Note: This server does not need to hold the root partition of the eDirectory tree. This server can hold the master replica or a read-write replica of the eDirectory tree.
The next release of DirXML (version 1.1) enables you to run eDirectory and the DirXML engine on any platform eDirectory supports, regardless of API restraints that certain applications impose. See Figure 2. (DirXML 1.1 will be released soon. For more information, see "DirXML 1.1: Synching With Style.") In other words, if you use DirXML 1.1 to synchronize information between PeopleSoft and eDirectory, you can run PeopleSoft on a Windows NT server and the eDirectory identity management tree and DirXML engine on an entirely different server, such as a NetWare 5.1 server. (For more information about DirXML, see "Too Many Directories? Synch 'Em With DirXML" and "Check Out That DirXML Engine," Novell Connection, May 2000.)
THE WAY THEY DO THE THINGS THEY DO
Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework uses DirXML to automate the process of creating user accounts. For example, DirXML automates user account creation for Freddie Mac. Novell Consulting and its partners created an employee implementation of Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework for Freddie Mac. As part of this implementation, DirXML automated user account creation based on Freddie Mac's own business rules and practices. (Of course, consultants from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu documented Freddie Mac's business rules and processes as the first step in creating the employee implementation.)
Specifically, based on information that Freddie Mac's HR department enters into its PeopleSoft database, DirXML creates new employees in the company's eDirectory identity management tree. DirXML also creates accounts in the company's NetWare user directory tree and its Lotus Notes system. The NetWare user directory tree gives users access to information and applications running on Freddie Mac's NetWare servers. (For more information about Freddie Mac, visit http://www.freddiemac.com/. For more information about this account creation process, see "Go With the DirXML Flow.")
More importantly, at least from a security perspective, Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework uses DirXML to synchronize user information and delete accounts. According to The Burton Group, one-third of the user-related information in the networks of large companies is incorrect. "It's incredible how much bad data there is out there," Schacter asserts.
This bad data could conceivably give users access to information and applications that these users should not be able to access. For example, suppose your company hires a new manager and, months later, determines that this manager isn't capable of performing managerial tasks. Rather than firing this manager, your company offers the manager a demotion, which the manager accepts.
When this employee was a manager, your company's eProvisioning system automatically granted his or her rights to confidential information, such as employee salaries and bonuses. If your company's eProvisioning system cannot automatically revoke these rights, this ex-manager may have access to this confidential information for weeks or even months, depending on who is responsible for revoking access to this information and how busy that person is. If the manager were fired and your company's eProvisioning system couldn't delete or disable all of his or her accounts, this manager could possibly use those accounts for an extended period of time to undermine the entire company.
By automatically synchronizing your company's user information across the entire network, DirXML can eliminate the problems bad or outdated data can cause. DirXML can also save your company the cost of hiring extra employees just to synchronize your company's user data. As Glen Knutti, Novell consultant, says, DirXML is "a money-saving move to keep your data clean and synchronized."
FLESHING OUT THE BONES
The employee implementation for Freddie Mac also includes Novell eGuide, a web-based application through which users can query and display information from LDAP-compliant directories. eGuide enables Freddie Mac's 12,000 employees to use a web browser to access selected information (such as names, office extensions, and pager numbers) about their colleagues.
eGuide accesses the eDirectory identity management tree to retrieve this information, which is always as current as the information in Freddie Mac's PeopleSoft system. The PeopleSoft system is the authoritative source for employee data.
In an employee implementation for a large banking firm, Novell Consulting configured the eDirectory identity management tree as the authoritative source for selected user data. This employee implementation (which automatically provisions resources for the firm's 30,000 employees) uses DirXML drivers for PeopleSoft to coordinate information from three separate PeopleSoft HRM systems. In most cases, these PeopleSoft systems provide the authoritative data source for this firm's eDirectory identity management tree.
However, this banking firm decided that in some cases, the users themselves are the most logical source for authoritative data. "[The banking firm] decided that since users are the best source for their pager numbers and cell phone numbers, the best way to update that information was to let the users do it themselves," explains John Hartmus, a Novell consultant who worked on this employee implementation.
eGuide can use LDAP calls to write information to directories as well as to read information from directories. Novell Consulting configured eGuide to enable employees to update this information in the eDirectory identity management tree. Novell Consulting then configured DirXML to make the eDirectory identity management tree the authoritative source for this information. (For more information about eGuide, see www.novell.com/products/eguide.)
Enabling users to update their own information makes good economic sense for this company, which spans several countries and includes thousands of users. This decision will make even better economic sense when the banking firm implements the second stage of its eProvisioning solution. The second stage is a customer implementation that expands the company's network to include more than 6 million users.
Depending on the company's particular needs, Novell Consulting or its partners will add other Novell products or partner products to this company's eProvisioning Solution Framework. (See Figure 1.) Novell Consulting may use the following products to expand the capabilities of the company's present eProvisioning Solution Framework:
Novell Account Management
Novell Modular Authentication Service (NMAS)
Novell Portal Services
Novell OnDemand Services
Although a detailed discussion of these products is beyond the scope of this article, a brief description of each product follows.
Novell Account Management: When You Can't See the Forest for the Trees
In Freddie Mac's employee implementation, Novell Consulting used a DirXML Driver for eDirectory to push selected information from the eDirectory identity management tree to the NetWare user directory tree. Suppose, however, that Freddie Mac also wanted to synchronize this information with its Windows 2000 and NT servers. Also suppose Freddie Mac wanted to automatically provision accounts on Solaris or Linux servers.
In this case, Novell Consulting could do one of the following two things:
Novell Consulting could configure the DirXML driver for NT Domain to provision accounts on the company's Windows NT servers. Novell Consulting could then configure the DirXML driver for LDAP to provision accounts on Linux and Solaris servers that use LDAP-compliant directories for local authentication. Finally, Novell Consulting could create a customized DirXML driver to provision user accounts on Freddie Mac's Windows 2000 servers. As you can imagine, building this solution could be a costly process. Before configuring and creating the DirXML drivers, Novell Consulting and its partners would first need to analyze and document the business rules and processes that define how and when user accounts are created on each platform.
Novell Consulting could deploy Novell Account Management, which enables you to create and manage user accounts on Windows 2000 and NT, Solaris, and Linux through your company's eDirectory tree. With Novell Account Management, you enter user information once in eDirectory, and Account Management uses that information to create and update user accounts on Windows 2000 and NT, Solaris, and Linux. By deploying only the DirXML Driver for NDS and Novell Account Management, Freddie Mac could automatically provision user accounts on its NetWare, Windows 2000 and NT, Linux, and Solaris servers. Specifically, the DirXML Driver for NDS could provision user accounts in Freddie Mac's NetWare user eDirectory tree. Novell Account Management would then use that information to provision user accounts on Windows 2000 and NT, Linux, and Solaris servers. (For more information about Novell Account Management, visit www.novell.com/products/nds/accountmanagement.)
iChain: Law Enforcement for the Net
iChain is a directory-based management product. You can use iChain to enable users to securely access your company's network over the Internet using HTTP. You do not need to set up a virtual private network (VPN). Because iChain is based on eDirectory, iChain also provides granular control over user access to your company's applications and information.
Support for eDirectory and other security features makes iChain "very much a web security system," Crowder explains. For example, iChain supports Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), allowing you to encrypt data as that data traverses the Internet from your company's network to users' browsers.
You can also configure iChain as an application-level proxy server. As a proxy server, iChain can deliver content--such as applications and information--to Internet users without giving those users access to your company's network. For example, Novell Consulting plans to use iChain when it implements the second stage of the large banking firm's customer implementation. In fact, Novell Consulting plans to configure iChain as a proxy server that delivers all of the applications and information (such as account information) that the banking firm plans to make available to its customers.
To authenticate external users, this proxy server will access an external eDirectory tree running within the company's demilitarized zone (DMZ). (A DMZ can include a server or small network that exists between a company's internal network and a public network, such as the Internet.) This external eDirectory tree will contain the minimum amount of user information required to provide granular access control to the information and applications that will be available to the bank's six million customers. iChain will then grant authenticated users access to internal information or applications based on those users' profiles in eDirectory.
Through a DirXML driver for NDS, the external eDirectory tree will receive user information from an eDirectory identity management tree that contains a complete store of user information. This eDirectory identity management tree lies inside the company's firewall.
Novell Consulting will then configure the company's firewall so that only the IP address of the iChain server is allowed to access the company's internal network. By using this configuration, the company only needs to create "one hole in the firewall rather than creating holes for six million users," Mullins explains. (For more information about using iChain, see "Novell iChain: How One Company Found Its e-Business Solution," Novell Connection, Aug. 2001, pp. 14-22.)
iChain can also give users single sign-on access to web-based applications and services. After a user authenticates to iChain through eDirectory, he or she can access web-based applications and services that require additional identity or authentication information without having to log in to these applications and services separately. When an authorized user accesses such an application or service, iChain automatically retrieves the user's credentials from eDirectory and passes those credentials to the requested application or service.
iChain 2.0 (the latest version of iChain) also supports XML-based form-fill authentication, which extends iChain's single sign-on capabilities to web-based applications that use forms to authenticate users. XML-based form-fill authentication enables iChain to provide authentication via digital certificates, tokens, and other means that are stored in LDAP-accessible fields in eDirectory. (For more information about iChain, visit www.novell.com/products/ichain.) To see how one company used iChain, see "Novell Products at Work."
Novell SecureLogin: Create a Singular Sensation
To give users single sign-on access to virtually all of the applications running on your company's network, you can add Novell SecureLogin to your company's eProvisioning Solution Framework. SecureLogin is password-management software that you install on Windows 2000, 98, 95, ME, and NT 4.0 workstations that are running Novell client software.
SecureLogin extends NDS and eDirectory User objects to include an attribute that can store encrypted usernames and passwords. (SecureLogin supports NDS 5.0 and above and eDirectory.) Using the login credentials stored in this attribute, SecureLogin can provide users with single sign-on access to a wide variety of applications, including the following applications:
Windows 32-bit applications
E-mail applications such as GroupWise, Lotus Notes, and Outlook
IBM and UNIX mainframe applications
SecureLogin can also provide single sign-on access to Telnet sessions, Citrix terminal sessions, terminal emulators, and web applications.
To provide this single sign-on access, SecureLogin listens for and responds to authentication requests from users' applications. When a user launches an application for the first time after you install SecureLogin, he or she must log in to that application as usual. SecureLogin then captures the user's login credentials and stores these credentials, encrypted, in the user's User object.
Henceforth, when this user launches this application, SecureLogin automatically retrieves these login credentials from eDirectory and provides them to the application on the user's behalf.
SecureLogin can also handle password changes. If a user's password expires, SecureLogin can automatically generate a new password that is based on your company's password policy.
By eliminating the need to remember multiple username and password combinations, SecureLogin can reduce the number of password-related calls that your company's help desk receives. Because each help-desk call can cost your company an estimated U.S. $25-50, SecureLogin can save your company "up to millions of dollars a year in help-desk costs," Mullins explains.
In addition, SecureLogin integrates with NMAS to provide single sign-on access to applications that require graded authentication, including biometric, digital certificate, token, or smart-card authentication. (NMAS integrates with eDirectory and enables you to require graded authentication for applications and information. For more information about NMAS, see the "NMAS: Authentication Services That Make the Grade" section below.)
For example, suppose an application requires a username and password combination and a thumbprint scan (which is biometric authentication). When a user launches this application, SecureLogin automatically provides the user's username and password combination. SecureLogin then prompts the user to provide his or her thumbprint scan. (For more information about SecureLogin, visit www.novell.com/products/securelogin/details.html.)
NMAS: Authentication Services That Make the Grade
Your company may require more than a standard username-and-password combination for authentication. For example, your company may require a username-and-password combination and a digital certificate before users can access its financial database. Your company may also require a digital certificate and a biometric login credential (such as a thumbprint scan). In other words, your company may require graded authentication.
If your company is planning to allow certain external or internal users to access confidential information, you can use NMAS to provide graded authentication for that information. NMAS enables you to create authentication policies in eDirectory that require a sequence of one or more login factors. (Login factors come in three varieties: what you know, such as a username and password; what you have, such as an X.509 digital certificate; and what you are, such as your fingerprint.)
You can then assign these authentication policies to specific applications or to NetWare volumes. For example, before a user can access files that contain financial information, you can require that user to use two login factors: a username and password and a fingerprint scan.
To allow your company's business partners to access top-secret product formulas, on the other hand, you can require three login factors: a fingerprint scan, a digital certificate, and a username and password. (For more information about NMAS, see "NMAS: It's What Spy Movies Are Made Of," Novell Connection, Feb. 2000, pp. 6-21.)
Novell Portal Services: Their Space, Your Place
If you plan to make applications, information, or other resources available to users over the Internet, you may want to consider using Novell Portal Services to personalize these users' experience. Personalizing users' experience can help your company establish stronger ties with users--whether those users are customers, employees, suppliers, or partners.
Novell Portal Services is a directory-based portal framework that enables you to personalize the information and services that users access via the Internet using protocols such as HTTP and SSL. You can also personalize the way this information and these services appear to users, based on the users' identity in eDirectory.
With Novell Portal Services, you can also enable users to customize their own information or applications. For example, with i-Login.net, Novell's in-house implementation of Novell Portal Services, users can customize the Stock Ticker gadget to display information about specific stocks. (Gadgets are services that can snap into the Novell Portal Services framework. For more information about Novell Portal Services, see "Novell Portal Services: A Better Way To Build a Desktop," Novell Connection, Dec. 2000, pp. 22-32 and "Novell Portal Services: The Tools You Need To Build a Better Desktop," Novell Connection, Jan. 2001, pp. 18-31.) For more information about other portal options, see "Novell Shouts Yahoo!"
Novell OnDemand Services: Directory-Based Thin Client Computing
Suppose your company employs salespeople who work on the road. If your company wants to include this sales force in its employee implementation, you may need to make applications that handle sales-related information available to these salespeople via the Internet. If these applications happen to be Windows 32-bit applications, you can make them available over the Internet using Novell OnDemand Services.
Novell OnDemand Services can deliver Windows 32-bit applications over the Internet to any user who has a standard web browser. That is, with Novell OnDemand Services, users don't need to worry about installing and maintaining client software--and neither do you.
Novell OnDemand Services delivers these applications, which are running on your network, in real time. As a result, your company's sales force can arm itself with the latest information. "The beautiful thing about Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework," Mullins explains, "is that it is based on real-time information."
Novell OnDemand Services also includes pricing schemes and use-tracking features. If your company provides applications to customers for a fee, it can implement a customer implementation that uses Novell OnDemand Services to deliver these applications. Because Novell OnDemand Services is directory-based, Novell OnDemand Services knows which users are salespeople who get their applications for free and which users are customers who pay for their applications.
In addition, Novell OnDemand Services is available as a gadget for Novell Portal Services, which enables you to integrate Novell OnDemand Services with the portal through which you provide other resources--such as information about your company's latest, greatest product. (For more information about Novell OnDemand Services, see "Novell OnDemand Services Simplifies the Delivery of eProvisions.")
If your company decides to implement an eProvisioning Solution Framework, Novell Consulting and its consulting partners can combine the products described above in many ways to create the particular implementation to fit your company. How seriously should your company be considering an eProvisioning solution?
That depends on how big your company is and how crucial it is that your company be able to put people to work fast. For example, Schacter cites a company that recently deployed an eProvisioning system. This company told Schacter that it hired three hundred temporary workers, and those workers were temporary because the company needed them immediately. Obviously, Schacter explains, "it was very important to that company to provision workers quickly."
If you work for a large company, analysts such as Schacter and Roberta Witty, a Gartner information security strategies research director, predict that your company may be in the process of implementing an eProvisioning system within the next five years. Since your company is probably already using Novell products, the eProvisioning system it implements could certainly be Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework. After all, your company is probably already familiar with the power of Novell eDirectory, which is the centerpiece of Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework.
Cheryl Walton works for Niche Associates, an agency that specializes in technical writing and editing.
Novell Consulting Consults the Consultants
To ensure that your company's eProvisioning solution is exactly what your particular company needs, Novell relies on partner consulting, advisory, and IT services firms such as Cambridge Technology Partners (www.ctp.com), Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (www.cgey.com), Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (www.deloitte.com), KPMG (www.kpmg.com), and PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pricewaterhousecoopers.com). These partner companies play a crucial role in designing Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework by documenting the business processes in which your company is currently engaged. For example, if your company needs an employee implementation, a Novell partner company may document and assess the steps that your company takes to recruit, hire, and then provision new employees.
Novell partner companies "go through all of the different business rules and document what those rules are," Jack Mullins, a service line manager for Novell Consulting, explains. The partner companies then turn these business rules over to Novell consultants, who use these rules to customize Novell DirXML drivers, which can help automate the processes that the business rules describe. (For more information about the role DirXML plays in Novell's eProvisioning Solution Framework, see the "DirXML: Because Cyberspace Is Not a Perfect Place" section on p. 12 of the main article.)
Novell partner companies are also often experts in business software and use this expertise to help Novell implement key parts of its eProvisioning Solution Framework. For example, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu used its PeopleSoft expertise to help Novell Consulting build a large banking firm's employee implementation. (To view the eProvisioning success stories of other Novell customer companies, visit http://developer.novell.com/nss/nss_esolution.jsp?solutionKey=7464.)
Specifically, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu configured the PeopleSoft message agent to queue specific types of employee information, which the DirXML Driver for PeopleSoft then pushes to the banking firm's eDirectory identity management tree. (For more information about PeopleSoft, visit www.peoplesoft.com.) This eDirectory identity management tree serves as an identity vault for users on the banking firm's network.
e-work Your Business Processes
Novell Consulting uses Novell eDirectory, Novell DirXML, and other Novell products to provision users with IT-based information and services. If this information and these services require prior authorization, however, Novell Consulting will probably use Metastorm e-work to automate the authorization process.
"DirXML can do very, very well with automating at a system level as long as there are no specific manager approvals that exist within" the business process that needs to be automated, Tyler Crowder, Novell Net solutions campaign manager, explains. "Metastorm e-work comes into play to help automate approval-oriented business processes."
Novell Consulting also uses e-work to automate other, non-IT-based manual business processes, such as the process of getting approvals to open a job requisition or providing new employees with a desk, mobile phone, and PC. For example, Novell uses e-work in Zero-Day Start (which is Novell's internal employee implementation of the eProvisioning Solution Framework) to automate the process of hiring new employees.
As Mark Reed, senior business development manager for Metastorm, explains, "e-work is a business process automation tool or workflow tool" that includes the e-work Designer. The e-work Designer, which is a graphical tool for mapping business processes, includes a forms creation tool for creating business forms. You use these tools to create applications that can automate your company's particular manual business processes. In other words, Reed adds, e-work is "primarily a rapid application development platform. It doesn't necessarily do anything out of the box."
e-work runs on Windows 2000 and NT and integrates with Novell eDirectory via Novell DirXML or Metastorm's data extraction utility. e-work works with NDS 8.0 or above. The integration between e-work and eDirectory allows companies to manage the users and roles within e-work. In addition, e-work can prepopulate business forms with identity information that is stored in eDirectory. e-work also integrates with Novell GroupWise 5.5 or above and Microsoft Outlook 98 or above.
The following example demonstrates how Novell Consulting may deploy an e-work application to automate the task of requesting and granting leave time:
Novell Consulting or a partner consulting company documents the company's leave-time procedures and policies. Novell Consulting then uses the e-work Designer to create a process map. This map reflects the business rules that determine how this leave-time information will progress through the e-work application when a user submits a request for leave.
Novell Consulting uses the Designer's forms creation tool to create a leave request form that pulls information from an eDirectory identity vault to prepopulate selected fields on this form. After Novell Consulting creates this map and the leave request form, Novell Consulting publishes the resulting e-work procedure, which automatically creates the new e-work leave request application.
This e-work application may enable the following process:
A user opens GroupWise and selects the e-work Forms folder from the GroupWise navigation bar or toolbar. e-work displays a list of forms that are available to the user, based on that user's identity in the eDirectory identity management tree.
The user requests the Leave Request form. e-work then displays that form, which includes fields that are prepopulated with identity information, such as the employee's name and job title.
e-work uses Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) to query a PeopleSoft human resource management (HRM) system for the employee's available leave time. e-work then populates the Available Leave Time field of the Leave Request form with this information.
The employee requests leave from October 29 to October 31 and submits the Leave Request form.
e-work then routes this form to the employee's supervisor for approval. This form then appears on the supervisor's e-work To Do List.
The supervisor opens the form, reads it, and approves the leave request by clicking the Submit button.
e-work sends a message to the employee's GroupWise e-mail box, explaining that the employee's leave request has been approved. e-work also routes the approved Leave Request form to an HR department clerk's e-work To Do list.
This clerk opens and reads the form.
The clerk then deletes 24 hours from the employee's available leave in the PeopleSoft HRM database. (If the company's policies allowed it, e-work could automatically delete the time from the PeopleSoft database, without this clerk's intervention.)
e-work also has tracking capabilities that enable you to see exactly how a particular business process is progressing. You can also configure e-work to escalate a task--that is, route the task to another person--if the person to whom this task is assigned does not complete the task in a specified amount of time. (For another example of how you can use e-work to automate business processes, see the flash demonstration at www.metastorm.com/products/overview_index.asp.)
Go With the DirXML Flow
As a first step to setting up an employee implementation for Freddie Mac (http://www.freddiemac.com/), consultants from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (http://www.deloitte.com/) documented Freddie Mac's business rules and processes. Based on these rules and processes, Novell Consulting used DirXML and Novell eDirectory to automate the process of creating accounts for newly hired Freddie Mac employees. The following is a step-by-step description of the process of creating accounts:
The personnel department adds information about a new employee into Freddie Mac's PeopleSoft 7.5 human resource management (HRM) system database. This PeopleSoft system is running on a Windows NT 4 server with Service Pack 6.
The PeopleSoft message agent places information about the new employee into a queue, which the DirXML Driver for PeopleSoft regularly polls to find changes to the PeopleSoft database.
The DirXML Driver for PeopleSoft, which is running on the same Windows NT 4 server, uses this information (such as the employee's name, date of birth, and job title) to create the user in the Active container in Freddie Mac's eDirectory identity management tree. This identity management tree, which is also running on the same Windows NT 4 server, is an eDirectory 8.5 directory tree that serves as a user identity vault. This identity management tree includes two container objects--an Active container object for current employees and an Inactive container object for employees who have been fired, laid off, or who are on extended leave. Creating an account for the new employee in this identity management tree activates a DirXML Driver for NDS eDirectory, which is also running on the Windows NT 4 server.
The DirXML Driver for NDS eDirectory pushes selected information to the NetWare user eDirectory tree, which is running on Freddie Mac's NetWare 5.1 servers. Only certain parts of the [new employee's] information need to go into the [NetWare user] eDirectory tree," Glenn Knutti, a Novell consultant who worked on Freddie Mac's eProvisioning system, explains. For example, the new employee's office location goes into the NetWare user tree. In fact, this office location determines the container object in which DirXML creates the new employee's account. On the other hand, the new hire's date of birth does not go into this NetWare user eDirectory tree.
After the DirXML Driver for NDS creates an account for the new employee in this NetWare user eDirectory tree, he or she then has access to information and applications on Freddie Mac's network.
Creating an account for the new employee in the identity management tree also activates a DirXML Driver for Lotus Notes, which is also running on the Windows NT 4 server.
The DirXML Driver for Lotus Notes then creates a place holder in the Lotus Notes name and address book. "All that's created is a record that has the employee number that is created in PeopleSoft when the [new employee] is created in PeopleSoft," Knutti explains. This process activates an internal application that queries PeopleSoft for information that the application then uses to complete the new hire's Lotus Notes account.
Note: Freddie Mac could have used the DirXML Driver for Lotus Notes to create the complete user account in Lotus Notes. The company chose to create Lotus Notes accounts using the method described above.
Novell Products at Work
Finding out about a new product is great, but you probably also want to know which companies are using the product and how they are using it. The following briefly explains how one company is using Novell eDirectory and Novell iChain.
Noridan Mutual Insurance Company--Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, a not-for-profit health care coverage provider
Noridan's dial-in customer service center was consistently overwhelmed. To alleviate the congestion at call centers, Noridan wanted to develop a single, cross-platform solution that would offer users a quick way to find information about their health care coverage. In addition, this solution needed to be highly secure in order to comply with the U.S. government's new security and privacy regulations (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act [HIPAA]).
Using eDirectory and Novell iChain, Noridan effectively merged all of its web applications into a centralized infrastructure. Novell iChain enables Noridan users to self-register on the Noridan web site. Subsequently, users are sent a username and password via e-mail, which they can then use to securely access their personal health care information.
"Our previous solution did not offer the flexibility and security we needed. Novell eDirectory, together with Novell iChain, was the only solution that would allow us to meet HIPAA standards," says Troy Aswege, Noridan assistant vice president of IS.
* Originally published in Novell Connection Magazine
The origin of this information may be internal or external to Novell. While Novell makes all reasonable efforts to verify this information, Novell does not make explicit or implied claims to its validity.


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The "Wrecking Ball" singer features in the moodily lit Spring 2014 campaign, but there’s something up with her co-star.
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Monday 08 November 2010
Carola Long: 'Diana Vreeland’s deliciously decadent pronouncements turned her into a legendary fashion editor'
Saturday 30 October 2010
"Why don't you rinse your blond child's hair in dead champagne, to keep its gold, as they do in France?" It was this kind of deliciously decadent pronouncement that helped turn Diana Vreeland into a legendary fashion editor. The advice first appeared alongside other grand suggestions in her regular column called Why Don't You...? in US Harper's Bazaar where Vreeland was editor from the mid- Thirties through to1962, when she moved to US Vogue.
Monday 09 August 2010
Marc Jacobs is to become the first major fashion house to make a clothing line catering for women larger than size 14.
Monday 12 July 2010
You look like Marie Antoinette,” says J. Is that supposed to be an insult, a compliment or a joke? Just because he’s on the Grazia fashion jury, he thinks he’s it – clearly.
Monday 31 May 2010
This week sees the opening of London's first major retrospective of the work of that all-round fashion God and international man of mystery, Martin Margiela.
Thursday 13 May 2010
There was nothing make-believe about the prices paid at Christie's auction house in Manhattan when art belonging to the late science-fiction novelist Michael Crichton went under the hammer and drew enthusiastic bids from such ardent collectors Larry Gagosian and fashion designer Marc Jacobs.
Carola Long: 'If she was a young actress today, Grace Kelly wouldn’t dress as conservatively as she did in the Fifties'
Saturday 10 April 2010
With the V&A's exhibition Grace Kelly: Style Icon imminent, the Independent fashion desk has inevitably been inundated with "Get the Look" e-mails from brands suggesting how to recreate her wardrobe. Hardly surprising, as the actress-turned-princess hailed for her "conspicuous good taste" by the Dallas Morning News in 1955 has long been up there with Audrey Hepburn as an Enduring Style Icon.
Monday 05 April 2010
It's always safe to assume that a trend is dead in the water once it appears in the nation's favourite soaps.
Thursday 01 April 2010
The founder of the Net-a-Porter website looks set to reap an estimated £50 million windfall today after agreeing to sell her stake in the business to the owner of the Cartier and Montblanc brands.
Monday 22 March 2010
A fashion fact: Prada and Louis Vuitton are among the most powerful brands in the world. Fashion fact number two – and also just a fact, in fact – history repeats itself.
Sunday 14 March 2010
Carola Long: 'When the heavens opened, many a look was spoilt by an umbrella with a pattern akin to a pub carpet'
Saturday 13 March 2010
Non-fashion people (as the rest of the world is known during the microcosmic bubble of weirdness that is the international collections) never seem to believe that going to shows is hard work. Well, it is. And actually it's not just the late nights, early mornings and traversing a city six times before lunch – it's also the stress of what the hell to wear.
Monday 22 February 2010
Wednesday 17 February 2010
Carola Long: 'Modern French labels like Maje are filling the gap between premium high-street shops and designer stores'
Saturday 13 February 2010
There's nothing like watching fashion shows to fill one with an insatiable desire to shop. The urge is particularly acute at the Paris couture or ready-to-wear collections, where it's not only the clothes on the catwalks but also on everyone in the street that leave one coveting thy French neighbour's wardrobe.
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domain: news


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PRATAP MEMORIAL (MOTI MAGRI)
An impressive bronze statue of Maharana Pratap on his favourite horse Chetak, stands atop the Moti Magri overlooking Fateh Sagar. Local people climb up the hill to pay back homage to Rana Pratap and his faithful charger Chetak who was fiercely protective about its grasp and stood by him until its final breath. This loyal steed sacrificed its everyday living when carrying his learn to safety from the battlefield of Haldighati.
A majestic architectural marvel towering in excess of the lake on a hill surrounded by crenelated partitions, it is a conglomeration of courtyards, pavilions, terraces, corridors, rooms and hanging gardens. The principal entrance is as a result of the triple arched gate, the "Tripolia" with 8 marble porticos, The Maharanas have been weighed underneath the gate in gold, the equal amount of which was dispersed between the populace. The surajgokhada, the balcony of the sunlight, is where by the SuryanshiMaharanas of Mewar introduced on their own to the men and women in the time of difficulties to restore their self confidence. The MorChowk recognized for its beautiful peacock mosaics in glass and the ChiniChitrashala mentioned for its blue and white ceramics are other attractions in the palace. A large tech audio and light-weight clearly show is carried out just about every evening at the wonderful ManakChowk which brings alive the wealthy record of Mewar.
LAKE PALACE  – Now a lodge but was initially known as Jagniwas and served as a summer palace. Developed between 1743 and 1746 on the island in the vicinity of Jagmandir in Lake Pichola, the palace, which faces east, is a wondrous sight to behold. The partitions manufactured of black and white marbles are adorned with semi-important stones and ornamented niches. Gardens, fountains, pillared terraces, and columns line its courtyards.
Jagmandir is a palace constructed on an island on the Lake Pichola. Also called the &lsquoLake Backyard garden Palace’, the development for this commenced in 1620 and was done all over 1652. The royal family utilized the palace as its summer months vacation resort and for internet hosting functions. Curiously, Prince Khurram – later Emperor Shah Jahan – was provided shelter in this article when he rebelled in opposition to his father Emperor Jahangir. The Palace had such an impact on Emperor Shah Jahan that it went on to grow to be the inspiration for a person of the most superb Wonders of the Globe, The Taj Mahal.
Positioned just outside the house Udaipur, this 19th-century palace is built on leading of Bansdara hills. Utilised as a monsoon palace and searching lodge, its builder, Maharana Sajjan Singh, at first planned to make it an astronomical center. The program was cancelled with Maharana Sajjan Singhs premature demise. It is even now an awe-inspiring sight on the Udaipur skyline and delivers spectacular sights of the town and the areas around.
Ahar Museum is in near proximity to an outstanding cluster of cenotaphs of the Maharanas of Mewar. The museum has a smaller, but rare collection of earthen pottery. You can also search by way of sculptures and archaeological finds, a few dating back to 1700 BC. A 10th century metallic figure of Buddha is a special attraction listed here.
An illustration of the Indo-Aryan design and style of architecture, Jagdish Temple was designed in 1651 and carries on to be just one of the most popular temples in and all-around Udaipur. Focused to Lord Vishnu, the composition is an architectural marvel with carved pillars, sleek ceilings and painted partitions. This three-storied temple was built by Maharana Jagat Singh I.
FATEH SAGAR LAKE
This delightful lake, bordered by hills and woodlands, lies to the north of Lake Pichola. This synthetic lake is linked to Lake Pichola by a canal. The lake houses the beautiful Nehru Island as perfectly as an islet on which stands the Udaipur Photo voltaic Observatory. It was inaugurated by the Duke of Connaught and was to begin with referred to as Connaught Bundh.
Picholi was the identify of a village that lent its name to the lake. The islands of Jagniwas and Jagmandir are housed in this lake. Together the eastern banks of the lake lies the Metropolis Palace. A boat ride in the lake about sunset offers a amazing see of the Lake and Metropolis Palace.
SAHELIYON KI BARI
Designed by Maharana Sangram Singh II as a yard for women, Saheliyon-ki-Bari or the Backyard garden of the Maidens is a well-known vacationer vacation spot. Together with a smaller museum, it has several attractions this sort of as marble elephants, fountains, kiosks and a lotus pool.
Chicken PARK GULAB BAGH
Hen Park at Gulab Bagh spreads over five.eleven hectare space. Udaipur Darpan has twelve enclosures. It has assorted Parrots household, Macaw and Cockatoo Courtyard, Lesser Passerine Section, Galliformes Runway,Flightless Birds Segment, Aquatic Avifauna Section. It properties Inexperienced Munia, Excellent White Pelican, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo,Blue and Gold Macaw and a total of 28 species of Birds.
Sukhadia Circle lies to the north of Udaipur. It comprises a compact pond that also properties a 21 foot tall, a few-tiered marble fountain. Adorned with fantastically carved motifs, the fountain appears to be impressive at night time when it is lit up. The fountain is surrounded by gardens, creating a fantastic oasis in a city bustling with tourists.
BHARATIYA LOK KALA MANDAL
Devoted to the examine of folks artwork, culture, songs and festivals of Rajasthan, Gujrat and Madhya Pradesh, Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal is a cultural institution in Udaipur. Aside from propagating folk culture, it also houses a museum that exhibits many artefacts of Rajasthani culture.
BAGORE KI HAVELI
Bagore-ki-Haveli is located by Lake Pichola, at Gangaur Ghat. Amar Chand Badwa, the Primary Minister of Mewar, developed it in the 18th century. The substantial palace has above a hundred rooms that screen costumes and contemporary artwork. The glass and mirrors in the interiors are structured in classical haveli fashion.
Situated 7 kms west of Udaipur in the vicinity of Lake Fateh Sagar is the Centres Shilpgram – the Rural Arts and Crafts Complex. Unfold more than 70 acres, and surrounded by the Aravallis, the Rural Arts and Crafts Intricate has been conceived as a residing museum to depict the existence of the folk and tribal people today of the west zone.
UDAI SAGAR LAKE
Udai Sagar Lake is one particular of the five striking lakes situated in Udaipur. Situated about 13 kilometres to the east of Udaipur, the construction of this lake was started in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh. The lake is in fact a result of a dam staying built on the river Berach to provide suitable drinking water to the Maharana’s kingdom. Udai Sagar Lake is 4 kms in duration, two.five kilometres in width and about nine meters at its deepest.
DOODH TALAI LAKE
The street that takes website visitors to Pichola Lake has another well known spot &ndash the Doodh Talai Lake. The lake is nestled in between various smaller hillocks which on their own are vacationer sights. The Deen Dayal Upadhyay Park and the Manikya Lal Verma Garden are portion of the Doodh Talai Lake Backyard garden.
Jaisamand Lake is recognized for currently being the second premier gentleman-created sweet h2o lake in Asia. It is well-known between the locals as a weekend picnic spot. Locals say that the lake was produced to halt the waters of Ruparel River. This lake features of a big island, which is household to various species of birds, at its centre.
NAVALAKHA MAHAL (GULAB BAGH)
Navalakha Mahal is situated in the coronary heart of a Gulab Bag which was at first laid out in the nineteenth century in the historic metropolis of Udaipur. Maharishi Dayanand who arrived in Udaipur on 10 August 1882 on the invitation of His Highness Maharana Sajjan Singh, the 72nd ruler of the Kingdom of Mewar, remained in this article for practically 6 and a half months and stayed in Navalakha Mahal. It was in Navalakha Mahal Maharishi Dayanand done the crafting of his finest operate, the immortal Satyarth Prakash.
The Hollywood Wax Museum is an interesting interactive visitor attraction located on Sajjangarh highway. The Museum has been designed to deliver an interactive encounter taking you on a journey by way of wax effigy. the outstanding existence-like wax work people you can anticipate at the movie star wax museum .The Museum is the best leisure practical experience for all . The wax museum also presents nine D Action cinema ,Gaming Zone, Mirror Graphic & Horror Exhibit .
UDAIPUR FISH AQUARIUM
The Less than the Sun Fish Aquarium at Fateh Sagar Pal in Udaipur has managed to mark its distinctive placement on the map as India’s first Hello-Tech digital fish aquarium. In the first stage, the Less than the Solar aquarium is playing host to 156 varieties of sea fish and clean water fish, which have been procured from 16 countries all over the environment. In the long operate, this quantity will go up to 1500 versions! The a hundred twenty five meter long gallery characteristics specially created tanks that enable the website visitors experience as if they are deep within just the ocean. The fish at this aquarium differ, with the smallest a single getting barely a centimeter extensive, and the biggest fish, Aropama, remaining 9 toes long.The aquarium characteristics a contact pool to allow the little ones enjoy with the fish,along with and LED display screen for everyfish tank to know much more about the fishes inside the aquarium. This is just one aquarium that you would adore to visit for legitimate interactive enjoyment!
Classic Motor vehicle Selection
The collection inside of the grounds of the Backyard garden Hotel contains a wide variety of classic and vintage automobiles like Cadillac, Chevrolet, Morris and so on owned by the Maharanas of Udaipur. They utilized these automobiles as their lavish modes of transportation.
THE CRYSTAL GALLERY
The Udaipur Collection of crystal is one of the major and most total collections of Osler minimize glass in existence. In equally diversity of objects and in the good quality and grandeur of the incorporated parts, it retains a unique location in the attractive artwork environment. Most of this collection was commissioned by Maharana Sajjan Singh in 1878, with the larger commissions of the household furniture pieces staying offered to Osler in 1881. The beautiful crystal things in the gallery vary from dining desk, table, couch established, washing bowl, goblet, tray, decanter, to fragrance bottles, candle stands, crockery and even beds. The spotlight of the gallery is a jewel studded carpet, embodying peerless class. The gallery even exhibits a Royal punkah (manually operated enthusiast) in crystal and delicate red satin content with the Mewar emblem of the Sunshine embroidered on it. The Crystal Gallery exhibits artefacts primarily made by F. & C. Osler, the foremost manufacturers of monumental reduce glass luxurious objects in the Victorian era and thereafter. Established in Birmingham in 1807, Osler revolutionised the cut glass industry by discovering the material’s structural options, conceiving for the first time a monumental type of crystal, of which the Udaipur Collection is a good instance. F. & C. Osler traded pretty effectively by means of considerably of the nineteenth century each in Britain and in India.
Nagda is 22kms from Udaipur, an ancient web-site found at the foothills of the Aravali range and has traces of 6th century A.D. Nowadays it is renowned more for the intricately carved Sahastrabahu temple popularly identified as Sas-Bahu temples that date again to the ninth – tenth century A.D. The intriguing architecture and elaborate carving can also be seen in the superb toran or archway. Also of curiosity is the splendid Jain temple of Adhbudji situated there.
Badi Lake is an artificial lake that was created by Maharana Raj Singh to help the town counterbalance the devastating consequences of drought. He named the lake Jiyan Sagar right after his mother Jana Devi. Throughout the drought of 1973, the lake proved to be a blessing for the folks of Udaipur. And now, the lake has come to be a preferred attraction in the metropolis, for each locals and holidaymakers. Surrounded by three chhatris, the Badi Lake is 1 of the greatest clean water lakes in the nation, and is counted among the the significant vacationer sights in Udaipur. Positioned about 12 km from the metropolis, the ambiance of the lake is relaxed and tranquil, and features a scenic respite from the hustle and bustle of city lifetime.
SAJJANGARH Biological PARK
Positioned just outdoors the Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuary, at the foot hills of Bans-Dahara hills is the Sajjangarh Biological Park unfold more than 36 hectares of land. In this park one can see the Carnivores and Herbivores animals shifting about in their organic habitat. 1 can visit the Park on foot or by Golf car on payment foundation.
SAHASTRA BAHU TEMPLE
Positioned about 22 km from Udaipur, in Nagda village on NH-8, stands the Sahastra Bahu Temple. The temple is devoted to Lord Vishnu, and the title usually means &lsquoone with a million arms’, which is just one of the varieties of Vishnu. The web site of the temple borders environmentally friendly marshlands, and is household to various day palms which give the temple a distinctive oasis-like ambiance. The temple is a 10 th century complex and is featured on the Archaeological Study of India’s record of heritage monuments. The temple is adorned with a lot of stunning carvings, centered on Ramayana. Open from sunrise until the sunsets, the temple is a impressive construction that gives beautiful sculptures, earning it a web page that is each and every little bit worth the visit.
Very well-known as the City of Lakes, Udaipur is household to a number of attractive lakes. Menar is a village acknowledged as dwelling of variety of species of Migratory Birds all through winters. There are two ponds particularly Brahm Talab and Dand Talab which hosts migratory birds. This village is a hidden vacationer desired destination, can be one of the most favoured places amongst birders. Found at a distance of approx forty eight kms from Udaipur on Udaipur Chittorgarh Street, the very best time to stop by Menar is for the duration of the winters when the ponds plays host to a number of migratory birds. Some of the species that you can capture a glimpse of when here consist of the Better Flamingo, White Tailed Lapwing, Marsh Harrier, Black Kite, Jungle Quail, Crow Pheasant, etc. Free from travellers, the ponds offer you a tranquil countryside atmosphere for you to unwind in.
PRATAP GAURAV KENDRA
Distribute vastly across the twenty five Bigha land at Tiger Hills, the Pratap Gaurav Kendra is committed to the Famous Maharana Pratap and the historical past of Mewar. Important attraction is the 57 feet tall sitting down statue of Maharana Pratap atop a hill. Spotlight of the Kendra is 3D presentation of Haldighti War, Dwell Mechanical Product exhibition of well-known historic devets, Light-weight and Sound Show and many others.
Stiuated at a peak of about 2751 fee higher than the sea level, amidst the Aravali ranges, Gogunda was manufactured the money of Mewar by Maharana Udai Singh following he still left Chittaurgarh. Following the demise of Maharana Udai Singh in 1572 Advert, the coronation of his son and successor Maharana Prata was solemnized at this position.
This is a 15th century Jain Temple of Rishabhdeoji, one particular of the 20 four “Tirthankars” of the Jains. It is also an essential middle of pilgrimage for equally Jains and Hindus.
The splendid and well preserved 10th century temple of Amika Mata is regarded for its intricate carvings on the outer partitions is popularly acknowledged as the Khajuraho of Rajasthan.

domain: travel


Intelligent document capture marks the first step in the custodian's alternative asset servicing plan, built on machine learning, artificial intelligence and cloud computing solutions.
Tag: Machine Learning
The partnership comes as custodians turn to FinTechs and other technology providers to transform and automate unstructured data in the alternatives markets.
Just over half of sell-side firms in a recent survey said they plan to use artificial intelligence for securities finance over the next 12 months.
The new service is powered by Elastic, where the bank will use its machine learning and anomaly detection features.
The new solution designed in partnership with Lumint will enable greater oversight of thoughts of daily data points in the currency management lifecycle.
The new technology will help banks that have relied on multiple reconciliation platforms that use legacy technologies which can be up to 20 years old.
One of the main goals of the new technologies is to automate internal tasks and workflow processes.
BNY Mellon will leverage the partnerships with three FinTech firms and one of the world’s largest hedge funds for new AI, machine learning and risk solutions.
Sibos 2019 in London saw several key announcements from securities services providers over the deployment of APIs, AI and DLT.
SmartStream deploys new technologies allowing business users to reconcile complex sets of data in seconds.


text: Body fat %age is generally a function of regular aerobic fitness exercise and proper diet. You should usually spend around 90 to 120 minutes weekly engaging in some kind or kind of aerobic fitness exercise. However, you must never spend a lot more than 25 mins per day in aerobic fitness exercise as this could result in a loss in muscle. A common misconception among people not used to weight training may be the assumption that if you do more models you will generate more muscle faster. The truth is, if you perform way too many sets at onetime you may actually cause your muscle mass to deteriorate. In case you are doing large weights, you must never do a lot more than 6 sets at the same time and, in case you are carrying out low intensity weights, you must never do a lot more than 10 sets at the same time..We are thrilled to become underway with this essential research and look forwards to announcing the analysis findings in 2012. .. Benefits of blood circulation pressure lowering medicines for low risk sufferers ‘still available to question’ Dr Stephen co-workers and Martin argue that strategy is failing sufferers and wasting healthcare assets. They require a re-exam of the threshold and desire clinicians to watch out for treating low risk sufferers with blood circulation pressure lowering medications. Their paper publishes as the Preventing Overdiagnosis meeting opens in a few days , where professionals from all over the world will discuss how exactly to tackle the danger to health insurance and the waste materials of money due to unnecessary care.

domain: medical


text:
The guide is very friendly and has good English. The driver is very friendly and driving safe. I wish I had been told about the itinerary change. There should be more communication about what we were doing each day. Also Alice was a great help when I was planning this trip.
Firstly you will go to visit the first Monastery and the first Palace in Tibet history. Then have 2 full days visiting the highlight of Lhasa, including the famous Potala Palace, as well as other monasteries. A walk around the Barkhor Street is also full of fun.
Samye Monastery and Yumbulakang Palace
04/30/2016 to 05/04/2016
Other Comments From Client:
The most memorable part about my WindhorseTour is . . .:
Watch the monks debate.

domain: geography


text:
22 July 2011
The number of cosmetic surgery procedures being carried out in the US increased by five per cent in 2010, which could give an insight into UK trends.
Data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons found that over 13 million procedures were carried out across the US in the 12-month period, with the majority being minimally invasive procedures such as Botox.
The figures also highlighted that more men are opting for plastic surgery, with male breast reductions increasing by six per cent and hair transplants rising by two per cent.
Overall, breast enhancements were the most popular procedure, according to the society, with a total of 296,203 breast augmentation procedures taking place throughout the year.
Other notable statistics included the fact that calf augmentations rose by a massive 61 per cent, although only 418 were carried out.
Data from the society also highlighted that over five million reconstructive surgeries were carried out across the year.
Figures from Britain's Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons show that over 38,200 cosmetic operations were carried out in 2010.
Posted by Edward Bartel
1 2010 Plastic Surgery Procedural Statistics, The American Society of Plastic Surgeons
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NRA chief: Gun controls won't pass Congress
DENVER (AP) — The head of the National Rifle Association said Thursday he's confident that Congress won't approve an assault weapons ban or a limit on high-capacity ammunition magazines after mass shootings in Colorado and Connecticut.
David Keene predicted failure for all congressional measures related to guns, including expanded background checks for gun purchases.
"I tell you what these things are, these are all feel-good proposals, because at the end of the day, what do they do to prevent" a mass shooter? asked Keene, the NRA's president.
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text:
By applying an in-depth analysis of markets, trends, insights and audiences, our brand experts and digital strategists work closely with your team to identify your firm's unique purpose, positioning and promise to create a brand essence that truly speaks to its identity.
Our team takes a microscope to your existing content and works with you to create a content strategy that strengthens your firm’s voice. From there, we’ll design a blueprint for the most effective delivery of that content to best reach your audiences.
By understanding the motivations and behaviors of your most important audiences, we craft digital experiences that make a lasting impact. Combining best practices, fresh trends and user-tested designs, we deliver concepts that perform and evolve over time.
Oftentimes, the most impactful digital experiences come from the smallest details. Our multi-disciplinary teams identify opportunities to delight and, through an application of visual and interaction design, build compelling, powerful and memorable experiences.
As a Front-End Developer, Travis is responsible for creating the visual interface and interactions for One North sites and applications. With six years’ experience creating sites for B2B clients, he translates the visual design into templates for our developers to integrate into a complete site, ensuring a high-fidelity user experience along the way.
As a Front-End Developer, Pat develops the user’s side of client websites, providing clients with the most up-to-date knowledge of best practices in web development and tech integration. Pat has programmed for six years in many different languages and brings with him a wide breadth of knowledge around computer science and web development standards.
Fun fact: Pat’s in a ska cover band called Sell Out (A Tribute to Ska)!
Funner fact: Pat is also a professional voice actor.
As a Senior Designer, Sarah collaborates with the rest of the Experience Design team to create digital experiences including websites and web apps that are functional, user friendly and visually pleasing. With a strong background in design, branding and advertising, she works closely with clients to create boundary-pushing digital that feels authentic to their brands.
Jessica is One North’s Creative Director, collaborating with clients to deliver interactive solutions, including creative strategy, website design concepts and brand development. In addition to bringing an artsy edge to everything she makes at One North, she also specializes in procuring the best cat GIFs to spread around the office.
As a Creative Director at One North, Britta is charged with visualizing client personas and creating meaningful, hardworking brand systems that function intelligently and beautifully. With 10 years of experience shaping identities for both global brands and regional companies, Britta helps clients understand what sets them apart from their competition and helps visualize who they are in the marketplace.
Rene is a Front-End Lead at One North, ensuring client satisfaction through visually appealing web pages and digital design. An avid tomato-lover, Rene enjoys taking care of his tomato plant when he isn’t coding away amongst his fellow FEDs.
Sheryl Kravitz, is Director, Brand and Communications. She has more than 15 years of experience helping highly matrixed companies solve their most pressing brand and communications challenges. Sheryl combines creativity and insight to provide guidance on name development, M&A branding, brand revitalization, portfolio alignment, communications and messaging.
Favorite breakfast food: Coffee and more coffee
Favorite Season: Summer - because the days are longer
As a Creative Director, Joseph helps lead his team and clients through the complex world of experience design. He instills thorough processes and understanding to the problems his team solves using sound design. Joseph’s relentless obsession for design and technology has helped him share his knowledge in meaningful ways across teams and projects.
As Manager of UX Strategy, Zach helps clients maximize the effectiveness of their digital properties by ensuring they’re human-centered and tailored to their most important audiences. He considers it his personal responsibility to represent the voice of the user on every project, as they are often the only one not at the table during the design process.
Favorite season: Summer – nothing makes me happier than spending time out in the sun!
Most unusual job: A Hawaiian shaved ice operator, with 72 flavors and all the snow cones I could eat.
As Managing Director of Brand and Experience Design, Ryan Schulz is responsible for making sure clients’ true character is represented in everything his team does: messaging, brand, user experience, visual design and front-end experiences. With more than 15 years in brand consulting, he helps clients break through the sea of sameness that plagues the world of professional services.
As a UX Strategist, Joe is a problem-solver tasked with creating solutions to business challenges and objectives while keeping user goals and needs in sharp focus. Armed with both quantitative and qualitative insights, Joe brings to the table HCI fundamentals with an established background in digital media, marketing, & analytics. He helps clients by advocating for the user and balancing the realities of user goals and business goals.
Fun fact: Joe is an avid traveler and a sucker for vast expanses of land, unique landscapes, and nature.
Favorite movie quote: “The idea is to remain in a state of constant departure, while always arriving.” – Waking Life
Jimmy is a Front-End Architect with advanced experience in both web development and technical consulting. He solves problems for our clients through appealing web pages and digital design.
As a Front-End Designer & Developer at One North, Alexa creates innovative and engaging digital designs for clients and One North marketing materials through creative insight and cross-department collaboration. Alexa brings an open-mind, an unbeatable attention to detail and fearless creativity to her role at One North. She enjoys being able to help her clients tell their story by interpreting their vision and bringing it to life within functional and creative designs.
As a Designer at One North, Katherine uses her artistic and problem-solving skills to create visual concepts that engage and convert. With a strong background in web design and branding, Katherine is capable of creating useful designs for the client that function well on both the front and back end.
Favorite breakfast food: Breakfast tacos!
Favorite Chicago spot: I will always recommend Parson’s Chicken and Fish.
Courtney is a Senior Designer on One North’s Experience Design team. Combining her background in digital, visual and conceptual design with her interest in UX Strategy and coding, Courtney is able to design digital brand experiences that seamlessly blend creativity and usability. When she’s not working, you can typically find her geeking out about new technology, audiobooks/podcasts, cats and unique packaging design.
Fun Fact: My dad is from Canada, so I am both an American and Canadian citizen.
Latest Hobby: I’ve recently started to learn brush lettering, so I can spend less time in front of my devices/screens.
Russ is a Front-End Architect at One North. He designs, develops and maintains modular, scalable component systems, ensuring they are built to be flexible, performant, accessible and reusable. Russ acts as a guide and partner to clients, helping them to problem solve and develop digital experiences that push their brands and businesses forward. He also provides technical leadership and innovation to our front-end development team.
Favorite vending machine snack? Pretzel chips
Most unusual job? Carnie
Building lasting foundations. Designing ecosystems. Protecting your assets.

domain: artistic


LOOK: Nadine Lustre, James Reid’s most stunning Thailand snapshots
As stars jetted to their respective favorite getaways, Nadine Lustre and James Reid took an adventure to Thailand.
Nadine Lustre’s stunning photos featured the iconic Phi Phi Islands, which the couple reached by boat.
The 24-year-old actress dove into the island group’s crystal-clear waters where she swam among the fishes.
She and Reid, also 24, posed for a picture on the boat, both baring their toned beach bodies.
“Best travel buddy I could ever ask for,” she said of her onscreen and offscreen beau.
They even shared a romantic photo of them holding hands with matching woven bracelets.
Aside from the pristine beaches, the trip also had a touch of culture as Lustre posed in front of Phuket’s largest temple, the Wat Chalong.
The vacation comes after Reid and Lustre have been promoting their latest movie, “Never Not Love You,” directed by Tonette Jadaone, which faced some hiccups during production such as delayed shooting days. Reid chalked up the rumored tension between the love team and the director to a “misunderstanding” on a talk show. The movie has since racked up P20 million in its first two screening days. /ra
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Humble Pie was a British rock music band from 1969-82, best known for its hard-rocking recordings and concert performances during their peak period on A&M records from 1970-1975.
The band initially consisted in 1969 of Steve Marriott (formerly of Small Faces; lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Peter Frampton (from The Herd; lead guitar), Greg Ridley (from Spooky Tooth; bass) and Jerry Shirley (from The Apostolic Intervention; drums).
The joining of all these fairly known players resulted in Humble Pie being considered a bit of a “supergroup”. Worried about…
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Afghan President Ashraf Ghani offered the Taliban political legitimacy and peace talks on Wednesday, but the Taliban indicated it prefers to keep fighting until the government is overthrown, American forces leave the country, and their theocratic rule returns.
Ghani’s offer was incredibly generous, including offices in Kabul and passports for Taliban leaders, financial assistance to the families of militants, and help with getting top commanders removed from international terrorism blacklists.
“We believe in providing a peaceful and respectful life for all Afghans, including those Taliban who leave violence behind,” Ghani said at the international Kabul Process peace conference.
“We are making this offer without preconditions in order to lead to a peace agreement. A ceasefire should be held, the Taliban should be recognized as a political party and trust-building process should be initiated,” he declared.
The United States, United Nations, and NATO had representatives at the conference who expressed support for a negotiated conclusion to the long war in Afghanistan, although President Donald Trump has been cool to the idea of negotiating with the Taliban.
“I don’t think we’re prepared to talk right now. It’s a whole different fight over there. They’re killing people left and right. Innocent people are being killed left and right,” Trump said in January after a series of vicious terrorist attacks by the Taliban.
The Taliban did not attend the Kabul Process meeting, but Ghani asked diplomats and journalists to convey his proposal to Taliban leadership. Barnett Rubin of the Center on International Cooperation at NYU, who has been involved in negotiations with the Taliban, published an open letter to them at New Yorker urging them to open talks with Ghani’s government.
“Our country has been occupied, which has led to an American-style supposed Afghan government being imposed upon us. And your view that we talk to them and accept their legitimacy is the same formula adopted by America to win the war,” a Taliban spokesman responded to Rubin’s letter.
The Taliban said it skipped the Kabul Process because it was “just a conference to trick Afghans,” and said it was only interested in speaking directly to the United States government, which it accused of escalating violence in the country. The group insists Ghani’s government is entirely illegitimate and has no role to play in peace talks.
The Taliban said on Thursday that negotiations would only be successful when America abandons plans for “extracting the mineral wealth of Afghanistan, imposing a self-styled government, preventing the establishment of an Islamic system and pursuing imperial ambitions in the region from this land.”


National style and national music, coming in spring | QQ music national style dance music will be launched in the beginning of spring
The flowers are full of victories in the morning, the moon and the evening, and they are healthy and healthy every year. As the first of the twenty-four solar terms, Lichun also represents the coming of spring, carrying everyone’s infinite hopes and expectations. On the occasion of the beginning of spring this year, QQ Music held a grand national style dance concert, aiming to present an audio-visual feast for everyone based on the national style and national music in a hotel full of national trends. On February 4th, QQ Music teamed up with HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts under the InterContinental Hotels Group, joined hands with folk music performers, Chinese style singers, and high-quality Chinese style idols, and presented a music festival for all fans of Chinese style and Chinese music around the world. The venue will be “Hualuxe Art Collection National Style Dance Concert”.
In this dance concert organized by QQ Music, featuring traditional Chinese musical instruments and singing and dancing, Wang Yu, a Sanxian virtuoso, combined synthetic electronic music with traditional Peking opera singing with amazing performance techniques, allowing Sanxian to break through the “only” The inherent impression of being suitable for playing Quyi music brings a group of avant-garde folk music performances. Liu Yu, a member of INTO1 and an excellent singer of Generation Z, performed a national style song born out of the “intangible cultural heritage” culture. With an amazing opera tone, the audience can see the uniqueness of the national style and music conveyed by the younger generation good.
In addition, Yang Wentao and Zhang Can CiCi, as a duo with a unique style, combine the power of street dance with the Zen of Chinese ink painting, and use the flowing dance to interpret the artistic conception of the country. The popular national style singer Deng Yujun (waiting for what) won thunderous applause with two highly popular and sassy songs. The folk music performers used traditional instruments such as pipa, erhu, suona, and drums to play smooth and changeable rhythms, and vividly unfolded a piece of “Oriental Legend” that is carefree, freehand, and uniquely Chinese in charm and artistic conception. A period of chivalrous demeanor of happiness and hatred. A series of programs performed by QQ Music feasted the audience’s eyes.
For many years, QQ Music has always insisted on cultivating the field of high-quality music, digging into the rich and diverse traditional music culture, injecting young and fresh expressions, and using more innovative interpretation and communication methods to let more people experience the beauty of quality Chinese music. Bring higher quality music to users. The “Renewal of Chinese Music” IP launched in 2022 will form Chinese music into an IP-based operation. While innovating the “reproduction” of traditional music both on and off the QQ platform, online and offline, QQ Music will also join hands with professional art institutions, well-known Masters of Chinese music, jointly create a marketing event with diverse and meaningful content——QQ Music joins hands with Nanjing National Orchestra and other professional art institutions to jointly create the first Nanjing National Music Festival, QQ Music joins hands with King Glory to launch the first Chinese music label, QQ Music Join hands with Chinese music master Feng Mantian to create an online live broadcast of the “Chinese Music Asking the Sky” concert, etc., and have achieved satisfactory responses.
Next, I hope that QQ Music can deliver this kind of national style and music to more places, which can not only satisfy the entertainment and cultural life of the public, but also convey traditional culture, and give full play to the charm of the music platform.