A proposal for a model-based approach for adapting software configuration to runtime environments

Las metodologías de desarrollo ágiles han sufrido un gran auge en entornos industriales durante los últimos años debido a la rapidez y fiabilidad de los procesos de desarrollo que proponen. La filosofía DevOps y específicamente las metodologías derivadas de ella como Continuous Delivery o Continuous Deployment promueven la gestión completamente automatizada del ciclo de vida de las aplicaciones, desde el código fuente a las aplicaciones ejecutándose en entornos de producción. La automatización se ve como un medio para producir procesos repetibles, fiables y rápidos. Sin embargo, no todas las partes de las metodologías Continuous están completamente automatizadas. En particular, la gestión de la configuración de los parámetros de ejecución es un problema que ha sido acrecentado por la elasticidad y escalabilidad que proporcionan las tecnologías de computación en la nube. La mayoría de las herramientas de despliegue actuales pueden automatizar el despliegue de la configuración de parámetros de ejecución, pero no ofrecen soporte a la hora de fijar esos parámetros o de validar los ficheros que despliegan, principalmente debido al gran abanico de opciones de configuración y el hecho de que el valor de muchos de esos parámetros es fijado en base a preferencias expresadas por el usuario. Esto hecho hace que pueda parecer que cualquier solución al problema debe estar ajustada a una aplicación específica en lugar de ofrecer una solución general. Con el objetivo de solucionar este problema, propongo un modelo de configuración que puede ser inferido a partir de instancias de configuración existentes y que puede reflejar las preferencias de los usuarios para ser usado para facilitar los procesos de configuración. El modelo de configuración puede ser usado como la base de un proceso de configuración interactivo capaz de guiar a un operador humano a través de la configuración de una aplicación para su despliegue en un entorno determinado o para detectar cambios de configuración automáticamente y producir una configuración válida que se ajuste a esos cambios. Además, el modelo de configuración debería ser gestionado como si se tratase de cualquier otro artefacto software y debería ser incorporado a las prácticas de gestión habituales. Por eso también propongo un modelo de gestión de servicios que incluya información relativa a la configuración de parámetros de ejecución y que además es capaz de describir y gestionar propuestas arquitectónicas actuales tales como los arquitecturas de microservicios. ABSTRACT Agile development methodologies have risen in popularity within the industry in recent years due to the speed and reliability of the processes they propose. The DevOps philosophy and specifically the methodologies derived from it such as Continuous Delivery and Continuous Deployment push for a totally automated management of the application lifecycle, from the source code to the software running in production environment. Automation in this regard is used as a means to produce repeatable, reliable and fast processes. However, not all parts of the Continuous methodologies are completely automatized. In particular, management of runtime parameter configuration is a problem that has increased its impact in deployment process due to the scalability and elasticity provided by cloud technologies. Most deployment tools nowadays can automate the deployment of runtime parameter configuration, but they offer no support for parameter setting o configuration validation, as the range of different configuration options and the fact that the value of many of those parameters is based on user preference seems to imply that any solution to the problem will have to be tailored to a specific application. With the aim to solve this problem I propose a configuration model that can be inferred from existing configurations and reflect user preferences in order to ease the configuration process. The configuration model can be used as the base of an interactive configuration process capable of guiding a human operator through the configuration of an application for its deployment in a specific environment or to automatically detect configuration changes and produce valid runtime parameter configurations that take into account those changes. Additionally, the configuration model should be managed as any other software artefact and should be incorporated into current management practices. I also propose a service management model that includes the configuration information and that is able to describe and manage current architectural practices such as the microservices architecture.

Regulación y marcos de trabajo para la gestión de sistemas de Tecnologías de la Información

En la actualidad, a través de los sistemas de Tecnologías de la Información (TI) se ofrecen servicios muy diversos que tienen requisitos cada vez más específicos para garantizar su funcionamiento. Con el fin de cumplir dichas garantías, se han estandarizado diferentes normativas, así como marcos de trabajo, también llamadas recomendaciones o manuales de buenas prácticas, que permiten al proveedor de servicios verificar que se cumplen dichos requisitos y ofrecer tanto al cliente final como a la propia organización un servicio de calidad que permita generar valora todas las partes. Con la aplicación de dichas recomendaciones y normativas, las empresas y Administraciones Públicas garantizan que los servicios telemáticos que ofrecen, cumplen estándares de calidad permitiendo así ofrecer al usuario final una plataforma estable y adecuada al servicio prestado. Dichas normas y marcos hacen referencia tanto al servicio TI propiamente dicho como al propio sistema de gestión del servicio TI, de tal forma que, a través de una operación adecuada del sistema que gestiona el servicio, podemos hacer que dicho servicio esté continuamente mejorando. En concreto nos centramos en la norma más empleada, ISO 20000, y en el marco de trabajo o referencia de buenas prácticas, ITIL 2011, con el fin de dar una visión clara de los diferentes procesos, actividades y funciones que ambas definen para generar valor en la empresa a través de los sistemas de TI. Con el fin de ayudar a la comprensión tanto de ITIL como de ISO 20000, se ha desarrollado a modo de ejemplo la implementación tanto de ITIL inicialmente y luego ISO 20000 sobre de un servicio que ya está en funcionamiento definiendo para cada una de las cinco fases del ciclo de vida que, tanto en la norma como en el marco se utilizan, los procesos y funciones necesarias para su implementación, y su posterior revisión. ABSTRACT. Today, we’ve got a lot of different services thanks to Information Technologies (IT) service management: they have increasingly specific requirements to ensure a good operation on the service they support. In order to meet these requirements, it has been released different standardized regulations and frameworks, also called recommendations or good practice guides. They allow the service provider to verify that such requirements are met and offer both to the end customer and to the own organization that manage this system, a quality service that will generate value to both parts. In the end, with the implementation of these recommendations and regulations, companies and public authorities ensure that the telematics services offered meet the quality standards they seek, allowing the end user to offer a stable and appropriate service platform. So these standards and reference frames both implies on the IT service itself and on the IT service management, so that, through proper operation of the parts implied on the process that manages the service, we can offer a better service. In particular we focus on the most widely used standard, ISO 20000, and the reference framework or best practices, ITIL 2011, in order to give a clear overview of the different processes, activities and functions that define both to create value in the company through IT service management. To help the understanding of both ITIL and ISO 20000, it has been developed an example of an ITIL and then ISO 20000 implementation on a service that is already in operation defining for each of the five phases of the life cycle, both in the standard as used in the context, processes and functions necessary for its implementation, and later review.

How small and medium enterprises can begin their implementation of ITIL?

Sequencing of Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) processes related to their order of implementation is one of the pending issues in the ITIL handbooks. Other frameworks and process models related to service management (e.g., COBIT, COSO and CMMI-SVC) are quite well described in the literature and their handbooks. However, the identifi cation of the fi rst process to be implemented has not been deeply analysed in the previous frameworks and models, and it is also a complex question to answer for organizations, especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Moreover, SMEs are the organizations that have the largest presence in the world economy; offi cial data of General Business Directory, show that their range of presence in different countries around the world is between 93% and 99%, and the average of employment contribution is around 60%. Consequently, the improvement of information technology service management is of vital importance to accomplish in this type of enterprises. This research has focused on two surveys that aim at helping SMEs to select the ITIL process by which starting the implementation of ITIL. In the fi rst survey, data were gathered through a questionnaire to SMEs registered in the region of Madrid. The second survey obtained data from experts and enterprises in countries as Spain, Ecuador, Chile, Luxembourg, Colombia, Norway, El Salvador, and Venezuela. Finally, the results of both surveys show that the tendency for starting an ITIL implementation in SMEs points to one of the processes included in the Service Operation.

Food stamp program : implementation of electronic benefit transfer systems : report to the ranking minority member, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, U.S. Senate /

"GAO-02-332."

Building more effective organizational units.

Includes bibliography.

Food buying guide for child nutrition programs /

Includes index.

Food buying guide for child nutrition programs /

Includes index.

Internal branding to influence employees' brand promise delivery:a case study in Thailand

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the internal branding process from the perspective of service providers in Thailand. It will reveal the key internal branding mechanisms and empirically assess the relationship between internal branding and employees' brand attitudes and performance. Design/methodology/approach – A case study representing the Thai hotel industry is adopted with mixed methodologies. In-depth interviews are first carried out with 30 customer-interface employees in six major hotels in Thailand. On a census basis, a quantitative survey with 699 respondents from five major hotels in Thailand follows. Findings – Internal branding coordinating marketing with human resource management has a statistically significant impact on attitudinal and behavioural aspects of employees in their delivery of the brand promise. As employees' brand commitment do not have a statistically significant relationship with employees' brand performance, it is not regarded as a mediator in the link between internal branding and employees' brand performance. Practical implications – A number of significant managerial implications are drawn from this study, for example using both internal communication and training to influence employees' brand-supporting attitudes and behaviours. Still, it should be noted that the effect of internal branding on employee behaviours could be dependent on the extent to which it influences their brand attitudes. Originality/value – The paper provides valuable insights, from the key internal audience's perspectives, into an internal branding process. It has empirically shown the relationship between internal branding and the behavioural outcome as well as the partial meditating effects of employees' brand identification, commitment and loyalty.

Internal branding: an enabler of employees' brand-supporting behaviours

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the internal branding process from the employees' perspective; it will empirically assess the relationship between internal branding and employees' delivery of the brand promise as well as the relationships among their brand identification, brand commitment and brand loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – On a census basis, a quantitative survey is carried out with 699 customer-interface employees from five major hotels. Findings – Internal branding is found to have a positive impact on attitudinal and behavioural aspects of employees in their delivery of the brand promise. As employees' brand commitment does not have a statistically significant relationship with employees' brand performance, it is not regarded as a mediator in the link between internal branding and employees' brand performance. Furthermore, the study shows that brand identification is a driver of brand commitment, which precedes brand loyalty of employees. Practical implications – A number of significant managerial implications are drawn from this study, for example using both internal communication and training to influence employees' brand-supporting attitudes and behaviours. Still, it should be noted that the effect of internal branding on the behaviours could be dependent on the extent to which it could effectively influence their brand attitudes. Originality/value – The results provide valuable insights from the key internal audience's perspectives into an internal branding process to ensure the delivery of the brand promise. It empirically shows the relationship between internal branding and the behavioural outcome as well as the meditational effects of employees' brand identification, commitment and loyalty.

The servitization of manufacturing:a systematic literature review of interdependent trends

Purpose: The servitization of manufacturing is a diverse and complex field of research interest. The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrative and organising lens for viewing the various contributions to knowledge production from those research communities addressing servitization. To achieve this, the paper aims to set out to address two principal questions, namely where are the knowledge stocks and flows amongst the research communities? And what are generic research concerns being addressed by these communities? Design/methodology/approach: Using an evidenced-based approach, the authors have performed a systematic review of the research literature associated with the servitization of manufacturing. This investigation incorporates a descriptive and thematic analysis of 148 academic and scholarly papers from 103 different lead authors in 68 international peer-reviewed journals. Findings: The work proposes support for the existence of distinct researcher communities, namely services marketing, service management, operations management, product-service systems and service science management and engineering, which are contributing to knowledge production in the servitization of manufacturing. Knowledge stocks within all communities associated with research in the servitization of manufacturing have dramatically increased since the mid-1990s. The trends clearly reveal that the operations community is in receipt of the majority of citations relating to the servitization of manufacturing. In terms of knowledge flows, it is apparent that the more mature communities are drawing on more locally produced knowledge stocks, whereas the emergent communities are drawing on a knowledge base more evenly distributed across all the communities. The results are indicative of varying degrees of interdependency amongst the communities. The generic research concerns being addressed within the communities are associated with the concepts of product-service differentiation, competitive strategy, customer value, customer relationships and product-service configuration. Originality/value: This research has further developed and articulated the identities of distinct researcher communities actively contributing to knowledge production in the servitization of manufacturing, and to what extent they are pursuing common research agendas. This study provides an improved descriptive and thematic awareness of the resulting body of knowledge, allowing the field of servitization to progress in a more informed and multidisciplinary fashion. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

A villamosenergia-piaci liberalizáció és a magyarországi háztartások - Egy kérdőíves felmérés eredményei

Az elmúlt években a háztartási fogyasztás évente több mint 10 TWh-t tett ki, azaz ha a fogyasztók által ténylegesen fizetett árat vesszük figyelembe, akkor éves szinten több mint 300 Mrd forintos szegmensről van szó. Kutatásunkban célunk volt, hogy a háztartási és egyéb kisfogyasztók piacáról minél pontosabb képet alkossunk és bemutassuk, hogy milyen tényezők motiválhatják őket a váltásra, illetve milyen okok miatt nem kerül, nem kerülhet majd erre sor.

Áttekintés a magyar víziközmű-ágazatról

A víziközmű-szolgáltatás hálózatos iparág. Az ágazat legfontosabb jellemzői – az együttes igénybevétel, a fix költségek magas aránya, az a tény, hogy a jelen generációk döntései erőteljesen érintik a jövő generációit is, valamint az a jogi helyzet, hogy a lakossági fogyasztókat nem lehet kizárni a fogyasztásból – meghatározzák a versennyel és a szabályozással kapcsolatos alapvető kérdéseket. A szektor jelenlegi alapkérdése, hogy miként lehet az Európai Unió jogszabályaiból fakadó növekvő minőségi követelmények teljesítésével párhuzamosan megteremteni (felhalmozni) az infrastruktúra megújításához már hosszabb ideje hiányzó pénzügyi tartalékokat.

Közintézményi reformok szemléleti háttere és fejlődési pályái az ezredfordulón

A cikk a közszolgáltatások szempontjából elemzi az állam szerepét a XXI. században. Megállapítja, hogy a modern demokráciát nemcsak a jogszerűség, hanem az eredményesség is legitimálja. Ennek érdekében a 90-es években a fejlett nyugati államokban elkezdődött az állami-közszolgáltató rendszerek reformja. Ezek közös jellemzője volt, hogy menedzsmentreformokkal kezdődtek, amelyek kiegészültek közpolitikai reformokkal és közigazgatási jogi innovációkkal. A reformlépések sorozatának lényegi törekvése a közszolgáltató rendszerek és szervezetek olyan alapvető átalakítása, amely jelentősen megnöveli a hatékonyságot, az eredményességet, az alkalmazkodóképességet és az innovációs kapacitásokat. Megtöri a szolgáltatási monopóliumokat olyan versenykörülmények kialakításával, amelyben az állami, a magán és a civil társadalom szolgáltató szervezetei versenyeznek. A közszolgálati menedzsment megújítása a modern polgári demokráciák állampolgáraihoz, mint igényes közszolgáltatási fogyasztókhoz közelít.