Redbooks residency:Day 5:Saturday September 8

Cleared out all Wachovia e-mails. Successfully created the stored procedure but couldn't deploy on DB2 z/os. Will have to wait till Monday to get support on this. Authored 3 pages of the chapter giving a sense of accomplishment.

Redbooks residency:Day 4:September 7

Successfully used the BETA product (The next generation IBM data developer for Web services ) to expose a DB2 table sql as webservice. You can download at:
https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/iwm/web/reg/download.do?source=swg-vd95ob&S_PKG=swg-vd95ob&S_TACT=Developer
Tested the deployed webservices. (REST bindings with the web browser and SOAP bindings through the built in IBM Webservice Testing wizard).
Target for tomorrow:Build and deploy a stored procedure and expose it as webservice.

Quotable Quote: "When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back.” - Paulo Coelho

Redbooks residency:Day 3:September 6

Kept going in a direction leading to some dead ends. Realized that product supporting webservices between WAS and DB2 is really a beta product. Redbooks are not meant to illustrate beta products, but since this product is available in a public website, it is OK to document this in the Redbooks. The demo illustrating exposure of DB2 stored procedure and table data as Webservice with SOAP and REST bindings was really cool though.

Quotable Quote: Doing things right is always good, but what matters most is doing the right things right.

Redbooks residency:Day 2:September 5.

The last redbooks resident "Ron Townsend" came on board today. He flew in from Indianapolis. He had given a proof of technology for Wachovia for the printing solutions replacement system, and worked with David Weddle and Jerry Sienkewiz (Coincidence or what).
Framemaker/Writing English class (9:30-12:30). The instructor gave some background on "Kill" names for places around here ( Fishkill/Catskill ). It is terminology for Streams. Asked us to be wary of black bears,deers,chipmunks and poison ivy when doing outdoor activity. The lunch at IBM cafeteria was not much different from yesterday, it is turning out to be more monotonous.
The redbook may be titled: Integrating back-end systems through websphere using webservices.
Finalised the scenarios for the redbook. Topics covered could include:
1. WAS to CICS inbound/outbound with MQ and HHTP transport.
2. DB2 V9 (Viper client) Webservices between WAS and DB2. (Stored procedure and dynamic SQL)
3. WAS to IMS ( MFS based webservices and SOAP IMS gateway)
4. WAS to WAS ( WMQ,SIB, ESB....)
I am teamed to work with Ronald on 2 and 3. Sergio and Mario to work on 3 and 4.
Alex mentioned that he will be out for 2 weeks giving seminars and workshops in B'lore and Chennai,India. Came to know that his India trip was planned 2 months in advance. Beats me as to why he would schedule himself as a residency lead with such a conflict ( Bad planning???)

Quotable Quote: "What you did yesterday is history. What you promise for tomorrow is mystery. What you can deliver today is reality." - Anand P. Shah.

Redbooks residency:Day 1:September 4.

Checked into Residence Inn yesterday. Nice room with kitchen and seperated bedroom. Homely atmosphere and everything looked new ( probably newly remodelled room).
Morning breakfast ( Buffett) is free and had quite a good varietyof food. Drove to IBM site at which is behind the inn. Finished with Security and badging. Met two other residents from Sao Paulo, and Brazillia, Brazil ( Mario and Sergio ). It was a 11 hour flight for them from Brazil to US. Mario is IBM level 2 support for Banque De Brazil. Sergio was not really good in english.
Met with the residency leader Alex and Mike. Had lunch at the IBM cafeteria. The residency format is going to be fairly open and flexible which is nice that we are not really going to be constrained.
2 pm Orientation: Our residency leader Alex will be away for 2 weeks for some business trip. Mike will be taking over the residency project management. Tomorrow we are scheduled for 3 hour framemaker training. In the afternoon we will be finalising the scenarious for the redbook ( Hopefully we will have the 4th person checked in by then)

This site is where IBM makes its z/os machines. IBM System Z9 machine at the lobby. Not sure if it is a skeleton or working model though....
IBM System Z9 machine

The walls are decked with many many Redbooks published from this site on one side and many many redbook residency leaders on the other side.

The Redbooks library and current ITSO residents. ( See if you can spot me ...)

Quotable Quote: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." –- Aristotle

Picture of the family at the entrance of our house.

The crocodile park heavily populated with one too many of these...

My daugther holding a python at the park.

At kovalam beach next to the park.

Quotable Quote: Never Rest on your laurels. Keep challenging yourself. Keep raising the bar and keep reaching new heights.

Accepted for IBM redbook residency

I will be doing a 6 week IBM redbook residency in Poughkeepsie, NY for updating the existing Websphere for Z/OS Connectivity handbook from Sep 4th to Oct 5th. This will provide an excellent learning opportunity. IBM Redbooks are developed through a unique residency program that teams IBM technical professionals with Business Partners, clients, and IBM product development staff. Depending on the market needs of a product or solution, a team of residents is chosen through a competitive nomination process and works at one of the IBM centers for two to eight weeks, devoted to developing IBM Redbooks.

Quotable Quote: You'll never have all the information you need to make a decision. If you did, it would be a foregone conclusion, not a decision” - David Mahoney

State championship Pinehurst Team picture

In our initial round, we played against teams from Hickory, Durham and Winston Salem. Lost to Winston Salem in a close match ( 2-3). Here is article about our team: http://www.ncadultleaguetennis.com/pdffiles/DayThreeStory.pdf

Our location in Wikimapia

http://wikimapia.org/#y=35387099&x=-80756700&z=17&l=0&m=a&v=2

Lake Norman USTA local league champion team

Was proud to be part of the Lake Norman USTA local league champion team. Our team won with a record 12-0 played at state championships at Pinehurst scheduled for 7/4,7/5 and 7/6.
here is my record:

	NORTH CAROLINA	2007 Lake USTA League Adult
Match Date	Winning Player	Opponent	Score	Match Type
3/8/2007	Karthik Shanmugam	Kevin Fontana	6-1, 4-6, 1-0	#2 Singles
3/13/2007	Karthik Shanmugam	Chip Aprile	6-1, 6-1	#2 Singles
3/20/2007	Karthik Shanmugam	David W. Stewart	6-4, 6-0	#2 Singles
3/22/2007	Karthik Shanmugam	Paul M. Begley	6-3, 6-3	#2 Singles
4/12/2007	Karthik Shanmugam	Default	6-0, 6-0	#2 Singles
4/24/2007	Karthik Shanmugam	David J. Walton	6-1, 6-1	#1 Singles
4/26/2007	Karthik Shanmugam	Jacob Lee Henault	7-6, 7-6	#1 Singles
5/1/2007	Karthik Shanmugam	Default	6-0, 6-0	#2 Singles
5/10/2007	Karthik Shanmugam Sanjeev Dange	Michael Baldelli Dale Kiel	6-1, 6-3	#3 Doubles
5/24/2007	Karthik Shanmugam Sanjeev Dange	Bob Santoli Rusty Pittman	6-3, 6-0	#3 Doubles
5/31/2007	Karthik Shanmugam	Dominique Falewee	6-4, 4-6, 1-0	#2 Singles

Developer tasks

Talk to customers and figure out requirements.
Define system architectures.
Create task estimates and help prioritize tasks.
Explore new technologies.
Brainstorm solutions when my team is stuck.
Make sure my team is running effectively.
Write code.

Few ways to gain leadership credibility:

1. Do the things other people don't want to (that's a big one in software industry).
2. Change your default way of thinking so that you consider everything to be your responsibility until it is otherwise delegated. That doesn't mean you do everything. That means you don't ignore something because "it isn't your job". THIS IS KEY.  Leadership = ownership.
3. Do what you can to remove roadblocks that are keeping others from progressing in their tasks.
4. Know your domain be it IT, software dev., networking, enterprise engineering, etc.
5. Complement or praise your peers. Giving praise is a sign of authority. It also makes people want you to be their leader.

On the other hand, leading does not mean:

1. You make all the decisions.
2. You force your opinion on the team.
3. You tell people what to do.

Good Traits

Good Attitude,
Willingness To Seek Work
Ingrained desire to Help others
Ability to fill in for superior/subordinate at all times.
Be the “go to” person for something

Tid Bits

The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.

You can't stay in one place and expect a logical "progression". It's your career, take control of it yourself or someone else will. Companies will always view you as the person they first hired. Start as an intern and 10 years later you'll still be seen as that intern. The solution is to move every time you upgrade your skills either by getting an advanced degree or some new special responsibilities and training.