Tag: pc

Guest Post: 7 Reasons You Will Benefit From Domain Controllers

Domain controllers are servers that perform routine security requests like ensuring the user has access to certain files or logging a user into the network. While domain controllers take some time to install and configure, there are a few advantages to having them installed. Here are seven reasons why you should have domain controllers installed.

1. Faster Authentication. A domain controller is made only for routine security processes. Due to this, it can perform these processes much faster than another server that is busy running programs and processing resources. Using a domain controller makes it easier for a user to access the domain and network, and the time savings are often rather large if this is used across a big network.

2. Resource Authentication. Aside from authenticating users, domain controllers are also used to authenticate resources. For example, before a user opens a certain type of program, the domain controller will authenticate the user’s ability to use those resources. This ensues that users are not allowed to use resources that are above their clearance, and this is faster than forcing another server to do the same thing.

3. Resource Utilization. Handing out resources can require a lot of power and processing. Normally the regular servers are expected to hand out these resources, but that often gets in the way of programs being used. This inevitably ends up creating a digital traffic jam that can take several minutes to clear up.

Domain controllers are able to assist in handing out resources, ensuring that these digital traffic jams are minimized.

4. Better Computer Speeds. Computers often need to perform some server processing on the client side to get the necessary resources for a program to open, or to authenticate a process. This takes away a lot of energy from the computer, which can cause programs to quickly slow down.

A domain controller exists outside of the workstation, and it cuts out all this extra processing. The controller performs the necessary authentication and resource utilization work, so the workstation does not need to waste power on this. This makes the computer function faster.

5. Decreased Network Traffic. Large networks tend to have a lot of traffic going back and forth. Workstations are demanding resources and servers are processing the requests and doing their best to rush resources back to the workstation. This causes a different type of digital traffic jam, but it has the same effect: it causes the entire network to slow down and lose power.

A domain controller can step in and regulate all the network traffic. It can help direct traffic to different servers or workstations, which greatly reduces the chance of any jams occurring.

6. Better Password Management. A lot of digital and mental resources are needed for password management. Users need to remember all their passwords for the various logins they need to perform at work, and servers need to both remember and authenticate these passwords for users. People sometimes forget things, and it can be a massive issue if someone forgets his or her password. It can reduce the amount of work a team can complete in one day. Servers also have to dedicate a good amount of their processing just to passwords.

Domain controllers handle all of this. They can replace the normal servers for password management, which frees up those resources. It is generally easier to make a new password with a domain controller, so a forgetful employee can quickly get back to work.

7. Better Security. A normal sever has a relatively high chance of letting a user through the system without proper authentication. Normally this doesn’t last long and the effects are typically minimal, but this may enable unauthorized access to certain files.

Since a domain controller is made specifically for safety, the chances of unauthorized access are significantly lower.

Conclusion: Installing a domain controller is a great way to make your network move faster and function better. The controller is better with authenticating users and resources, and it can help in many other ways. Most businesses report that they are able to perform more work with a domain controller installed. Try one out and see how much better your business can be with a domain controller.

Author Bio: Tom Demers writes about domain controllers for Bit9 a company dedicated to helping protect clients online.

May 12, 2012
7 Reasons International Cricket Captain 2010 Let Me Down

This week, one half of the 7 Reasons team will be revisiting their childhood. (The other half may or may not join in. We like living on the edge). Today we start off by looking back to the summer of 1998. As a 15 year-old, I spent much of my summer holiday playing, watching and indulging in cricket. Part of this indulging was many hours spent on International Cricket Captain. A PC game that does for cricket what Championship Manager does for football. Except that Championship Manager was good. Anyway, International Cricket Captain 2010 is out these days. It’s bound to have got better. At least that’s what I thought.

1. Run The Bat In! As a young cricketer you are told to run the bat in. Usually, this involves running the bat along the ground. Whoever designed this game obviously thinks it’s okay to run the bat in, in mid-air. And because of that, Ricky Ponting was given not out on 23, 54, 73, 75, 89, 101, 108, 11o, 118 and 122. He went on to score a match-winning 133 and the Ashes were gone. Despite Andrew Strauss’ 13* in England’s second innings. The one where we were bowled out for 46. Chasing 467.

2. Slip Positions. I don’t know about you, but I like my slips close together. If the ball goes wide of third slip, well so be it. It’s better than it flying between first and second. International Cricket Captain 2010 evidently likes a slightly more spread field. So spread in fact that I could probably drive a combine harvester between keeper and slip. If only the game had that option.

3. Aggers. I would say Jonathan Agnew is back for another stint as commentator, but I actually think it’s exactly the same utterances as he recorded 12 years ago. The only reason I hesitate in stating this as fact is because he sounds slightly more bored than I remember. I didn’t even think that was possible at the time.

4. Geoffrey Boycott’s Grandmother. If anyone has ever wondered just how good she is, I can’t help you. If anyone has ever wondered what her stance looks like, buy International Cricket Captain 2010. The batsmen – and they all have exactly the same set up – are clearly based on little old ladies.

5. Lord’s Media Centre. It looks like a hedge. Probably because it is.

6. Training. One of the things that really annoyed me about the original International Cricket Captain was that you could only train eight players at anyone time. Supposedly the rest of the squad just arsed around in the changing room playing poker and watching Trisha. I would have hoped that in the twelve years that have passed, this would have changed to accurately portray the professional era. Has it? No. I am still only allowed to coach eight players. And quite frankly, I don’t think Ian Bell listened to a word I said.

7. Attack! When a batsmen is at the crease you are supposed to be able to influence his attacking mentality. Unfortunately, some of the players seem to have a mind of their own and do whatever they bloody well like. An uninjured Flintoff deciding to block out the 19th over of a T20 against Australia for instance. I initially thought this was because I hadn’t earned his respect. That would be a nice little addition to the game and give it a sense of realism. Ten minutes after trying to work out whether this was the case, I exited the game without saving. Why did I think it would be a good idea to relive my childhood again?

September 13, 2010
7 Reasons The Brylcreem Batting Challenge Is Flawed

The Brylcreem Batting Challenge puts you in the shoes of Kevin Pietersen and tells you to smack the ball as far as you can. It sounds like fun. And it was. Until I started getting bored and noticed how much better it could be.

1. The Ball. It’s bloody huge. It should break KP’s bat. Does it? Of course not. In fact it can be hit as far as a giant India-based jelly. As we shall see in a minute.

2. KP’s Neck. He hasn’t got one. I have seen Kevin Pietersen in the flesh. And there was quite a sizable neck on show. So where the hell has it gone? If they wanted a cricketer without a neck they should have called Gladstone Small.

3. Barbados. According to Brylcreem this is Barbados. Not only is it very small it would appear that a three toed giant is buried under the beach.

4. The Giant Lizard. This lizard is just across the sea from Barbados – on a beach in St. Vincent and the Grenadines by my calculations. That’s some 100 miles away. That scale makes this lizard approximately 65 miles long. Thank goodness my shot landed in the water. I would hate to have riled it.

5. India. At least I assume this is India. That is where I thought the Taj Mahal was situated. It’s quite hard to tell though when you have the Sydney Opera House and a giant jelly in the background.

6. New York. We started in England, then we went to the West Indies, then India, then Australia. I can understand that. Proper cricket nations in a proper cricket game. So why the hell have I just ended up in the Big Apple? Where is South Africa or Sri Lanka or New Zealand?

7. The Brylcreem Zone. It is not so much the fact that I ended up in the Brylcreem Zone that frustrates me – this is the objective of the game – it’s what I get for arriving here. My style is upgraded and I get a bonus 2000 points. Is that it? I have just twatted a ball from London to the Brylcreem Zone and all I get is a style upgrade and 2000 meaningless bonus points? Where the hell is my 10% discount code? Why is KP not nodding his appreciation? Has his big head fallen off? What a waste of bloody time.

May 3, 2010
7 Reasons Not to Revisit Old Football Management Games

1. It’s unproductive. When you’re playing a current Football management game, you can at least try to justify spending all of the time engaged in a trivial activity by reassuring yourself that you’re gaining invaluable insights into the modern game. All you’re learning by re-visiting an old one is how good everyone used to think Gary O’Neill would become.

2. Guilt. You’ll feel guilty about re-visiting an old game. And so you should. You now know who most of the promising players in the game are – this is much like insider dealing on the stock markets – and you’ll feel so guilty about this that you’ll set yourself ridiculous challenges within the game. Trying to build a Premier League winning team entirely from Belgian players; trying to win the FA Cup with an entirely left-footed team; winning the Champions League with a team of players with silly names (Raphael Wicky, Chung Yoo-Suk, Bernt Haas and Olivier De Cock are always the first names on the team-sheet); trying to qualify for the World Cup with an all-Scottish team – the guilt-induced-absurdity is endless.

3. Wayne Routledge. Your Premier League team’s bête noire will be Wayne Routledge. He’ll be awesome whenever you play against him. Yes, the same Wayne Routledge that wouldn’t even get into a Premier League team picked by his own mother. “Wayne Routledge. Wayne Routledge!” will be the tortured and incredulous cry that accompanies your heaviest defeat of the season.

4. Management. The managers do weird things in old games. Arsene Wenger spends money on players, Fergie retires, Steve McLaren is English (I couldn’t resist this video), Rafa Benitez picks a squad using logic and Steve Bruce doesn’t frighten small children.

5. Imagination. Because the old game develops very differently to current real-life football, you have to keep track of them both in your mind. So you now have two Peter Crouches, both a real Peter Crouch and an imaginary one. Do you really need an imaginary Peter Crouch?

6. Match Of The Day. Settling down to watch Match Of The Day becomes a confusing experience after you’ve been playing an old game for some time – it’s like watching The Twilight Zone. All of the wrong players are playing for all of the wrong teams, all of the wrong teams are in all of the wrong leagues, all of the wrong scorers are scoring at all of the wrong ends yet Alan Shearer still can’t find a decent shirt. Where the hell is he shopping?

7. Internationals. I wasn’t managing them, but England won the 2010 World Cup. Wayne scored a hat-trick in the final against Italy. Wayne Routledge. Wayne Routledge!

March 11, 2010