Making Utilities for MS-DOS :: Microsoft Computers System Software Essays

Making Utilities for MS-DOS These days, when computers play an important role in virtually all aspects of our life, the issue of concern to many programmers is Microsoft's hiding of technical documentation. Microsoft is by far the most important system software developer. There can be no argument about that. Microsoft's MS-DOS operating system has become a de facto standard (IBM's PC-DOS is actually a licensed version of MS-DOS). And this should be so, because these systems are very well written. The people who designed them are perhaps the best software engineers in the world. But making a computer platform that is a de facto standard should imply a good deal of responsibility before the developers who make applications for that platform. In particular, proper documentation is essential for such a platform. Not providing enough documentation for a system that everyone uses can have disastrous results. Think of it, an operating system is useless by itself, its sole purpose is to provide services to applications. And who would be able to develop applications for an operating system if the documentation for that system is confidential and available only to the company that developed it? Obviously, only the company that has developed that operating system will be able to develop software for it. And this is a violation of the Antitrust Law. And now I start having a suspicion that this is happening with Microsoft's operating systems. It should be no secret to anyone that MS-DOS contains a lot of undocumented system calls, data structures and other features. Numerous books have been written on this subject (see bibliography). Many of them are vital to system programming. There is no way to write a piece of system software, such as a multitasker, a local area network, or another operating system extension, without knowing this undocumented functionality in MS-DOS. And, sure enough, Microsoft is using this functionality extensively when developing operating system extensions. For example, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Network, and Microsoft CD-ROM Extensions (MSCDEX) rely heavily on the undocumented internals of MS-DOS. The reader can ask, "Why do they leave functionality undocumented?" To answer that question, we should look at what this "functionality" actually is. In MS- DOS, the undocumented "functionality" is actually the internal structures that MS-DOS uses to implement its documented INT 21h API. Any operating system must have some internal structures in which it keeps information about disk drives, open files, network connections, alien file systems, running tasks, etc. And MS- DOS (later I'll call it simply DOS) has internal structures too. These structures form the core of undocumented "functionality" in MS-DOS. This operating system also has some undocumented INT 21h API functions, but they

Improving a company?

Improving a company's system helps aid in its success in today's market as well as in the future of the company's growth and stabilization. This new system that will enable the company to promptly accomplish these requirements without hesitation and will not interfere with the company's time management protocols or add extra unneeded expenses.An information system that more specifically is â€Å"a network architecture in which each computer or process on the network is either a client or a server Servers are powerful computers or processes dedicated to managing disk drives (file rivers), printers (print servers), or network traffic (network servers). Clients are PC's or workstations on which users run applications. Clients rely on servers for resources, such as files, devices, and even processing power. † (Whooped, 2014) The Trusted Computing Base (ETC) is the part of a system that is responsible for enforcing system-wide information security policies.The user can define user access to the trusted communication path, which allows secure communication between regular users and the ETC, by installing and using the ETC. The system administrator must determine how much trust can be given to a particular program. In the ring of trust model, the outer rings contain a lower level of security, and systems requiring higher levels of security are located inside the inner rings. To move from an outer ring into an inner ring, extra security mechanisms are encountered. † (Smith, 2013) the servers will be secure and have all the securities that Ordain would like and need.There will be little or no down time to create the new virtual servers and business will not be effected. Also the disaster recovery rate is much quicker in case of a crash. The information is backed up so in case of a crash the information can be derived quickly. The information gets to the end user much more quickly than having a physical server. Physical server machines get dirty and overload ed with old files and information that is no longer needed or wanted. All information passed through the organization will be encrypted to protect vital aspects of the company operations.The virtual machine running the share point will house the encryption piece for information traffic. Utilizing a virtual server in this aspect will allow end users to generate reports by department in real time with little or no help from an information technology professional. The use of firewalls and even a virtual firewall is also recommended to protect Radian's information. â€Å"A virtual firewall is a firewall device or service that provides network traffic filtering and monitoring for virtual machines.A virtual firewall is deployed, executed and operated from a virtual machine. Virtual firewall formats include: Stand-alone software Integrated SO kernel component. A virtual security provider's dedicated hardware platform A virtual firewall operates in a virtual area network (VAN) environment of connected virtual machines. A virtual firewall operates in two different modes: Bridge mode: Like a rotational firewall, this mode operates by diagnosing and monitoring all incoming and outgoing traffic bound for other virtual networks or machines.Hypocrites mode: In contrast, this mode is isolated from the actual network, resides in the core hypocrites kernel and monitors the virtual host machine's incoming and outgoing traffic. † (Technophobia, Virtual Firewall, 2014) When placing all of the business information on a server along with all of the employee information the company will want it to be secure and readily available to use. When using a virtual server there is not complete control of the physical access of the database. On the other hand the information is no longer on easy identifiable physical systems.There are multiple layers of virtual securities. The data safeguards requirements are the same as a physical server. Information that requires more safeguards is available. Information can be encrypted, role based control, and secure in many ways. Cyber-attacks are all very real threats and can be protected against also. A firewall can encrypt data at the file system that the virtual machine then uses a much managed login procedure for added protection of data against compromise. Logs are also created for looking jack on to see who, where, and when certain data was accessed.Different levels of securities will be used for different levels of data importance. Administration roles will have more securities on them than someone at the data entry level.

Francis Drake Essay - 1792 Words

The year was 1575, Queen Elizabeth I summoned a seasoned mariner by the name of Francis Drake for a meeting that was deeply shrouded in secrecy. Details regarding this meeting were kept from the public eye for many years, until well after the death of Francis Drake. This rendezvous was so secret, the Queen specifically ordered Drake to keep this secret from even one of her most trusted advisor, Lord Treasurer Burghley. The Queen commanded that no one involved discuss the specifics with anyone on pain of death. Bawlf, the author of The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake, provides an in-depth account of what happened on that mysterious voyage as well as the precedent events and the aftermath. The 400-page book recounts the life and death†¦show more content†¦The author tells the story in such a way to resemble a captain’s logbook on a seafaring vessel. Each new section begins in italics, which makes the reader believe that they are reading Drake’s personal log. As a person reads this book, they are made to feel like they are reviewing a captain’s log of their journey. Bawlf includes excerpts from letters the players involved. Letters from Drake, his crewmembers, the Queen, and even his prisoners are included to paint a complete picture of Drake’s voyage. For a journey that was supposed to be so secret, people sure had a lot to write. Letters from the most obscure individuals are included. One such letter is one from Magistrate Gaspar de Vargis, which was sent by courier to another town, Oaxaca, in effort to warn them of a corsair who was raiding coastal towns. That corsair, of course, was Francis Drake. The varied nature of the origins of the letters that the author includes serves to reinforce the idea that Bawlf went to great lengths to research his topic and to make sure that both sides were represented. The first part of the book covers Drake’s early maritime career as he served under Captain John Hawkins. They spe nt most of their time raiding Spanish settlements in the Caribean Sea while trading slaves from Africa to local towns. They acted under the protection of Elizabeth I, with Letters of Marque, which legitimatized their activities, making them privateers as opposed to pirates.Show MoreRelatedSir Francis Drake706 Words   |  3 PagesSir Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake was an English sailor, one of the most famous of the Elizabethan era. Known mostly for being the first Englishman to circle the world between 1577 and 1578, and for helping to defeat the Spanish Armada, Sir Francis Drake was a very important man in history. No birth record exists for Sir Francis Drake, but he was believed to have been born in 1541. Born in Tavistock, England, in a cottage made of tree branches, Drake was the oldest of his eleven brothersRead MoreBiography on Sir Francis Drake948 Words   |  4 PagesFrancis Drake was born in 1542 in Devonshire, England. He loves the water and can always find himself going back to it over the years. Drake was the oldest of twelve children. Sir Francis Drake’s father was Edmund Drake and his mother was Mary Mlyaye Drake. His father worked as a farmer on the land of Lord Frances Russell. Francis Drake was named after his father’s employer which was also Drake’s god father. Drake married his first wife, Mary Newman in 1569. After twelve years of marriageRead MoreEssay on Sir Francis Drake518 Words   |  3 PagesSir Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake is known for Englands defeat of the Spanish Armada. He was a sea dog and he sailed around the world. Drake was actually the first one to sail around the world since Magellan died in his journey. Drake was a sea dog during the reign of Queen Elizabeth the first. And as everyone knows this is a good time to be a sea dog because the queen highly supported them. She gave him money and ships to raid the Spanish shipping. Drake was the most feared sea dogRead More The Life and Accomplishments of Sir Francis Drake Essay3752 Words   |  16 Pagesof Sir Francis Drake The British Empire was a World dominant force throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th century, but if it wasn’t for the naval defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, the British might have never settled what would be the United States. And the person we have to thank is none other than Sir Francis Drake, a common man whose rise from a small country town, to the mighty dragon that the Spanish feared, was the most brilliant Captain during the Elizabethan Era. Sir Francis Drake’sRead MoreSir Francis Drake: A Look into His Early Life Essay835 Words   |  4 PagesSir Francis Drake: A Look into His Early Life Many scholars around the world know that Ferdinand Magellan was the first to circumnavigate the world, but few people know that Sir Francis Drake was the first to circumnavigate the world and live to tell the tale afterwards (Campbell 207). In order to complete such expeditions of circumnavigating the world, Sir Francis Drake had to learn special talents and task before embarking on his expeditions. He was given the opportunity by his mother to go learnRead MoreSir Francis Drake : A Man Who Inspired All Of England1111 Words   |  5 PagesSir Francis Drake, an Englishman, was a bold sailor who inspired all of England on his expeditions. Drake was a hero in England who was called â€Å"El Draque†, which meant â€Å"the dragon†, in Spain. Spain hated Drake because he was a big threat. Drake was most famous for his successful circumnavigation around the world. In the circumnavigation, he found many riches and spices which made him even more famous and crowned a knight by Queen Elizabeth. He proved that he was more than a famous sailor, he wasRead MoreElizabethan Pirates Essay1092 Words   |  5 Pages they accomplished very large feats. If they hadn’t worked together, winning the war would have been extremely difficult. The teamwork of the privateers is what intimidated the King of Spain and allowed them to severely damage the Armada (Sir Francis Drake). The unity of the privateers with the Royal English Navy also had a large impact on the war. If England was to win, teamwork between the Navy and the privateers was very important. If they hadn’t gotten along, several battles could have been lostRead MoreThe Golden Age of Piracy Essay example1197 Words   |  5 Pagespolitical and economic status. Piracy was well established in the West Indies, before the English started to colonize the New World. France was the first nation to employ corsairs to raid Spanish holdings in the Caribbean during the wars between Francis the 1st and Charles V. France and other nations such as England would hire privateers by offering them commissions in their navy; or giving them letters of marque, which was state authorization to seize enemy ships and goods. England had a longRead MoreKing Philip II Of Spain1631 Words   |  7 Pageshe had, had enough of how Elizabeth was ruling and thought that it was his duty as King to do what was right, and take Elizabeth and her army down. During this time period, Spain was the wealthiest country. In September 1580, Sir Francis Drake made numerous attacks on Spanish treasure while coming back from the New World. He returned with a cargo of Spanish gold on the galleons, which was worth 1.5 million ducats that he raided from other galleons in the New World. Elizabeth had supportedRead MoreThe Spanish Armada By William Shakespeare1319 Words   |  6 PagesMary’s death and he had, had enough of how Elizabeth was ruling and thought that it was his duty as King to do what was right and take Elizabeth and her army down. During this time period, Spain was the wealthiest country. In September 1580, Sir Francis Drake made numerous attacks on Spanish treasure while coming back from the New World. He returned with a cargo of Spanish gold on the galleons, which was worth 1.5 million ducats that he raided from other galleons in the New World. Elizabeth had supported