I'm now reading a book of UNIX

I'm now reading a book written about UNIX. The title is "Learing the UNIX operating system". Oops ;-)

Yes. I'm novice at the operating system, because at the previous company I only used Windows operating systems. The reason was that the company focused on small and middle sized companies, turning into the fact that UNIX was not needed at the time providing services to such companies. That was too bad for me, because I had an ambition to someday join a bigger company.

So, I was glad to have an opportunity to handle the system even if the time to use it was not so long.

After finishing this book, I will start reading "Enterprise Integration Patterns", a book written about SOA, or EAI. I bought this one years ago, although there was no need to get the knowledge immediately. I think now is the time to get the thoughts into my brain, seeing that at the next position I will handle a SOA project.


When the time and the thing match, something will happen.

ITIL Foundation Examination

A qualification is just a qualification; there is no value with itself. A value will come only when theory meets practice, and when experience is enforced by study. So, I realized that now is the time to take the examination: ITIL Foundation Exam. (I'm not sure about the exact name.)

I'm now preparing for that, and it seems easy to pass the same. However, I need to bear in mind that this studying time is not only to pass the exam but also, more importantly, to intake the knowledge into myself completely.

ITIL is a good framework for IT practioners working on in this industry. No one can survive without IT infrastructure knowledge and skills, like OS, network devices, and hardware. Also, people who engage mainly in managing IT infractructure or provide maintenance services for their customers need to know managemental issues on this area, like change management process, or resolve and release process.


As I mentioned earlier, I'm a dreamer whose dream is to launch a new business in the IT world of the world. So, self-evidently, I need to master it.

IT - Inventory my skills

Let me inventory my skills and knowledge I've gotten ever. That makes sense in terms of knowing myself well, and presenting myself better. In this industry, I will make a difference to realize my higher purposes needed to achieve. Let me roll below:

• OS-related skills, Windows, UNIX, AIX, and Linux
• Programming language skills, C#, ASP, Visual Basic, Scripting, and Java
• Web-based skills, ASP .NET, WebSphere, Apache, Tomcat, and IIS
• Project management skills, knowledge and experience, and genius
• People skills, communication, team building, personal coaching, and leadership
• Infrastructure skills, ITIL, network, hardware, and Linux
• Software architecture skills, OOD, TDD, UML, SOA, EAI, and ERP
• Domain skills, retail, wholesale, manufacturer, and finance
• Function skills, finance, accounting, human resources, asset management
• Language skills, Japanese, English
• Nutrition skills, vegetables, fruits, and rices
• Physical skills, pull-up, rock-climbing, jogging, and swimming
• Natural science skills, psychology, philosophy, fossil fuel, and nutrition
• General information techonology skills, CMMI, PMBOK, Computer Science

All roads lead to Rome.

IT - The Areas on which I will focus in next three months

First and foremost, I may need to categorize my intense concentration areas related to the Business Area, which is one of three major focal areas where I vowed to achive high goals in this three months. That could be specific technological areas or general management areas. Well, let me start listing up below:

1. UNIX
2. Java
3. ITIL
4. Project management
5. IT Architect


Let me scrutinize each subject:

1. UNIX

This includes Linux for sure. The experience of UNIX and Linux happened to begin with the new company I joined last April. At the previous company I'd engaged in almost 10 years, I barely used other than Windows-based technology. So, in a sense, I came to the company to attain those skills to make myself more valuable.

As a IT professional, I need to be familiar with UNIX based technology as well as Windows. High end systems usually depend on the latter systems rather than the former ones. So, I should have changed the situation that I couldn't handle the operating system or similar.

Until now I've already experienced several projects that I needed to use UNIX or similar systems such as AIX. The experience was relatively shocking to me in the sense of big differences between Windows and that ones. People need to use character based user interface instead of graphical user interface that I thought this was definitely defacto standard. But people really like the command based operations.

Anyway, I need to get familiar with UNIX and Linux. To achieve that, as a plan I will build my own system using my old personal computers by installing free Linux into them. And I'll configure the network settings and make it a web server published in the Internet. It might take several weeks, but that makes sense. That is worth it.


2. Java

As I mentioned serveral times before, I must learn Java technology. It's because I am a software architect even though I'm now a project manager in the current company, and also because Java is defacto standard in programming languages. After building my own Linux system, I will construct my software world upon that. That's really helpful for the world.


3. ITIL

My previous project is a ITIL related project. It means my job is managing the customer's IT infrastracture and making a plan for the improvement or applying the software patches. The important thing is that the customer had highly controled and process based management sytle. At first, I was surprised at their governance. It seemed non sense or kind of wasted. But as time goes, I found that that is a "ITIL". High performing IT organizations conduct such kind of practices. I learned that by experiencing the operations in reality and by reading the best book of ITIL. So, it's good to learn ITIL right now.


4. Project management

I'm a project manager, so I'd better study further more about project management. It's self-evident.


5. IT Architect

I'm a software architect, so I'd better study further more about software architecture. It's self-evident.


Let's go!

Welcome!

I thought one day that I needed to summarize my experience and studies, and stretch my strength through publishing them on the Internet. I think that now is the time. Vowing so, I'll list up arguments that I'll discuss with myself from now on as below:

- ITIL
- Java
- Project Management
- Offshore Development
- Open Software
- Linux
- WWW


Let's go!