What Is A Systemic Yeast Infection?

When you think of a yeast infection, you automatically think of the common infection in a women's body, which also can affect men as well. But, not all yeast infections are alike. The systemic yeast infection is similar to the common infection, but this one can affect your whole body and if left untreated, it could cause death. It is especially dangerous for those that have diabetes.

What is a systemic yeast infection? It occurs when the Candida in a person's body has a compromised immune system, which can be a result from the sugar in your body being at a high level, living an unhealthy lifestyle or there may be toxins within your body that are causing the problem. This type of yeast infection is difficult to diagnose, as it has similar traits to other illnesses and diseases. The doctor will usually take a stool sample and sometimes a blood test in order for him to make the proper diagnosis.

Some of the symptoms of a systemic yeast infection include, but are not limited to dizziness, migraine headaches, fatigue, muscle pain, breathing problems, diarrhea, constipation, and itching of the rectal area. It is best to know all the symptoms and get treatment as soon as possible. While many of these symptoms do not necessarily mean you have a yeast infection, they could be cause for an underlying condition.

A few of the best ways to prevent systemic yeast infection are to change your lifestyle by eating healthier foods, which includes limiting your amount of sugar and carbohydrates, eating lots of green vegetables, reducing the amount of dairy foods, and incorporating a gluten free diet into your routine. Incorporating an aerobic exercise routine which is performed four or five times a week can also help prevent a yeast infection, as it will help reduce stress. If you take birth control pills or antibiotics on a regular basis, you may want to consider not using them, as they are known to increase the yeast in your body.

Read More

What Are Some Of The Home Remedies For Yeast Infections?

Have you ever had an itchy, burning feeling down below in your private parts? If so, you may have a yeast infection, but there is good news! There are a few home remedies for yeast infections that you can easily do by yourself, without having to buy any medication. Of course, this article is not a replacement for medical treatment; it is only a guideline that you can follow. If you think that you have a yeast infection and you have never had one yourself, then you should contact your doctor and seek medical help.

One of the most popular home remedies for yeast infections that you can do is to eat more yogurt. Yogurt has lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria cultures in it which are actually good for your body, but be sure to make sure it is sugar free, as the sugar will only aggravate your problem even more. Another alternative is to use garlic. If you are already a garlic lover, this should be easy for you. Mince up a clove of garlic and add it to your meal, three times a day. You can use it on your salads, in your dishes or straight up, if you can handle it.

You can also make your own douches as home remedies for yeast infections. Tea tree oil has natural anti fungal properties. Never use it straight up, though. Be sure to dilute it with some water, preferably a drop to a cup of water. Use once a day for a week, or until you notice that the pain and itchy has subsided. It is not recommended, though, to use these douches when you are yeast infected free, as it can only irritate you and possibly bring on the infection that you are currently trying to get rid of. You can also make a douche out of hydrogen peroxide. Make sure it is 3% (not higher) hydrogen peroxide. Mix one teaspoon with 1 cup of water. Use as directed for the Tea tree oil douche. Do not mix them, though. Pick one or the other and stick to it.

Regardless of the method that you choose for home remedies for yeast infections, you should begin to feel some relief without having to contacting your physician. If you do not feel relief within a 5-7 days, than you should contact a doctor or pharmacist and ask for advice.

Read More

Insidious Yeast Infection Symptoms In Men

Males have anatomies that are much different than a females besides the obvious, so when they begin to have yeast infection symptoms, men are not always sure what to attribute the symptoms to. The symptoms of candida may just be a small amount of burning upon urination. Or, there may be no symptoms whatsoever, but eventually the infection will affect his overall systemic health. Eventually if left untreated, men may end up with prostate cancer.

Often, men will be advised by their significant others to get checked because the infection has been passed on to them from their partner. It is important to be treated simultaneously with a partner because if only the male is treated, the female may reinfect him. In men, the urethra leads to the prostrate which is why it is so simple for the infection to basically swim up and toward the prostrate, which is why yeast infection symptoms in men are nonexistent and much more dangerous.

Things to be on the alert for to determine if they are yeast infection symptoms are, constipation or diarrhea, smelly breath, indigestion, flatulence, irritability, fatigue, prostate discomfort, and itchy or cracked skin. One test to do in the privacy of home, is to keep a glass of water on the bedside table. Upon awakening spitting a couple of times into the glass, then waiting to see if it dissipates or separates will determine an infection is present.

Often, it is the food eaten which may contribute to an infection or fungus, or it may be from a partner. Either way it must be treated immediately with an antifungal medication. To prevent yeast infection symptoms, it is wise to at least try the candida diet. This diet is an eating plan with the meals consisting of lean chicken, fresh vegetables and at least eight glasses of water daily. Food items to eliminate are all gluten containing foods, such as white rice, flour and soy. Dairy and canned fish in addition to artificial sweeteners should also be eliminated. It is important to rebuild the immune system and this treatment, in addition to an oral or topical antifungal, should bring a man back to robust health.

Read More

Minimal Symptoms With A Male Yeast Infection

Yeast is not a bad thing, in fact it belongs in the intestines where it helps good bacteria, but sometimes things go awry and yeast gets into places it shouldn't, especially if those places on the body are warm, moist and hidden from light. This is when a male yeast infection may present itself, often with a telltale odor of aged cheese. Yeast infections in men are similar to that of jock itch except the incessant itching and burning are not as prevalent. Other times, there may be no signs an infection is present at all.

The first thing to remember when checking for a male yeast infection is, there are commonly either no symptoms present or very minimal ones. There may only be a slight burning upon urination but less obvious are constipation, irritability, fatigue, diarrhea, cracked or irritated skin, and overall moodiness. It is very important to be seen as soon as possible by a physician for treatment if a partner has conveyed they have an infection even if none of the above has presented itself. Remember that even without intimacy, a low immune system can contribute to a higher incidence of infection.

Treatment for a male yeast infection includes oral or topical antifungal medication which should be given to both partners to eliminate the chance of a reinfection. Because men have the type of anatomy that allows the candida or fungal to travel from the urethra to the prostate, in later years, the prostate can show symptoms of cancer or other problems which is why early treatment is so imperative.

Not only are there several changes a man can make in his life to prevent a male yeast infection, but certain medications can actually cure candida and other types of fungal diseases. After being diagnosed by a physician, and medication prescribed, overhauling the diet should be implemented. Eliminating foods such as dairy, canned fish, soy, trans fats, beer,and gluten containing foods, like wheat, white flour and rice along with artificial sweeteners, will help to boost the immune system back up to where it belongs. Adding in lean white chicken and fresh vegetables will maintain good health and assist in weight loss if needed as well.

Read More

Penis Yeast Infection - Diagnosing, Common Symptoms and Curing This Condition

You certainly won't find men getting together and talking about having this condition. Many will not even know what it is or how to treat it, but one thing is for sure, you will know there is something wrong and if you let it develop and get out of hand it will cause you a lot of discomfort and pain.

What Causes A Penile Yeast Infection?

Yeast thrives in warm and moist conditions. Uncircumcised men naturally have a habitat where this type of yeast infection can thrive. Penis yeast infections in circumcised men is much less common as the head of the penis is kept dry and cooler as air circulates.

Men can contract a penis yeast infection through sexual intercourse with a woman that has a yeast infection. Other health conditions can also be a factor including diabetes, but the most common is intestinal yeast overgrowth.

This condition is made worse by consuming foods that feed the yeast, particularly sugar-laden foods and beer. If you find yourself craving foods such as pasta or anything sugary you are unknowingly giving the parasite what it craves.

What Are The Symptoms?

Once the yeast infection has infected the head of the penis, over time it can crack and become sore. This can be particularly painful and something you are aware of even during your daily activities. If you let your penis yeast infection reach this point it can take quite a long time to kill off the yeast infection and can be particularly stubborn and problematic.This is because the yeast can be resistant to treatment.

How Do You Cure It?

There are several ways you can tackle a penis yeast infection. Here are some of the most popular ways:

* First of all make sure you pay close attention to your personal hygiene. Make sure the head of the penis is thoroughly washed.

Tip: Even use the shower head specifically on this area. Be careful the water isn't too hot though and that the 'blast' setting isn't cranked too high. You are looking to improve and cure this condition, not make it any worse.

* Secondly, after taking a shower use a separate towel to specifically 'buff' and dry the head of the penis. My doing this you will remove dead skin cells and dry the area so that the yeast infection doesn't have the moisture it needs to feed its growth and worsen.

Next you need to consider taking both topical and internal treatment to promote good bacteria and a healthy immune system, not to mention give you a state of well being and promote good health. You should also remove certain foods from your diet until your infection has cleared up.

Step 1: Take a quality probiotic on a daily basis. This will give your body 'friendly bacteria' it wouldn't otherwise get from a busy lifestyle.

Step 2: Eliminate anything laden with refined sugar. This includes chocolate, cakes, ice cream sweets and anything loaded with sugar when you look at the ingredients. Also cut down or eliminate pasta and avoid beer in any volume. Beer is loaded with yeast and will just worsen your penis yeast infection.

Read More

Natural Cures For A Penile Yeast Infection

Of course, there are over the counter solutions for treating a penile yeast infection such as Monistat 7 and for some people these solutions work, but not for all men. Quite often you will witness an improvement in the infection for a finite period of time then it will return with a vengeance.

Penis yeast infections can be very stubborn and troublesome.

What happens is this:

The yeast becomes resistant to the anti fungal treatment you are using so it becomes much more difficult to get rid of permanently. That's why it's always advantageous to treat this condition quickly and not leave it to develop before trying to cure it.

Here are some natural cures for a penile yeast infection that have anti fungal properties which you can use:

Probiotics - Empty the contents of the capsule or sachet onto the penile yeast infection. The live bacteria in the probiotic will then get to work killing the yeast infection. The same thing can also be achieved with unsweetened natural yogurt but with a higher ratio of the bacteria that kills the yeast.

Gentian Violet - This is a natural cure which is non toxic and can be effectively used on skin yeast infections. It can stain so be careful when using it.

Tea Tree Oil - This is a potent anti fungal which should not be applied neat and directly. Dilute the tea tree oil before application.

You could also try white vinegar in a bath or dilute it before any direct application. We have also read reports of men successfully using monistat with a small blob of white vinegar added to it.

During this time reduce the intake of sugar in your daily diet because this will just feed the penile yeast infection and make it harder to effectively treat. If the yeast infection does not clear up after a few days, try another natural method so it doesn't get used to one type of treatment over a long duration. By doing this you will also see what is working best for you.

Read More

A Yeast Infection Test That Can Be Performed At Home

How to Tell If You have Vaginal, Penile or Systemic Candidiasis

Primary yeast infection test methods in a clinical setting are either done using a microscope or a culture medium. The former involves getting a swab of the affected area and examining it under the microscope. Potassium hydroxide solution is used to stain the sample and isolate Candida cells - the fungus that causes yeast infection or Candidiasis.

In the culturing yeast infection test, a swab is rubbed on the skin of the infected individual and a culture medium is then used to develop yeast colonies. The swab is incubated to allow for the development of the colonies. The characteristics of the fungal colonies will give the attending physician or laboratory analyst an idea of what type of Candida specie is present on the skin of the patient.

Aside from these common clinical tests, there is also the so-called saliva home test. Upon waking up in the morning, spit on a glass of water. This should be done before you brush your teeth or eat breakfast. After 15 minutes, take a look at what happened to your saliva. If you have yeast infection, the water will turn cloudy or strings will be coming down from the saliva you spat on the water. If your saliva sank at the bottom after a few more minutes, that can also be a sign of fungal infection. A negative result is when your saliva stays at the top or the surface of the water and eventually disappears.

This simple test can give you an idea if you have Candida infection. However, this is an inconclusive test and getting diagnosed should still be a priority. Aside from these tests, watching out for symptoms can also help detect the infection at its early stage.

For vaginal Candidiasis, itching and soreness at the vulvar area are the most common signs. A burning feeling, particularly when urinating, can also signal the onset of yeast infection. If there is pain during intercourse and a white discharge which smells like bread is produced, then it is possible that a woman has Candida infection.

Male Candidiasis has almost the same symptoms as vaginal yeast infection; but for men, the penis head and the foreskin are the areas where symptoms usually appear. Men may also produce a white discharge, although this is quite rare.

A yeast infection test should be done to address the problem at the onset and to prevent it from developing into systemic Candidiasis. Most symptoms of Candida infection are similar to those of other skin conditions so it is best to get a professional opinion to make sure that you get treated early.

Read More

Causes, Symptoms and Natural Treatment Methods for Female Yeast Infection

Female yeast infection has become quite common in that almost half of the world's female population has suffered at least once from Candidiasis or yeast infection. Among those who have had this fungal infection, majority had it in the form of vaginal Candidiasis.

Causes of female yeast infection

Yeast is a naturally-occurring fungus in the human body. However, certain factors can cause an overgrowth which can then lead to yeast infection. The imbalance or overgrowth can be triggered by several factors; and for women, the most common one is the use of oral contraceptives and antibiotics. A weakened immune system is also a predisposing factor; hence, the susceptibility of diabetics, HIV-positive individuals and cancer patients to the infection.

Pregnancy has also been identified as a factor, and so are stress and a high-sugar diet. Other factors that can make a woman prone to Candidiasis are humid weather and wearing tight clothing. One factor that can cause the infection without being biologically predisposed is having intercourse with an infected partner.

Symptoms of Candida infection in women

Signs of yeast infection include itching, skin redness, rashes and a burning feeling. These symptoms are usually present in all types of Candidiasis, including vaginal yeast infection. Other symptoms of vaginal Candidiasis are thick, curd-like discharge and pain during intercourse and while urinating. In some cases, depression and lack of focus may also be experienced.

Natural treatment for female Candidiasis

Women with Candidiasis have a lot of options when it comes to natural treatment. For vaginal Candida infection, a tampon soaked in unsweetened yogurt and inserted into the vagina is one such option. Garlic applied to the affected areas of the body or used as a suppository is another. Tea tree oil, coconut oil and gentian violet are also highly touted natural cures.

Vinegar mixed with water, baking soda with citric acid and lime juice are also natural treatment options. Women who breastfeed usually favor liquid cures, like the vinegar-water solution. These liquid formulas are swabbed on the areas around the nipples and other parts of the breast where itchiness and rashes appear. Early treatment should be done if symptoms appear on the breast of a mother who has an infant since the infection can be easily transmitted to the baby.

Female yeast infection can affect different parts of a woman's body. What she needs to remember is to treat the infection at the onset so that it will not be passed on to her baby, particularly if the infant is being breastfed; or to her partner during intercourse.

Read More

Treating Baby Yeast Infection the Natural Way

Baby yeast infection usually appears in the mouth. However, just like adults, babies can also suffer from yeast infection in other parts of the body. Although oral yeast infection is the most common form of Candidiasis in newborn infants, there are other ways by which this condition can affect babies.

Thrush in infants

When babies have thrush or oral Candidiasis; white, curd-like deposits will appear on the tongue and the insides of the mouth. This could be accompanied by soreness and inflammation and can affect how babies are fed. Having oral thrush will likely have its toll on an infant's overall health.

Diaper rash

Diaper rash is different from diaper Candidiasis. Both can be utterly uncomfortable, but there are slight differences in the symptoms. A rash caused by yeast infection can appear as red bumps with heights surrounded by smaller red spots. Diaper yeast infection usually appears on the upper thighs, the pubic area and the lower part of the baby's abdomen.

Causes of infant Candidiasis

Babies can get yeast infection from infected mothers, particularly those who are being breastfed. Women who have the infection can pass it on to their babies, especially if they are breastfeeding. The symptoms can manifest on the mother's areola and around the nipples.

If an infant has to take antibiotics for some sort of condition, then his or her immune system can be affected. This could lead to the baby being prone to developing Candidiasis. Warm weather can also contribute to the development of the condition. Humidity can trap sweat on the baby's skin, especially in areas of the body that are wrapped in clothing. That is why the diaper area is where symptoms are usually found. For oral Candida infection, using unclean feeding bottles and pacifiers can lead to the development of yeast infection.

Natural treatment for infant yeast infection

For babies, treating the infection with a mild, natural cure is still best. Infants do not have the same tolerance as adults when it comes to medications; that is why a natural cure will be a better option. One way of treating yeast infection without causing more discomfort on the baby is tea tree oil. This can be swabbed on the areas where symptoms appear.

Apple cider vinegar can also be used on baby rash. When used to treat thrush, it is best to dilute it with water and swab the tongue and insides of the baby's mouth with it using cotton. Crushed garlic applied on affected areas is also an effective natural cure.

Baby yeast infection is quite common. However, choosing the right cure is very important because infants are more sensitive to medications than adults and treating the infection with a natural cure is probably the best option.

Read More

Cause for White Tongue and Lump in the Throat

On this article, Anti Candida Diet blog presents you with article Cause for White Tongue and Lump in the Throat. No matter what problems you have: candida and diseases, yeast infection symptoms, or anti yeast diet, make sure you visit us often. Check more details below.

My friend wants to know if white tongue and lump in the throat is a candida symptom. She has a white coating on my tongue, because she does and it is giving her bad breath. Also, she thinks she has a lump in her throat. She is wondering if that is related to candida or acid reflux or both.

Most of us, the candida sufferers, have that white tongue she got, but it isnt candidiasis, it caused by other yeasts. I believe this Yeast syndrome is one of the worst diseases out there, because you don’t know what you have.

The white coating on your tongue itself is a sign of cleansing and/or ketosis. I read somewhere that it happens and is normal when you stop eating carbohydrates/sugar and only eat the protein and fat. Try scraping your tongue and drinking more water. The coating will clear up as your body becomes cleaner. This really makes sense, because it happens to me when I cut off carbs.

Bad breath means toxic colon. I, too, have had the lumpy sore throat for years. It went away after I did a year and a half program from candida wellness center, but still had vaginal yeast, so I dont really recommend it. I find that when I follow a low carb diet I get a lump in my throat. It happens all the time.

Ketosis, which makes you having the white tongue, is not a healthy thing to be in, as it means you are burning too much fat too quickly and it can tax your kidneys. You may want to increase your carbs a bit by eating more veggies.

I wish this article "Cause for White Tongue and Lump in the Throat" has been informative and meet what you need. If you want to know more details about this issue, or everything related to anti candida diet, I highly recommend that you grab my recommended special report and also get their support on Fight the Yeast website. Make sure you take advantage of their support, that what I found the most important thing you should do.

Read More

Why Decaffeinated Coffee Not Allowed for the Anti Yeast Diet

On this article, Candida Home Remedies blog presents you with article Why Decaffeinated Coffee Not Allowed for the Anti Yeast Diet. No matter what problems you have: candida and diseases, yeast infection symptoms, or anti yeast diet, make sure you visit us often. Check more details below.

My friend wants to know why even decaffeinated coffee is not allowed for the anti yeast diet. She has been having one cup in the morning and it is from the health store. She reads on one yeast site that it was ok to drink one cup of decaf per day if you really need it. Now, she is really confused as she didn’t know that decaf is not ok. She is having a very hard time giving up that first morning cup. She also wonders if coffee enema will be a bad thing to do, too.

I am not sure exactly why, but I know that decaf is considered worse than regular coffee, yeast or no yeast. But for me, it is best to give up gradually. Now, I no longer need the first cup in the morning, but I have one in the late afternoon when I am working. I get organic coffee (so there are no chemicals in it) and I sweeten it with Stevia. You could also try dandelion coffee as a substitute.

It contains mold and it is very acidic that it kills the good bacteria in your system. I think that decaf coffee is a no-no because it is very acidic, creating an environment in which yeast thrive.

On the other hand, coffee enemas are ok, as long as you use organic coffee and brew it correctly, which I found out I was doing wrong. When you use it as an enema, the caffeine does not enter your system, but goes directly to stimulating the liver to dump toxins. It also is a great stimulant for the intestines to clean out the junk that is built up.

I have been in the field of candidiasis for a long time and have written many articles about candida. I hope this Why Decaffeinated Coffee Not Allowed for the Anti Yeast Diet article fulfill your expectation, otherwise go ahead grab my recommended report on how to cure candida fast naturally at Fight the Yeast where you can get answers to the rest of your questions.

Read More

Candida Die Off White Tongue To Be Yeast Related – Is It Right?

On this article, Candida Home Remedies blog presents you with article Candida Die Off White Tongue To Be Yeast Related – Is It Right?. No matter what problems you have: candida and diseases, yeast infection symptoms, or anti yeast diet, make sure you visit us often. Check more details below.

My friend has an HMO and have to use certain doctors for her sickness. Her doctor is of no help, anyway. The past month she has been sick, first with ulcers in her throat, and now with symptoms on her lips and tongue. Her lips are red, tingly feeling, and very sore. Her tongue seems swollen and has almost like little tiny sores in spots (it is a little whitish, but not much). Her doctor says there has to be whitish stuff on her lips and tongue for it to be yeast related.

But she has read – even seen pictures on the web – where it is red not white. She finally got him to call in that one time pill for yeast infections and bought Acidolphilis from the health food store. It has only been one day, so she hasnt had any relieve as of yet. She was just wondering if anyone thought she was on the right track. She has been reading all the symptoms of Candida and just felt like why didnt she or her doctor picks up on this sooner, as there is so many similarities to her history.

For your information, you don’t have to have white stuff on the lips for the problem to be yeast related. Ulcers in the mouth/ throat are a symptom of Candida. I am not saying yours is or isn’t. But they are, nevertheless, symptoms of the horrible ‘invasion’. So is a swollen tongue, which makes you feel like you’ve just licked a bed of nettles with no doctor leaves nearby.

Somebody said earlier that often times, we are on our own, as far as our doctor’s advice/ encouragement/ knowledge about Candida is concerned. Read as much as you can about the illegal immigrants, and then read some more.

I wish this article "Candida Die Off White Tongue To Be Yeast Related – Is It Right?" has been informative and meet what you need. If you want to know more details about this issue, or everything related to anti candida diet, I highly suggest that you grab my recommended special report and also get their support on Fight the Yeast website. Make sure you take advantage of their support, that what I found the most important thing you should do.

Read More

Creating a Windows Server 2012 Failover Cluster

Creating a cluster on Windows Server 2012 is easy experience!

After installing the Failover Clustering feature, and validating a configuration, the next step is to create a new cluster. There are some minor changes in the create cluster experience in Windows Server 2012, but it is very similar to creating a cluster in Windows Server 2008 R2.

For details on installing the Failover Clustering feature, see this blog posting: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/clustering/archive/2012/04/06/10291601.aspx

To learn more about validation, see this TechNet article: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc731844(v=ws.10).aspx

You can create a cluster using the Failover Cluster Manager UI, or using PowerShell. Both of these can be installed on Windows Server 2012 or Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for Windows Server 2012.

Creating a Failover Cluster using Failover Cluster Manager

1. Open Failover Cluster Manager - it can be opened from Server Manager using the Tools menu:

2. In the Failover Cluster Manager, choose the “Create Cluster…” action, which can be found in 3 places:

3. The Create Cluster Wizard initializes. Review the information on the Before You Begin screen. Click Next

4. Enter the names of all the servers that will be part of the cluster. Note: More than one node can be specified at a time, using comma separation.

Example: MyServer1, MyServer2, MyServer3

5. If the nodes specified have not been validated, the following page in the wizard will be shown. It’s highly recommended to validate the configuration before you create the cluster. This will help ensure that the servers are connected and configured correctly and that it can be supported by Microsoft:

Read more about Creating a Windows Server 2012 Failover Cluster at blogs.msdn.com

Read More

Trouble setting up more than 4 network adapters in VirtualBox

I've been trying to setup the 8 network adapters that VirtualBox is supposed to support, through the command line. I need them as bridged networks (because I use them to forward ports from a server installed in the VM).

So, the commands I've used go like this:

VBoxManage modifyvm  --nic5 bridged
VBoxManage modifyvm  --bridgeadapter5 "Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller"
VBoxManage modifyvm  --nicpromisc5 allow-all

And so on for the other 3. I set them up as bridged, set the adapter name to my host network adapter name, and set promiscuous mode to allow all. They use the adapter PCnet-FAST III (Am79C973). Checking with the showvminfo command, I get this:

C:\Program Files>cd Oracle

C:\Program Files\Oracle>cd VirtualBox

C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox>VBoxManage showvminfo XP2
Name:            XP2
Groups:          /
Guest OS:        Windows XP (32 bit)
UUID:            b53a67f9-7fba-43a0-9f2c-a13e9f1249ab
Config file:     C:\Users\MyUserName\VirtualBox VMs\XP2\XP2.vbox
Snapshot folder: C:\Users\MyUserName\VirtualBox VMs\XP2\Snapshots
Log folder:      C:\Users\MyUserName\VirtualBox VMs\XP2\Logs
Hardware UUID:   b53a67f9-7fba-43a0-9f2c-a13e9f1249ab
Memory size:     256MB
Page Fusion:     off
VRAM size:       18MB
CPU exec cap:    40%
HPET:            off
Chipset:         piix3
Firmware:        BIOS
Number of CPUs:  1
PAE:             off
Long Mode:       off
Synthetic CPU:   off
CPUID overrides: None
Boot menu mode:  message and menu
Boot Device (1): Floppy
Boot Device (2): DVD
Boot Device (3): HardDisk
Boot Device (4): Not Assigned
ACPI:            on
IOAPIC:          off
Time offset:     0ms
RTC:             local time
Hardw. virt.ext: on
Nested Paging:   on
Large Pages:     on
VT-x VPID:       on
VT-x unr. exec.: on
State:           running (since 2014-04-30T11:22:59.596000000)
Monitor count:   1
3D Acceleration: off
2D Video Acceleration: off
Teleporter Enabled: off
Teleporter Port: 0
Teleporter Address:
Teleporter Password:
Tracing Enabled: off
Allow Tracing to Access VM: off
Tracing Configuration:
Autostart Enabled: off
Autostart Delay: 0
Default Frontend:
Storage Controller Name (0):            IDE
Storage Controller Type (0):            PIIX4
Storage Controller Instance Number (0): 0
Storage Controller Max Port Count (0):  2
Storage Controller Port Count (0):      2
Storage Controller Bootable (0):        on
IDE (0, 0): E:\Programas\VirtualBox\Guindous XP.vdi (UUID: 70549b55-f222-4b47-be
78-52ba486e880d)
IDE (1, 0): Empty
NIC 1:           MAC: 08002780847C, Attachment: Bridged Interface 'Realtek PCIe
GBE Family Controller', Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am79
C973, Reported speed: 0 Mbps, Boot priority: 0, Promisc Policy: allow-all, Bandw
idth group: none
NIC 2:           MAC: 080027B2180A, Attachment: Bridged Interface 'Realtek PCIe
GBE Family Controller', Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am79
C973, Reported speed: 0 Mbps, Boot priority: 0, Promisc Policy: allow-all, Bandw
idth group: none
NIC 3:           MAC: 080027803511, Attachment: Bridged Interface 'Realtek PCIe
GBE Family Controller', Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am79
C973, Reported speed: 0 Mbps, Boot priority: 0, Promisc Policy: allow-all, Bandw
idth group: none
NIC 4:           MAC: 080027DE9E9D, Attachment: Bridged Interface 'Realtek PCIe
GBE Family Controller', Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am79
C973, Reported speed: 0 Mbps, Boot priority: 0, Promisc Policy: allow-all, Bandw
idth group: none
NIC 5:           MAC: 080027918504, Attachment: Bridged Interface 'Realtek PCIe
GBE Family Controller', Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am79
C973, Reported speed: 0 Mbps, Boot priority: 0, Promisc Policy: allow-all, Bandw
idth group: none
NIC 6:           MAC: 08002719AAFC, Attachment: Bridged Interface 'Realtek PCIe
GBE Family Controller', Cable connected: off, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am7
9C973, Reported speed: 0 Mbps, Boot priority: 0, Promisc Policy: allow-all, Band
width group: none
NIC 7:           MAC: 08002739E2E1, Attachment: Bridged Interface 'Realtek PCIe
GBE Family Controller', Cable connected: off, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am7
9C973, Reported speed: 0 Mbps, Boot priority: 0, Promisc Policy: allow-all, Band
width group: none
NIC 8:           MAC: 0800277BD34B, Attachment: Bridged Interface 'Realtek PCIe
GBE Family Controller', Cable connected: off, Trace: off (file: none), Type: Am7
9C973, Reported speed: 0 Mbps, Boot priority: 0, Promisc Policy: allow-all, Band
width group: none
Pointing Device: USB Tablet
Keyboard Device: PS/2 Keyboard
UART 1:          disabled
UART 2:          disabled
LPT 1:           disabled
LPT 2:           disabled
Audio:           enabled (Driver: DSOUND, Controller: AC97)
Clipboard Mode:  Bidirectional
Drag'n'drop Mode: Bidirectional
Session type:    GUI/Qt
Video mode:      1920x1002x16 at 0,0
VRDE:            disabled
USB:             enabled
EHCI:            disabled

USB Device Filters:



Available remote USB devices:



Currently Attached USB Devices:



Bandwidth groups:  

Shared folders:  

VRDE Connection:    not active
Clients so far:     0

Video capturing:    not active
Capture screens:    0
Capture file:       C:\Users\MyUserName\VirtualBox VMs\XP2\XP2.webm
Capture dimensions: 1024x768
Capture rate:       512 kbps
Capture FPS:        25

Guest:

Configured memory balloon size:      0 MB
OS type:                             WindowsXP
Additions run level:                 3
Additions version:                   4.1.10 r76836


Guest Facilities:

Facility "VirtualBox Base Driver": active/running (last update: 2014/04/30 11:23
:09 UTC)
Facility "VirtualBox System Service": active/running (last update: 2014/04/30 11
:23:15 UTC)
Facility "VirtualBox Desktop Integration": active/running (last update: 2014/04/
30 11:23:25 UTC)
Facility "Seamless Mode": active/running (last update: 2014/04/30 11:23:09 UTC)
Facility "Graphics Mode": active/running (last update: 2014/04/30 11:23:09 UTC)

So all of the adapters have the exact same configuration, except for the MAC addresses, which is all right.

But on opening the VM (which uses Windows XP), it seems unable to manage more than four network adapters at once. Whatever four adapters were the last to connect show an error icon and don't work.

So at this point, I don't know what else am I supposed to do. I don't find any info saying I should touch any more settings in VirtualBox, and I'm unsure if this is a VBox error or a Windows XP error.

I failed to find any official reference to a maximum number of nics supported by XP. However, I found this thread, where a user claims:

I've seen as many as eight working as a result of VMWare Workstation being installed (they were virtual NICs). I expect it depends on your selected hardware more than anything.

So technically what I'm trying should be viable.

I played around with the virtual hardware type a little bit, but they just wouldn't work.

Finally it works correctly in a Windows 7 guest, probably because it uses a different virtualized network card (Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop).

Read More

How To Fix Msvcr110.dll Not Found or Missing

Msvcr110.dll Error Messages

There are several different ways that msvcr110.dll errors can show up on your computer. Here are some of the more common ways that you might see msvcr110.dll errors:

• "Msvcr110.dll Not Found"
• "This application failed to start because msvcr110.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem."
• "Cannot find [PATH]\msvcr110.dll"
• "The file msvcr110.dll is missing."
• "Cannot start [APPLICATION]. A required component is missing: msvcr110.dll. Please install [APPLICATION] again."

Msvcr110.dll error messages might appear while using or installing certain programs, when Windows starts or shuts down, or maybe even during a Windows installation.

The context of the msvcr110.dll error is an important piece of information that will be helpful while solving the problem.

Cause of Msvcr110.dll Errors

Msvcr110.dll errors are caused by situations that lead to the removal or corruption of the msvcr110 DLL file.

In some cases, msvcr110.dll errors could indicate a registry problem, a virus or malware issue or even a hardware failure.

Don't Want to Fix This Yourself?

If you're interested in fixing this problem yourself, continue with the troubleshooting in the next section.

Otherwise, see How Do I Get My Computer Fixed? for a full list of your support options, plus help with everything along the way like figuring out repair costs, getting your files off, choosing a repair service, and a whole lot more.

How To Fix Msvcr110.dll Errors

Important: Do not download msvcr110.dll from a "DLL download" website. There are many reasons why downloading a DLL file is a bad idea. If you need a copy of msvcr110.dll, it's best to obtain it from its original, legitimate source.

Note: Start Windows in Safe Mode to complete any of the following steps if you're unable to access Windows normally due to the msvcr110.dll error.

1. Download the Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2012 Update 4 package and run it. This will replace/restore the msvcr110.dll with the most recent copy provided by Microsoft.

You're given several download options from Microsoft for this update, based on the version of Windows you have installed - x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit). See Am I Running a 32-bit or 64-bit Version of Windows? for help if you're not sure what to choose.

Important: Try your best to complete this step. Applying this update is almost always the solution to msvcr110.dll errors.

2. Restore msvcr110.dll from the Recycle Bin. The easiest possible cause of a "missing" msvcr110.dll file is that you've mistakenly deleted it.

If you suspect that you've accidentally deleted msvcr110.dll but you've already emptied the Recycle Bin, you may be able to recover msvcr110.dll with a free file recovery program.

Important: Recovering a deleted copy of msvcr110.dll with a file recovery program is a smart idea only if you're confident you've deleted the file yourself and that it was working properly before you did that.

3. Run a virus/malware scan of your entire system. Some msvcr110.dll errors could be related to a virus or other malware infection on your computer that has damaged the DLL file. It's even possible that the msvcr110.dll error you're seeing is related to a hostile program that's masquerading as the file.

4. Use System Restore to undo recent system changes. If you suspect that the msvcr110.dll error was caused by a change made to an important file or configuration, a System Restore could solve the problem.

5. Reinstall the program that's producing the msvcr110.dll error. If the msvcr110.dll error occurs when you use a particular program, reinstalling that program might help.

6. Install any available Windows updates. Many service packs and other patches replace or update some of the hundreds of Microsoft distributed DLL files on your computer. The msvcr110.dll file could be included in one of those updates.

7. Test your memory and then test your hard drive. I've left the majority of hardware troubleshooting to the last step, but your computer's memory and hard drive are easy to test and are the most likely components that might cause msvcr110.dll errors as they fail.

If the hardware fails any of your tests, replace the memory or replace the hard drive as soon as possible.

8. Repair your installation of Windows. If the individual msvcr110.dll file troubleshooting advice above is unsuccessful, performing a startup repair or repair installation should restore all Windows DLL files to their working versions.

9. Use a free registry cleaner to repair msvcr110.dll related issues in the registry. A free registry cleaner program may be able to help by removing invalid msvcr110.dll registry entries that might be causing the DLL error.

Important: I rarely recommend the use of registry cleaners. I've included the option here as a "last resort" attempt before the destructive step coming up next.

10. Perform a clean installation of Windows. A clean install of Windows will erase everything from the hard drive and install a fresh copy of Windows. If none of the steps above correct the msvcr110.dll error, this should be your next course of action.

Important: All the information on your hard drive will be erased during a clean install. Make sure you've made the best attempt possible to fix the msvcr110.dll error using a troubleshooting step prior to this one.

11. Troubleshoot for a hardware problem if any msvcr110.dll errors persist. After a clean install of Windows, your DLL problem can only be hardware related.

Applies To

The msvcr110.dll error message could apply to any program or system that might utilize the file on any of Microsoft's operating systems including Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows 2000.

Read More

Aspect Ratios, HD and Windows Movie Maker

I'm having a lot of fun with HD video. I'm hoping that others are seeing that HD video will be the standard for home video, but with that comes challenges. The hardest part is dealing with the tools we have for editing video; it's not a seamless environment yet. I can't take stuff I've captured in Sony Vegas and easily use it in Windows Movie Maker. Similarly, if I want to capture something in WMM, it doesn't come in seamlessly into Sony Vegas.

For example, recently our family took a camping trip to Mammoth Lakes. I had set up our camera and filmed 40+ minutes of us setting up the tent. Obviously, I didn't want to have people watch a full 40 minutes, I wanted to speed it up but with variable speeds, slower at the beginning, faster in the middle, slower at the end.

Windows Movie Maker only has the ability to increase the speed by powers of 2 (double, quadruple, etc.) by applying the Speed Up, Double effect up to 6 times. Even with my custom effects for speed (that allow other speed rates), I couldn't get the effect I wanted. So I switched to Sony Vegas Pro 8. For some reason it didn't like the dvr.ms format that I captured in WMM. So I had to recapture it in Vegas. That was okay, but then I found that Sony Vegas doesn't let you speed up more than 4 times. Since I wanted to get our 40 minutes down to about 1 minute, it meant I would need multiple passes.

My plan was to do the first pass in Sony Vegas with variable speeds, then do an overall speed up using Movie Maker. Things were going fine... I did the first pass and saved the clip in a high-bitrate WMV format. Then I brought it into WMM and applied the speed effect to get it down to a minute. I published the movie.

What I discovered was that WMM took only the top, left corner of the video. So rather than thinking I had 1920x1080 video, it saw it as 720x480 and only took those pixels in the upper right. I'm thinking it must be related to the format that Sony exports in that it must not be *true* WMV format, or is otherwise causing WMM to get confused.

In the end, I had to do all the work in Sony Vegas with about 3 (or was it 4) passes there. The result is great, but it took a lot more time than I thought it should. I hope we get to the point where things will be seamless and all formats will be recognized. Will we get there? Who knows?

Posted by guest blogger via blainesville.com what to post your article here on my Blog? Feel free to say something I will lest you post to be my Guest blogger.

Read More

How-To Install Windows Movie Maker 6.0 on Windows 7 or 8

If you are reading this, I'm going to assume you've upgraded or purchased at least one PC with Windows 7 or 8 and discovered Windows Movie Maker is no where to be found. In its place, Microsoft now offers a set of programs called "Windows Essentials". Often these programs are installed on a new PC but otherwise you must download the Movie Maker program to once again have the ability to edit movies.

Many people have tried the newer version of Movie Maker 2011 or 2012 and complained about the lack of a traditional timeline, issues with crashing, long times to prepare video files and the inability to customize the transitions, effects and titles. If you have been building up a library of custom titles, transitions and effects under Windows Movie Maker 6.0, none of these can be used in the newest Movie Maker because the rendering architecture has changed and Microsoft has no API for customizing things.

The good news is you can still use the latest version of Windows Movie Maker 6.0 from Vista. You can do this manually by copying the files from a Vista machine, registering some DLLs and creating a shortcut in your start menu. Or you can just use the installers I created below:

Movie Maker 6.0 for Windows 7/8 (64-bit) download here
Movie Maker 6.0 for Windows 7/8 (32-bit) download here

There are two versions (64-bit or 32-bit) depending on the version of Windows 7/8 you are running. If you are unsure, go to your 'Start' menu, right-click on 'Computer' and choose 'Properties'. System type should show 64-bit or 32-bit operating system. Pick the installer that matches. After that, don't forget to start previewing all the cool add-ons that you can have with this version.

Read More

AsRock EP2C612D16C-4L Server Motherboard Review

ASRock opened the motherboard floodgates on Tuesday to reveal 17 new C612 motherboards for servers and workstations. This new series supports DDR4 memory modules and Intel's Xeon E5-2600 v3 and ES-1600 v3 "Haswell-EP" processors.

In the first group, High Performance Computing Servers, ASRock provides the EP2C612D16-2L2T and EP2C612D16-4L. These motherboards feature dual CPU sockets, 16 DDR4 DIMM slots, 10 SATA 3 ports via Intel and 2 SATA 3 ports by Marvell. They also include an Aspeed AST2400 remote management controller, support for two 10G Base-T and support for two GLAN.

The next group, Cutting-edge Front PCIe Design, includes the EP2C612D16FM and the 3U8G-C612. These boards include 2 CPU sockets, 16 DDR4 DIMM slots, 10 SATA 3 ports by Intel and 2 SATA 3 ports by Marvell. The EP2C612D16FM can be installed in main storage bays with lots of drives while the 3U8G-C612 is a barebones rack.

Next up is the Thermal Optimized Servers group, which includes the EP2C612D16NM-2T8R, EP2C612D16NM-8R and EP2C612D16NM boards. These feature CPU sockets that are located in places where they will get air flow equally. There are also 16 DDR4 DIMM slots, 10 SATA 3 ports by Intel, 8 SAS3 ports by LSI, and support for 3 PCIe 3.0 x16 slots.

There are only two motherboards in the Highly Expandable Servers group: the EP2C612D16SM-2T and the EP2C612D16SM. These boards contain 6 PCIe 3.0 x8 slots, 10 SATA 3 ports by Intel and an additional mezzanine slot for a storage mezzanine card. Other features include support for the Aspeed AST2400 remote management controller and support for GLAN.

The next batch, ATX Compact Storage with Onboard SAS3, includes three motherboards: the EP2C612D8-2T8R, EP2C612D8-8R and EP2C612D8. These set of boards include 10 SATA 3 ports by Intel, 8 SAS3 ports controlled by an LSI chip, 8 DDR4 DIMM slots, an Aspeed AST2400 remote management controller, 2 PCIe 3.0 x16 slots and a single PCIe 3.0 x8 slot.

Specifications

MB Physical Status
Form Factor	- SSI EEB
Dimensions	- 12'' x 13''
Processor System
CPU	- Intel® Xeon processor E5-2600/4600 & v3 series
Socket	- Dual Socket LGA 2011 R3
Power Design	- Intel® C612
System Memory
Capacity	- 16 DIMM slots
Type	- Quad Channel memory technology - Supports 2133/1866 LR/R/ECC, UDIMM and NVDIMM
Voltage	- 1.2V
Expansion Slot
PCIe 3.0 x 16	- 3 slots
PCIe 3.0 x 8	- 2 slots (PCIE1 switch with PCIE2: x8/x8 ; PCIE3 switch with PCIE4: x8/x8 )
Storage
SATA Controller	- Intel® C612 : 10 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s, support RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 (SSATA_3 port is shared with M.2 Socket)
Additional Storage Controller	- Marvell 9172: 2 x SATA3 6Gbps, support RAID 0, 1 1 (supports M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module and M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen3 x4 (32 Gb/s))
Ethernet
Interface	- 1000 /100 /10 Mbps by Intel® i210
LAN Controller	- 4 x RJ45 GLAN by Intel® i210 - 1 x RJ45 Dedicated IPMI LAN port - Supports Wake-On-LAN - Supports Energy Efficient Ethernet 802.3az - Supports Dual LAN with Teaming function
Management
BMC Controller	- ASPEED AST2400
IPMI Dedicated LAN	- 1 x Realtek RTL8211E for dedicated management GLAN
Features	- Watch Dog - NMI
Graphics
Controller	- ASPEED AST2400
VRAM	- DDR3 16MB
Rear Panel I/O
VGA Port	- 1 x D-Sub
USB 3.0 Port	- 2
Lan Port	- 4 + 1 (IPMI) Lan port (RJ45) - LAN Ports with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED LED)
Serial Port	- 1 (COM1)
UID Button/UID LED	- 1
Internal Connector
COM Port Header	- 1 (COM2)
Auxiliary Panel Header	- 1 (includes chassis intrusion, location button & LED, front LAN LED)
TPM Header	- 1
IPMB Header	- 1
Buzzer	- 1
Fan Header	- 2x CPU Fan, 6x system Fan (4-pin)
ATX Power	- 1 (24-pin) + 2 (8-pin)
USB 3.0 Header	- 1 ( support 2 USB 3.0)
USB 2.0 Header	- 1 ( support 2 USB 2.0)
Type A USB 3.0 Port	- 1
System BIOS
BIOS Type	- 128Mb AMI UEFI Legal BIOS
BIOS Features	- Plug and Play (PnP) - ACPI 2.0 Compliance Wake Up Events - SMBIOS 2.8.1 Support - ASRock Rack Instant Flash
Hardware Monitor
Temperature	- Motherboard Temperature Sensing - CPU1 Temperature Sensing - CPU2 Temperature Sensing
Fan	- CPU/Rear/Front Fan Tachometer - CPU Quiet Fan (Allow CPU Fan Speed Auto-Adjust by CPU Temperature) - CPU/Rear/Front Fan Multi-Speed Control
Voltage	- Voltage Monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, CPU Vcore, DRAM, 1.05V_PCH, +BAT, 3VSB, 5VSB
Support OS
OS	Microsoft Windows - Server 2008 R2 SP1 (64 bit) - Server 2012 (64 bit) - Server 2012 R2 (64 bit) Linux - RedHat Enterprise Linux Server 5.10/6.5 (32 / 64 bit) - CentOS 5.10 / 6.5 (32 / 64 bit) - SUSE Enterprise Linux Server 11 SP3 (32 / 64 bit) - FreeBSD 9.1 (32 / 64 bit) - Fedora core 19 (64 bit) - Ubuntu 12.04.2 (64 bit) / 12.10 (64 bit) Virtual - VMWare ESXi 5.5 (not supported for Marvell 9172)
Environment
Temperature	Operation temperature: 10°C ~ 35°C / Non operation temperature: -40°C ~ 70°C

The next group, High Performance and High Density, consists of the EP2C612D16HM-2T and EP2C612D16HM boards. These are proprietary half-width server boards with two CPU sockets. They also include 16 DDR4 DIMM slots, 10 SATA ports by Intel, 8 SAS3 ports by LSI, and the Aspeed AST2400 remote management controller. There's also one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot.

Finally we have the Versatile Server/Work Station/IPC with Thunderbolt group, consisting of three motherboards: the EPC612D8A-TB, EPC612D8A and EPC612D8 boards. These include a single CPU socket and support for the Intel Xeon E5-1600/2600 V3 CPU. Other features include 8 DDR4 DIMM slots, 10 SATA 3 ports by Intel, the Aspeed AST2400 remote management controller, 4 PCIe 3.0 x16 slots and 1 PCIe 3.0 x8 and M.s slot. They also have two GLAN ports by Intel.

Save for the last group of motherboards with a single socket, all motherboards listed here support the Intel Xeon E5-2600/4600 v3 processor. To see more information about these 17 new ASRock boards, head to asrockrack.com.

Read More

Understanding SCSI, ATA, SAS and SATA

For years the parallel interface has been widely used in storage systems. The need for increased bandwidth and flexibility in storage systems made the SCSI and ATA standards an inefficient option. A parallel interface is a channel capable of transferring date in parallel mode — that is transmitting multiple bits simultaneously. Almost all personal computers come with at least one parallel interface. Common parallel interfaces include SCSI and ATA.

SCSI

(sku4ze) Short for small computer system interface, a parallel interface standard used by Apple Macintosh computers, PCs and many UNIX systems for attaching peripheral devices to computers. Nearly all Apple Macintosh computers, excluding only the earliest Macs and the recent iMac, come with a SCSI port for attaching devices such as disk drives and printers. SCSI interfaces provide for data transmission rates (up to 80 megabytes per second). In addition, you can attach multiple devices to a single SCSI port, so that SCSI is really an I/O bus rather than simply an interface.

ATA

(Also known as IDE) is a disk drive implementation that integrates the controller on the disk drive itself. ATA is used to connect hard disk drives, CD-ROM drives and similar peripherals and supports 8/16-bit interface that transfer up to 8.3MB/s for ATA-2 and up to 100MB/s (ATA-6).

So, what do parallel interfaces have to do with SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) and SATA (Serial ATA)? A lot, actually. It is the architectural limitations of the parallel interfaces that serial technologies like SAS and SATA address. In contrast to multiple parallel data stream, data is transmitted serially, that is in a single steam, by wrapping multiple bits into packets and it is able to move that single stream faster than parallel technology.

Serial Attached SCSI (SAS)

Abbreviated as SAS, Serial Attached SCSI, an evolution of parallel SCSI into a point-to-point serial peripheral interface in which controllers are linked directly to disk drives. SAS is a performance improvement over traditional SCSI because SAS enables multiple devices (up to 128) of different sizes and types to be connected simultaneously with thinner and longer cables; its full-duplex signal transmission supports 3.0Gb/s. In addition, SAS drives can be hot-plugged.

Serial ATA (SATA)

Often abbreviated as SATA, Serial ATA is an evolution of the Parallel ATA physical storage interface. Serial ATA is a serial link — a single cable with a minimum of four wires creates a point-to-point connection between devices. Transfer rates for Serial ATA begin at 150MB/s.

Starting with SATA, it extends the capabilities of ATA and offers transfer rates starting at 150MB/s and, after years of development, has moved to the mainstream of disk interfaces. The successor the SCSI interface is SAS at speeds of up to 3Gb/s. Additionally, it also addresses parallel interface issues such as drive addressability and limitations on the number of device per port connection.

SAS devices can communicate with both SATA and SCSI devices (the backplanes of SAS devices are identical to SATA devices). A key difference between SCSI and SAS devices is the addition in SAS devices of two data ports, each of which resides in a different SAS domain. This enables complete failover redundancy. If one path fails, there is still communication along a separate and independent path.

Cables & Connectors

Another big advantage of SATA over ATA is the cabling and connectors. The serial interface reduces the amount of wires needed to transmit data, making for much smaller cable size and making it easier to route and install SATA devices. The IDE cables used in parallel ATA systems are bulkier than Serial ATA cables and can only extend to 40cm long, while Serial ATA cables can extend up to one meter. In addition to the cabling, a new design of connectors is also used that reduces the amount of crosstalk between the wires, and the connector design also provides easier routing and better air flow.

The Benefits of SAS & SATA in Storage

Serial interfaces offer an improvement over older parallel SCSI (with a serial version) in storage applications and environments. These benefits include better performance, better scalability, and also better reliability as the parallel interfaces are at their limits of speed with reliable data transfers. SAS and SATA drives can also operate in the same environment while SCSI and ATA cannot. For example, using faster SAS drives for primary storage and offloading older data to cheaper SATA disks in the same subsystem, something that could not be achieved with SCSI and ATA.

Read More

OpenWrt with PPTP VPN on TP-Link TL-MR3020

The other day, I gave up trying to put OpenWrt on a TP-Link TL-WR703n. The stock firmware seems to check for valid hashes, and OpenWrt doesn’t pass the test. Until someone comes up with a hack, I’ve moved on to the TL-MR3020. From what I’ve read only, the only difference is that the MR3020 has a few status LEDs, and the stock interface is in English instead of Chinese.

Again, my plan for this router is to use it when I travel. I plan on plugging it into the ethernet port in a hotel and having it broadcast a wireless network. Any devices that join that wireless network will be VPNed in back to a PPTP VPN server at my house. This encrypts my connection, as well as gives me access to resources at home. Eventually, I’ll be upgrading the VPN server at home to OpenVPN. If you don’t know the difference between PPTP, IPSec, and OpenVPN, you should get started with this.

Install OpenWrt

First, disconnect your PC from all wired and wireless networks. Then, plug the MR3020 into your PC with a wired connection. Do not do any of this over wireless. I started off by checking my IP in Windows.

Read more about OpenWrt with PPTP VPN on TP-Link TL-MR3020 at LoganMarchione

Read More