This week we are learning about Portals...my topic for my term-paper.  I am interested to see what topics are discussed, and what other examples of how enterprises leverage webservices and portals for day to day interactions. 

Project Milestone #2 is due Wednesday, and we should have a dictionary for the different processes which will be outlined in our project defined.  I look forward to knowing what direct part I will play in our project, and also how involved the definitions and coding will have to be.

On another topic...I have received my box to send in the xbox360 to microsoft to fix from the service department in the US.  I will have to mail the contents to Microsoft and have to wait an average of 4 weeks for the arrival of my updated Xbox360.  Wii Mario Kart has been announced.

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-z3-49-en-70-28sb.html

Last week we went to the lab to finish up the lab 3b, and start on lab 4 for SAP XI.  My group met for the project, and we were able to put alot of our ideas down and collaborate with one another.  I'm getting excited to have a Guest Speaker.

It seems as though our project will be very demanding in time and group interaction.  I look forward to the challenge and opportunity to work with others and learn what they know about web services as well as how everything will eventually be put together as a finished product.  After making a couple purchases for myself online as of late, I have a better idea of what our professor is looking for in our project/service.  I think everything so far and in the future is very interesting and am very interested in learning more about my group, and web services (EAI).

My Xbox360:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzIAYszH_X4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZohAgQxCaY&feature=related

Some websites I will be leveraging for my Term Paper are http://portals.apache.org/, www.wikipedia.org.  I think that these will help me on my dictionary type paper for this class.  I am attempting to finish up lab 3B - SAP XI Configuration.

I'll let you all know how the lab went when I finish it.

Currently I am working a 10 hour work day, no time for vacation as a Tax Accountant.

I will be playing Smash Brothers(Wii) and Halo III(Xbox 360) in my spare time.

-SAP XI Interfaces-

This week was pretty cool.  We went to the computer lab to work with SAP XI.  We learned the Design data types, Design message types using data types and created an interface using message types.  I have never used SAP, so I was a little worried at first that I would struggle using the interface.  When we started to log onto the Integration Builder Design, following the lab instructions was pretty fun and worked seemlessly for me.  This lab exercise will help me out on out future project and having some background in SAP will also give me something to talk about with potential employers in the near future.

As for this week, we also had a Health Services reading and proposal for a term paper due.  Learning about the different integrated systems that the health field has and difficulties in implementing new technologies was interesting to me.  For my term paper, I have chosen to research and write about Portals, business and web based portals.  Finding information shouldn't be hard, but I would like recommendations to further my research.

This past week in class we had a pretty cool lab.  We learned about the extensible markup language and how we can link specific data to a particular web-site and also a web-service.  For the most part, I was able to follow the lab sheet step by step.  Some confusion was a result of my labeling on the (Web-Service & Web-Site).  I got confused at which one I had initially created and how to link different information to the particular part of my lab.  In the future I should take my time and try to make sure that all labels, codes and materials are properly documented and inputted.

Also in lab, I learned that when I download specific information that relates to the professor's code for VB.net, I should copy and paste this information.  This will eliminate mistakes by physically entering in the data with the risk of null input, and also make it quicker and easier to complete lab work in the future.

Side note: I have recently conquered Guitar Hero III on expert but still have no clue how to beat, Dragonforce - Through The Fire and Flames on expert (INSANE).  I will also make a new purchase of a Nintendo Wii for some sweet sports games and entertainment.

This week, we learned about the different issues related to integrating/implementing new strategies and information between two separate entities within a single company.  There were barriers between the US and the German entities.  There were conversion, definition, and code syntax, complex issues faced when trying to make the two entities share information.  All groups in the class participated and had really good ideas for how the company would be able to have both entities collaborate information with out eliminating or excessive additions to the formats of each entities' system process.

We also had a reading assignment due on the Case Study: SOA Delivers for Wachovia - With Interest.  This case study was pretty interesting.  I had to use Wikipedia to define some key concepts/words outlined in this article.  I then wrote 2 ?'s and 2 lessons in response to the article.

I also created a power point in regards to another class of mine International Finance, if anyone wants to see the ppt. presentation, I have it uploaded for you to look at it.