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A Beginner's Guide To LVM

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Submitted by falko (Contact Author) (Forums) on Sun, 2007-01-14 18:51. :: Linux | Other

A Beginner's Guide To LVM

Version 1.0
Author: Falko Timme
Last edited 01/08/2007

This guide shows how to work with LVM (Logical Volume Management) on Linux. It also describes how to use LVM together with RAID1 in an extra chapter. As LVM is a rather abstract topic, this article comes with a Debian Etch VMware image that you can download and start, and on that Debian Etch system you can run all the commands I execute here and compare your results with mine. Through this practical approach you should get used to LVM very fast.

However, I do not issue any guarantee that this tutorial will work for you!

1 Preliminary Note

This tutorial was inspired by two articles I read:

• http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2006/04/27/managing-disk-space-with-lvm.html
• http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/410

These are great articles, but hard to understand if you've never worked with LVM before. That's why I have created this Debian Etch VMware image that you can download and run in VMware Server or VMware Player (see http://www.howtoforge.com/import_vmware_images to learn how to do that).

I installed all tools we need during the course of this guide on the Debian Etch system (by running

apt-get install lvm2 dmsetup mdadm reiserfsprogs xfsprogs

) so you don't need to worry about that.

The Debian Etch system's network is configured through DHCP, so you don't have to worry about conflicting IP addresses. The root password is howtoforge. You can also connect to that system with an SSH client like PuTTY. To find out the IP address of the Debian Etch system, run

ifconfig

The system has six SCSI hard disks, /dev/sda - /dev/sdf. /dev/sda is used for the Debian Etch system itself, while we will use /dev/sdb - /dev/sdf for LVM and RAID. /dev/sdb - /dev/sdf each have 80GB of disk space. In the beginning we will act as if each has only 25GB of disk space (thus using only 25GB on each of them), and in the course of the tutorial we will "replace" our 25GB hard disks with 80GB hard disks, thus demonstrating how you can replace small hard disks with bigger ones in LVM.

The article http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2006/04/27/managing-disk-space-with-lvm.html uses hard disks of 250GB and 800GB, but some commands such as pvmove take a long time with such hard disk sizes, that's why I decided to use hard disks of 25GB and 80GB (that's enough to understand how LVM works).

1.1 Summary

Download this Debian Etch VMware image (~310MB) and start it like this. Log in as root with the password howtoforge.

2 LVM Layout

Basically LVM looks like this:

You have one or more physical volumes (/dev/sdb1 - /dev/sde1 in our example), and on these physical volumes you create one or more volume groups (e.g. fileserver), and in each volume group you can create one or more logical volumes. If you use multiple physical volumes, each logical volume can be bigger than one of the underlying physical volumes (but of course the sum of the logical volumes cannot exceed the total space offered by the physical volumes).

It is a good practice to not allocate the full space to logical volumes, but leave some space unused. That way you can enlarge one or more logical volumes later on if you feel the need for it.

In this example we will create a volume group called fileserver, and we will also create the logical volumes /dev/fileserver/share, /dev/fileserver/backup, and /dev/fileserver/media (which will use only half of the space offered by our physical volumes for now - that way we can switch to RAID1 later on (also described in this tutorial)).

3 Our First LVM Setup

Let's find out about our hard disks:

fdisk -l

The output looks like this:

server1:~# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 21.4 GB, 21474836480 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2610 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 18 144553+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 19 2450 19535040 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 2451 2610 1285200 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 85.8 GB, 85899345920 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 10443 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Disk /dev/sdb doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/sdc: 85.8 GB, 85899345920 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 10443 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Disk /dev/sdc doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/sdd: 85.8 GB, 85899345920 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 10443 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Disk /dev/sdd doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/sde: 85.8 GB, 85899345920 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 10443 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Disk /dev/sde doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/sdf: 85.8 GB, 85899345920 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 10443 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Disk /dev/sdf doesn't contain a valid partition table

There are no partitions yet on /dev/sdb - /dev/sdf. We will create the partitions /dev/sdb1, /dev/sdc1, /dev/sdd1, and /dev/sde1 and leave /dev/sdf untouched for now. We act as if our hard disks had only 25GB of space instead of 80GB for now, therefore we assign 25GB to /dev/sdb1, /dev/sdc1, /dev/sdd1, and /dev/sde1:

fdisk /dev/sdb

server1:~# fdisk /dev/sdb

The number of cylinders for this disk is set to 10443.
There is nothing wrong with that, but this is larger than 1024,
and could in certain setups cause problems with:
1) software that runs at boot time (e.g., old versions of LILO)
2) booting and partitioning software from other OSs
(e.g., DOS FDISK, OS/2 FDISK)

Command (m for help): <-- m
Command action
a toggle a bootable flag
b edit bsd disklabel
c toggle the dos compatibility flag
d delete a partition
l list known partition types
m print this menu
n add a new partition
o create a new empty DOS partition table
p print the partition table
q quit without saving changes
s create a new empty Sun disklabel
t change a partition's system id
u change display/entry units
v verify the partition table
w write table to disk and exit
x extra functionality (experts only)

Command (m for help): <-- n
Command action
e extended
p primary partition (1-4)
<-- p
Partition number (1-4): <-- 1
First cylinder (1-10443, default 1): <--
Using default value 1
Last cylinder or +size or +sizeM or +sizeK (1-10443, default 10443): <-- +25000M

Command (m for help): <-- t
Selected partition 1
Hex code (type L to list codes): <-- L

0 Empty 1e Hidden W95 FAT1 80 Old Minix be Solaris boot
1 FAT12 24 NEC DOS 81 Minix / old Lin bf Solaris
2 XENIX root 39 Plan 9 82 Linux swap / So c1 DRDOS/sec (FAT-
3 XENIX usr 3c PartitionMagic 83 Linux c4 DRDOS/sec (FAT-
4 FAT16 <32M 40 Venix 80286 84 OS/2 hidden C: c6 DRDOS/sec (FAT-
5 Extended 41 PPC PReP Boot 85 Linux extended c7 Syrinx
6 FAT16 42 SFS 86 NTFS volume set da Non-FS data
7 HPFS/NTFS 4d QNX4.x 87 NTFS volume set db CP/M / CTOS / .
8 AIX 4e QNX4.x 2nd part 88 Linux plaintext de Dell Utility
9 AIX bootable 4f QNX4.x 3rd part 8e Linux LVM df BootIt
a OS/2 Boot Manag 50 OnTrack DM 93 Amoeba e1 DOS access
b W95 FAT32 51 OnTrack DM6 Aux 94 Amoeba BBT e3 DOS R/O
c W95 FAT32 (LBA) 52 CP/M 9f BSD/OS e4 SpeedStor
e W95 FAT16 (LBA) 53 OnTrack DM6 Aux a0 IBM Thinkpad hi eb BeOS fs
f W95 Ext'd (LBA) 54 OnTrackDM6 a5 FreeBSD ee EFI GPT
10 OPUS 55 EZ-Drive a6 OpenBSD ef EFI (FAT-12/16/
11 Hidden FAT12 56 Golden Bow a7 NeXTSTEP f0 Linux/PA-RISC b
12 Compaq diagnost 5c Priam Edisk a8 Darwin UFS f1 SpeedStor
14 Hidden FAT16 <3 61 SpeedStor a9 NetBSD f4 SpeedStor
16 Hidden FAT16 63 GNU HURD or Sys ab Darwin boot f2 DOS secondary
17 Hidden HPFS/NTF 64 Novell Netware b7 BSDI fs fd Linux raid auto
18 AST SmartSleep 65 Novell Netware b8 BSDI swap fe LANstep
1b Hidden W95 FAT3 70 DiskSecure Mult bb Boot Wizard hid ff BBT
1c Hidden W95 FAT3 75 PC/IX
Hex code (type L to list codes): <-- 8e
Changed system type of partition 1 to 8e (Linux LVM)

Command (m for help): <-- w
The partition table has been altered!

Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
Syncing disks.

Now we do the same for the hard disks /dev/sdc - /dev/sde:

fdisk /dev/sdc
fdisk /dev/sdd
fdisk /dev/sde

Then run

fdisk -l

again. The output should look like this:

server1:~# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 21.4 GB, 21474836480 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2610 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 18 144553+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 19 2450 19535040 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 2451 2610 1285200 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 85.8 GB, 85899345920 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 10443 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 3040 24418768+ 8e Linux LVM

Disk /dev/sdc: 85.8 GB, 85899345920 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 10443 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 1 3040 24418768+ 8e Linux LVM

Disk /dev/sdd: 85.8 GB, 85899345920 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 10443 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdd1 1 3040 24418768+ 8e Linux LVM

Disk /dev/sde: 85.8 GB, 85899345920 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 10443 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sde1 1 3040 24418768+ 8e Linux LVM

Disk /dev/sdf: 85.8 GB, 85899345920 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 10443 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Disk /dev/sdf doesn't contain a valid partition table

Now we prepare our new partitions for LVM:

pvcreate /dev/sdb1 /dev/sdc1 /dev/sdd1 /dev/sde1

server1:~# pvcreate /dev/sdb1 /dev/sdc1 /dev/sdd1 /dev/sde1
Physical volume "/dev/sdb1" successfully created
Physical volume "/dev/sdc1" successfully created
Physical volume "/dev/sdd1" successfully created
Physical volume "/dev/sde1" successfully created

Let's revert this last action for training purposes:

pvremove /dev/sdb1 /dev/sdc1 /dev/sdd1 /dev/sde1

server1:~# pvremove /dev/sdb1 /dev/sdc1 /dev/sdd1 /dev/sde1
Labels on physical volume "/dev/sdb1" successfully wiped
Labels on physical volume "/dev/sdc1" successfully wiped
Labels on physical volume "/dev/sdd1" successfully wiped
Labels on physical volume "/dev/sde1" successfully wiped

Then run

pvcreate /dev/sdb1 /dev/sdc1 /dev/sdd1 /dev/sde1

again:

server1:~# pvcreate /dev/sdb1 /dev/sdc1 /dev/sdd1 /dev/sde1
Physical volume "/dev/sdb1" successfully created
Physical volume "/dev/sdc1" successfully created
Physical volume "/dev/sdd1" successfully created
Physical volume "/dev/sde1" successfully created

Now run

pvdisplay

to learn about the current state of your physical volumes:

server1:~# pvdisplay
--- NEW Physical volume ---
PV Name /dev/sdb1
VG Name
PV Size 23.29 GB
Allocatable NO
PE Size (KByte) 0
Total PE 0
Free PE 0
Allocated PE 0
PV UUID G8lu2L-Hij1-NVde-sOKc-OoVI-fadg-Jd1vyU

--- NEW Physical volume ---
PV Name /dev/sdc1
VG Name
PV Size 23.29 GB
Allocatable NO
PE Size (KByte) 0
Total PE 0
Free PE 0
Allocated PE 0
PV UUID 40GJyh-IbsI-pzhn-TDRq-PQ3l-3ut0-AVSE4B

--- NEW Physical volume ---
PV Name /dev/sdd1
VG Name
PV Size 23.29 GB
Allocatable NO
PE Size (KByte) 0
Total PE 0
Free PE 0
Allocated PE 0
PV UUID 4mU63D-4s26-uL00-r0pO-Q0hP-mvQR-2YJN5B

--- NEW Physical volume ---
PV Name /dev/sde1
VG Name
PV Size 23.29 GB
Allocatable NO
PE Size (KByte) 0
Total PE 0
Free PE 0
Allocated PE 0
PV UUID 3upcZc-4eS2-h4r4-iBKK-gZJv-AYt3-EKdRK6

The Manager's Cheat Sheet: 101 Common-Sense Rules for Leaders

The Manager's Cheat Sheet: 101 Common-Sense Rules for Leaders

By Inside CRM Editors

Management is all about connecting with the people on your team. So how do you effectively manage a team? With common knowledge, of course. These are a few back-to-basics rules that will help you develop management skills that really matter.

Body Language

Like it or not, your body speaks volumes, even when you are silent. Here's how to express an attitude that's appropriate for a leader.

1. Stand tall. Keeping your shoulders back and holding yourself up to your full height will give you an air of confidence.
2. Take your hands out of your pockets. Putting your hands in your pockets is often seen as a sign that you have something to hide.
3. Stand with your arms crossed behind your back. This will help you adjust your posture, and it leaves your hands in a position that is open and not intimidating.
4. Make eye contact. Always look directly into the eyes of the people you are speaking with. This shows you're interested and also gives you a sense of confidence.
5. Sit up straight. Even if you're at an 8 a.m. meeting and feeling tired, it's important to sit up straight in your chair. Slouching makes you look disinterested and can give off an unwanted air of laziness.
6. Face the person you're talking to. This shows you are interested and engaged in the conversation.
7. Shake hands firmly. For many, a handshake is a reflection of the person you're shaking hands with. You don't want to come across as unsure or overbearing, so make sure yours is professional and confident.
8. Always smile. Smiles are contagious and will make others feel positive when you're around.
9. Look your best. You don't have to be model perfect every day, but you should dress appropriately and neatly. Clothes can have a big impact on the way you're perceived.
10. Walk confidently. Keep your head up and take even strides.

Meeting Deadlines

No one will be happy if your team has to rush around at the last minute to complete a project. Follow these tips to make deadlines less stressful for everyone.

11. Only promise what you can realistically deliver. Don't create deadlines that you know you can't meet. By only promising what you know you can do, you'll be able to finish on time.
12. Set clear goals. Once you know what you need to accomplish, it helps to know how and when you want to do it. Put your goals down on paper and make sure everyone on your team gets a copy.
13. Organize a team. Many of your employees will have unique strengths and training that can make them great assets to certain projects. Pick a team that has the right skills to carry out the job.
14. Delegate tasks. Spread work among your employees in a way that doesn't leave anyone overburdened while also allowing the project work smoothly.
15. Create milestones. Creating milestones for you and your team will help you keep track of your progress and also give you a sense of accomplishment as you reach each milestone.
16. Keep communication open. Keeping everyone in touch with the status of the project is key to making sure it's completed on time.
17. Do it right the first time. Planning ahead will help prevent you from delivering a substandard product. Having to redo something for a client costs money, and, more than likely, future business opportunities.
18. Stay organized. Staying organized will help keep you from wasting time chasing down important documents and information.
19. Make sure expectations are clear. Be sure that each member of your team knows what their specific responsibilities are. This will save time and prevent tasks from being overlooked.
20. Create a plan. Compile your goals and milestones into a comprehensive plan for attacking any project you are given. This way, you can make sure you're staying on schedule and that all of your employees will be clear about how and when things should be done.

Getting Along with Employees

A happy office is a productive one. Everyone will be more cheerful if you follow these simple rules.

21. Don't make your employees come in on days they're normally not scheduled to work or call them while they're on vacation. A surefire way to make employees resent you is to invade their personal time for nonpressing work. Unless you have something that absolutely has to be done, let time away from work stay that way.
22. Don't play favorites. Playing favorites can bias your judgment and impair your leadership abilities. Treat your employees equally.
23. Give credit when it's due. Don't take credit for your employees' ideas or hog their limelight. This action not only fosters resentment but also makes you seem untrustworthy.
24. Don't micromanage. While it's fine to keep up with what your employees are working on, don't constantly look over their shoulders.
25. Never discuss employee matters with their co-workers. This kind of gossip always gets back to the person and will make you look unprofessional.
26. Don't interfere with employees' work. If your employees are getting work done, don't stress about how it gets done. Even if it's not being done they way you'd do it, it's best to let employees use their best judgment.
27. Don't push unreasonable deadlines. You don't want to spend all of your time at the office, and neither do your employees.
28. Keep your promises. Barring some catastrophic event, you should always keep promises you make to employees, especially about pay and benefits.
29. Keep work about work. Don't require employees to run your personal errands. Take care of your own personal business or hire an assistant.
30. Reward hard work. Make sure your employees feel valued for the work that they do. Employees will be more willing to put in extra effort if they know it's noted and appreciated.
31. Provide motivation. Sometimes employees need a morale boost. Provide them with encouragement to get a project rolling.

Manage Yourself

Being a good manager isn't just about what you can encourage other people to do, it's also about managing your own performance.

32. Be accessible. Don't hole up in your office all day — come out and visit with your employees. Let them know that they can always come to you with problems and concerns.
33. Be open to constructive criticism. It may not always be what you want to hear, but listening to constructive criticism gives you the chance to learn and grow from your mistakes.
34. Accept responsibility. Part of being the boss is accepting responsibility for the mistakes of all that you manage, not just your own.
35. Know there's always room for improvement. No matter how good you think you are, your job can always be done better. Always be willing to learn.
36. Improve your skills. Learning is a lifelong process. You're never too old to take a class or ask a co-worker to help you improve your knowledge.
37. Explain things simply. Don't use big words or technical jargon just to sound smart and impress others. Your employees will understand and perform better if you explain simply and clearly what you need.
38. Instruct rather than order. You may be the boss, but you don't have to be bossy. You'll have more success if your requests are more tactfully delivered.
39. Include your staff in your plans. Don't make your work top secret; let your employees know what's going on and how they are expected to contribute.
40. Know your subordinates' jobs. You don't want to be caught with inferior job knowledge.
41. Be flexible. It's fine to be firm in what you expect, but allow for flexibility in how it gets done.
42. Get regular feedback. Your employees and superiors can give you valuable feedback on how to improve your performance. Use this to your advantage.
43. Know your limitations. You can't be everywhere doing everything all at once. Know the limits of your time and abilities and say no to things you know you can't do.

Boosting Productivity

Getting the most out of your day can be difficult with a busy schedule, but you can use these tips to help you maximize your time in order to be better available to employees.

44. Get the most out of meetings. Be organized and prepared for meetings to increase effectiveness and time savings.
45. Focus your energy on things that matter. Don't let trivial tasks take time away from things that are really important.
46. Identify your time-stealers. Everyone has little things that detract their attention and make them lose focus. Figure out what these are and work to eliminate them, if only for a few hours a day.
47. Be punctual. Being on time is a big deal. Never keep people waiting for appointments or meetings if you can help it.
48. Respond to your correspondence within a reasonable amount of time. You don't have to be chained to your inbox, but make sure you respond to emails within a few hours whenever possible.
49. Do only what is necessary. There are times when going above and beyond works, but doing so on a daily basis can derail your progress on more important issues. Get the key things done first, then see if you have time for additional things.
50. Stick to schedules and routines. While they may not be the most exciting things, schedules and routines can help streamline and improve your productivity.
51. Organize and manage your schedule. Use any tools and utilities you have at your disposal to prioritize your day and keep track of what you need to get done.
52. Plan more than you think you can do. While this may sound stressful, it can actually be a great motivator. If you manage to get everything done, you'll enjoy a great sense of achievement.
53. Get to work early on occasion. Sometimes an uninterrupted half hour in an unoccupied office can help you get key things done or allow you to plan your day before there are any distractions to slow you down.
54. Know that sometimes stress is good. While too much of anything, especially stress, can be bad, sometimes a little stress can be the motivation to get you moving, allowing you to get more done.
55. Do your least favorite tasks first. Get your most tedious and least desirable tasks out of the way earlier in the day. After that, everything else will be a breeze.

Managing Finances and Resources

Whether you're a business owner or a manager, staying on top of tangible items is vital to success. These tips can help you keep track.

56. Set up a realistic budget. While it's good to be optimistic, don't plan for more spending than you know you can afford. Make sure you plan for emergencies and contingencies as well.
57. Save costs where they matter the most. Don't just pinch pennies for the present. Make sure your savings will pay off in the long run. Compromising on quality might cost you later on in repairs and replacements.
58. Spend only when it's necessary. Don't spend if you don't need to. Every bit you save goes toward your profit.
59. Find alternative sources of finance. Sometimes even successful businesses need a little help. Business loans and investors can help you through leaner times.
60. Stay true to your contracts. Not only will you gain the respect of your clients, you'll also avoid legal battles that can be a serious financial drain.
61. Make sure employees are well compensated. Employees deserve to be rewarded for hard work. Make sure yours are well compensated for their time and they'll be more productive and happier to come to work.
62. Learn to do more with less. Quality is much more important than quantity, so make what you have count.
63. Assign equipment wisely. While it might be nice for every employee to have a PDA, budgets often don't allow for such conveniences. Make sure the employees that need tools the most have access to them.
64. Invest in solid technology. This doesn't always mean the latest technology, but what your office needs to do work effectively.
65. Update when necessary. Using obsolete equipment and programs can really slow you down. Update when it makes sense so you won't get left behind by competitors.
66. Don't be wasteful. Every sheet of paper, paper clip and pen is a cost on your budget. Use materials wisely and don't waste them out of haste or carelessness.

Communicating with Clients

Whether you're a business owner or a manager carrying out a project, one thing is always the same: The client is dominant voice in decision-making. Learn to communicate with them effectively and you'll set a good example for the people you supervise.

67. Remember that the customer is the boss. At the end of the day, your job is to make the customer happy. Act accordingly.
68. Differentiate your products. Don't get lost in a sea of products and services like yours. Make sure you stand out from your competitors.
69. Retain customers as much as you recruit new ones. While you always want to bring in new business, it's very important to maintain relationships with loyal customers.
70. Provide effective channels of communication. Make sure your clients can contact you easily and quickly if they have a problem, concern or question. They can also provide a valuable source of feedback.
71. Maintain customer data. Use this data to make your customers feel special by remembering occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. It's also helpful for keeping track of purchasing preferences.
72. Segment your customers. Not all customers are alike. Divide your customers into groups that allow you to provide attention and services that meet each customer's unique needs.
73. Provide effective after-sales services. Don't let contact fall off after the work is complete. Make sure your client stays happy.
74. Listen attentively. Pay attention to exactly what clients are asking for to help you better meet their needs.
75. Don't be afraid to say you don't know. It's OK not to know the answer to every question. It's better to say you don't know and get back to a customer than to try to bluff your way through a conversation and have to backtrack later.

Keep Up with Change

There is no way to stop the world from changing, so follow these tips to keep up and ahead of the game.

76. Don't fight change. You can't stop markets, trends and technology from changing, so learn to go with the flow.
77. Adopt a predictive managerial style. Don't wait for things to happen to make a move. Anticipate problems and provide contingency plans.
78. Test your contingency plans. Waiting for disaster to strike is a dangerous way to find out if your emergency plans will hold. Test them out from time to time to fine-tune them and make sure they're still relevant.
79. Identify the positives. Even the most negative changes can have positive aspects to them. Being able to identify and maximize them can help make adapting less painful.
80. Be quick to adapt. Learn to adapt to changing situations quickly and be able to change plans on the spur of the moment if the situation requires it.
81. Stay tuned to external factors. Your business is affected in many ways by outside factors. Keep abreast of these so you can anticipate any sudden market changes that would affect how you need to manage.
82. Put in place a Research and Development plan. Encourage innovation and creativity to stay ahead of the demand for newer and better products and services.
83. Keep an eye on the competition. Don't let the competition get the best of you. Keep up-to-date with what they're doing and use it to your advantage in managing your business.

Resolving Problems

Whether problems are internal or external, they can make your management duties a nightmare if you don't handle them correctly. Here's how to stay on top of them.

84. Stand up for employees. If other departments or managers are bearing down hard on your employees, stand up for them.
85. Fix what's broken. Don't waste time placing blame. Take care of fixing the problem before dealing with any possible repercussions.
86. Manage and control your emotions. Don't let anger or frustration affect your problem resolution. If you are emotionally invested in a situation, cool down before discussing it or bring in an outside mediator.
87. Learn when to step in. Some problems might resolve themselves if you just let them be, but you need to be aware of times where you'll need to step in and take control of a situation.
88. Take the blame. If you've made a mistake, fess up. It'll give you more time to work on fixing the problem instead of talking your way out of taking the rap.
89. Get the facts first. Before you pass judgment on a situation, make sure you have the whole story. Listen to employees and refrain from questioning anyone's integrity without first ensuring that you've gathered all the data.
90. Rise above the crisis. Learn to separate yourself from the problem and rise above the fray. You'll be able to think more clearly and make a better decision on how to rectify the issue.
91. Don't ignore problems. A small problem can easily snowball and become something much more difficult to fix.
92. Try to depersonalize problems. Let employees know that the problem isn't with them but with their actions. Don't make it personal.

Go Above and Beyond

Managing people isn't just about getting the job done. To truly be a great leader, sometimes you need to go above and beyond what the job calls for.

93. Lead by example. You can talk until you're blue in the face, but the best way to get a point across is to be the model to emulate. Let employees follow your lead.
94. Get your hands dirty. Sometimes you need to show your employees that no one's above doing unattractive tasks.
95. Make a difference to your employees. Don't just be a generic manager — stand out as a leader and role model for your employees.
96. Gain your employees' trust and respect. You'll have a much easier time managing employees when they respect your rules and boundaries and trust your leadership.
97. Be empathetic to personal problems. Whether it should or not, what happens outside of work can have a big affect on the quality of work produced. Be sensitive if employees have personal issues that keep them from concentrating on work.
98. Be unique as a manager. Every position demands something different and you should be proud to be adept at your particular role rather than trying to emulate other managers.
99. Remember that ethics matter above all. Be honest and reliable in all of your business and personal relationships.
100. Be on the lookout for new ideas. You never know where your next great inspiration will come from.
101. Get to know your employees. Learn more than just their names. Get to know your employees' family backgrounds, likes and dislikes. Doing so will make you more personable.

The original source of this article is InsideCRM.com , part of the Focus network of sites.

automatic back-ups

Syncback (automatic back-ups)

Everyone’s hard drive fails eventually. Online tools like Mozy and Dropbox are ideal for backing up critical files that you’re currently working on, but backing up everything on your hard drive to one of these tools just isn’t feasible for most people.

Syncback is a free tool from 2BrightSparks that automatically backs up all your files to an external drive. (A paid version is available as well, but the freeware is more than enough.)

You select which folders to back up, set when you want back-ups to take place and let Syncback do the work. Back-ups can be done manually or automatically, and only files that have changed will be copied, so it is very efficient after the first run. It will even email you a report if any errors occur during the backup, such as certain files not being able to be copied.

US Animation

	OPUSII V8은 100% Vector기반의 독립해상도시스템 (Resolution Independent System)으로서 높은 Quality를 요구하는 Film 및 HDTV 작업을 손쉽게 처리합니다. 대규모 고용량 프로젝트를 처리하기에 적합한 2D Animation Solution으로서 전통적인 작업 방식을 기반으로 개발되어 기존 Animator들이 쉽게 적응할
수 있도록 설계 되었습니다. 뿐만아니라 프로젝트용 관리 툴을 갖춘 OPUSII V7는 전문 스튜디오 환경에서 설정된 작업 루틴과 스케줄에 적용할 수 있게 설계 되어 있으므로 애니메이션 제작을 조직화하여 사용자들이 창조적인 작업에 전념할 수 있도록 하였습니다. 제작의 라인업은 지속적으로 업데이트 되기 때문에 사용자들은 파일을 신속히 배치하고 Client 시스템이나 프로젝트들의 상태를 모니터링 할 수 있습니다. 모든 작업 형태는 데이터 베이스화하여 이루어져 중앙 집중되며, 작업의 효율성 및 능률을 향상시킵니다..
Auto Vectorizing Scan Process 지원하고, Auto Painting을 지원하여 전체적으로 Painting하는 시간을 50%줄이면서 Tone과 High Light를 자동으로 설정합니다. Real-Time D1 Format (NTSC/ PAL)으로 비주얼 장면을 플레이하며 HD-TV Format을 지원합니다. 2D Animation과 3D Animation과의 유연한 합성과 자유로운 레벨의 작업 및 수정이 가능합니다. 다양한 특수효과를 제공하고 Library화되어 여러 작업자가 공유하여 작업을 보다 빠르고 통일감 있게 진행할 수 있습니다. 3D Camera 지원으로 각각의 Element를 X축,Y축 및 Z축으로 이동되며, Multi-Camera로 각각의 Element에게 원하는 움직임을 부여합니다. 인터렉티브 X-Sheet 및 Data Base를 완벽히 통합하여 Manager에서 작업상황 및 Data관리가 원활하도록 합니다. Mecromedia사의 Flash Format으로 Converting 할 수 있어 Web Animation이 가능합니다.
Supported operating systems Operating system Notes RedHat Fedora Core 3 RedHat Fedora Core 2 RedHat Fedora Core 1 RedHat Linux v9.0 RedHat Linux v7.3 - Certified for OPUS (v6). - Only full installations are supported. - For OPUS to run correctly on RedHat 9, the LD_LIBRARY_PATH variable should be set to /lib/i686. - The Transfer module isn't supported on Linux. However, it is possible to set it up on an O2 system and access it from a Linux client. - Openmotif is required by legacy USAnimation® modules. Windows XP Professional English edition Service Pack 1 Service Pack 2 - Certified for OPUS (v6). - The Camera module, provided for compatibility with USAnimation® 5.x, does not run on Windows XP. - The External module do not work as is on WinXP SP2. Please contact our technical support deparent. Windows 2000 Professional English edition with Service Pack 4 - Certified for OPUS (v6). NOTES: We have received reports of problems encountered when installing OPUS on Windows 2003 Server. We advise against using this operating system until these issues are resolved. Supported network configurations (1) Server operating system (2) Supported operating system for OPUS clients: Supported client operating system for USAnimation® v5.x clients: IRIX Linux Windows XP Professional Windows 2000 IRIX Linux Windows 2000 Windows NT Workstation Linux Linux Windows XP Professional Windows 2000 IRIX Linux Windows 2000 Windows NT Workstation Windows XP Professional (3) / Windows 2000 Professional (3) / Windows 2000 Server / Windows NT 4 Workstation (3) / Windows NT 4 Server Windows XP Professional Windows 2000 Professional Windows 2000 Professional Windows NT Workstation NOTES: (1) The same database can be used at the same time by OPUS an d USAnimation® v5.x clients. (2) The server is considered to be running the database only. Other OPUS modules are not supported on Windows NT or IRIX. (3) Simultaneous network connections are limited to 10 by Windows XP Professional Edition, Windows 2000 Professionnal and Windows NT 4.0 Workstation. If you have more than 10 Windows clients, your server must be equiped with Windows 2000 Server or Windows NT 4.0 Server. Linux and IRIX do not limit the maximum number of simultaneous connections. Recommended hardware Task Recommended hardware Notes Compositing and Effects Pentium 4 2GHz 512-1000MB of main memory nVidia card with 64-128MB of memory Monitor offering a 1280x1024 resolution or better Ethernet 100baseT Hard Disk 8 GB Ink&paint / Drawing Mode Pentium 4 2GHz 512MB of main memory nVidia card with 64-128MB of memory Monitor offering a 1280x1024 resolution or better Ethernet 100baseT Hard Disk 8 GB Xsheet Creation Pentium 4 2GHz 256MB of main memory nVidia card with 64-128 MB of memory Monitor offering a 1280x1024 resolution or better Ethernet 100baseT Hard Disk 8 GB Scan Pentium III 800 MHz 256-512 MB of main memory Video card capable of displaying 1280x1024 resolution in Truecolor. Monitor offering a 1280x1024 resolution or better Ethernet 100baseT Hard Disk 8 GB - Don't forget to pick a supported SCSI adapter for your scanning station(s). - We recommend dedicating a SCSI cards to the scanner. ie, avoid using the same SCSI card to control the scanner and SCSI disks. - Before you can Scan on Windows stations, you must install the ASPI32 program shipped with OPUS. The currently supported version is 4.71.2. Batch rendering Batch vectorization Pentium 4 2GHz 512-1024 MB of main memory Ethernet 100baseT Hard Disk 8 GB Server for less than 10 clients Dual Intel Pentium4 2GHz 512-1000 MB of main memory Ethernet 100baseT Disk array based on production needs - A Linux server must have X installed to allow clients to display batch processing queues. Server for 10 or more clients Dual Intel Xeon 2.4GHz 1000 MB of main memory Ethernet 100baseT Disk array based on production needs Supported video cards and recommended drivers for Stage Model Linux Win 2000 Win XP Notes nVidia with a minmum of 32MB Latest Latest Latest We do not have the full range of nVidia cards in house and haven't tested all available models. They are expected to perform well in OPUS since the experience with nVidia cards has been very positive since we started supporting them. There are only a few known few problems with nVidia cards: GeForce FX 5200: Cutters and gradients are not displayed properly in Scene Planning by default. To workaround this problem, enable the Alternate Gradient and Cutter options found in Preferences -> OpenGL. Quadro4 980 XGL: Picking problems in the drawing view. Occurs only with fullscreen anti-aliasing enabled. The same problem did not occur with a Quadro4 750 XGL. GeForce FX 5600: We have unconfirmed reports that this card does not perform properly under Linux with the 1.0.6629 driver. Installing the 1.0-6111 driver apparently fixes the issue. Supported scanners for the Scan module Model Type (1) ADF (2) Notes Fujitsu M4097Ddim Black&White Yes - Exact scanner specs : SCSI-2 interface, compression enabling up to 600dpi (m), double feed detection (d), image enhancement (IPC, i). - Reconfiguring some scanner options through integrated LCD can interfere with Scan. Fujitsu M3096GX Black&White Yes Fujitsu fi-4750C Color Yes Ricoh IS330DC Color Yes Ricoh IS420 Black&White Yes Ricoh IS430 Black&White Yes - European model of the Ricoh IS 420. Ricoh IS450DE Black&White Yes Epson 1640XL Color Unsupported (3) - The Epson1640 XL ADF is not suited for OPUS. - On Windows 2000, installing TWAIN drivers for this scanner will conflict with OPUS. Disable the scanner device in the control panel prior to scanning in OPUS. Epson 836XL Color Unsupported (3) - The Epson836 XL ADF is not suited for OPUS. Umax Mirage II Color No - Also known as Linotype Opal Ultra. Microtek 9600XL Color No Sharp JX-610 Color No - Discontinued. (1) Black&White scanners listed here can scan 1 bit (black and white) or 8 bit grayscale drawings. Color scanners can scan 1 bit, 8 bit grayscale or 24 bit color drawings. (2) This column indicates whether the scanner unit is equipped with an Automatic Document Feeder or not. Scanners equipped with an ADF may also scan on the flatbed. Scanners not equipped with an ADF may scan on the flatbed only. Scanning through an ADF is generally faster than scanning on the flatbed. ADF generally supports the same scanning modes than the flatbed: b&w, grayscale and color (when available). (3) ADF for the Epson 836XL and Epson 1640XL is sold separately from the scanner itself. For technical reasons, Toon Boom does not support the Epson ADF. Supported SCSI adapters for the Scan module (1) Model Notes Adaptec AVA-2906 Adaptec AHA-2930CU Adaptec AHA-2940AU - On Windows 2000, the Fujitsu M4097D sometimes have problems scanning with this card after a reboot. Reinitializing the scanner should correct the problem until the next reboot. (1) We recommend to dedicate a SCSI card to scanners. For example, avoid using the same SCSI card to control scanners and SCSI hard drives.

Sound Effects

http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/55-great-websites-to-download-free-sound-effects/

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Sound effects are used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media. These trick of sound are mostly achieved by combining technology, ingenuity and creativity. Sound effects are important for digital media because an appropriate sound effect can easily resemble a real occurrence for a situation.

We understand it’s kind of fussy to record and process sound effects on one’s own. Thus, we’ve crawled into Internet and search for free sound effects which are available for download. Here’s 55 websites for free sound effects download. Full list after jump!

Note: Some of these sound effects have limited rights. That means they are not allowed for commercial usage. We urge that you check the rights before using them for business purposes.

More: You might also be interested in 25 Free Digital Audio Editors You Should Know

1. Flash Kit

   Flash Kit has an ever growing list of shareware and freeware SoundFX for download. It provides a powerful searching, excellent organisation and easy real time previews make this the most advanced Sound FX download site on the net! mp3 and flashtrak versions of all effects as well!

   

2. Audio Micro

   AudioMicro is a revolutionary collection of user-generated micro stock music, sound effects, production music, production elements and music cues. Finally, high quality audio content is available at unbelievable prices with no hidden costs or fees.

   

3. Sound-Effect

   Search for, preview and download royalty free sound effects for immediate use in your multimedia project. These high quality royalty free sound effects are hand-picked from only the best sound designers.

   

4. SoundSnap

   Soundsnap is the best platform to find and share free sound effects and loops- legally. It is a collection of original sounds made or recorded by its users, and not songs or sound FX found on commercial libraries or sample CD’s.
   

   

5. FindSounds

   FindSounds.com is a free site for finding sound effects and musical instrument samples on the Web. It is a Web search engine, like Google and AltaVista, but with a focus on sounds. It provides powerful features, yet is simple and easy to use, and suitable for all ages.

   

6. Soungle

   Soungle is a free site, developed by Southern Codes, for finding all kind of sound FX and musical instruments samples on our mega online library. As different from most of similar sites, Soungle is NOT a Web search engine. It only searches in our growing monster database. Our goals are to keep it simple to use (search, preview and download) and to keep it free.

   

7. SFX Source

   In SFX Source you’ll find cutting-edge and imaginative sound samples crafted with passionate expertise for use in all levels of production, from professional to amateur, for use in Film, TV, Games, and New Media.

   

8. A1 Free Sound Effects

   A1 Free Sound Effects wants to provide the internet with our Free Sound Effects that you can download to your computer and use for church, school, home or for any non-profit project. Commercial Sounds Available.

   

9. Soundrangers

   Soundrangers specializes in generating state-of-the-art royalty free sound effects and music for interactive media, such as virtual user-interfaces, games, online entertainment, web sites and communication devices.

   

10. Partners In Rhyme

    Partners In Rhyme provide free resources, help and advice to amateur and professional multimedia producers, film makers, musicians and students in their search for music, sound effects and audio tools to complete their projects inexpensively and quickly.

    

11. Soundboard

    Soundboard.com puts all your audio clips, as well as millions from other users in one, easy to manage location. Its mission is to invite everyone to help us create a central site for audio clips in a format that anyone with a connection and a browser can enjoy.

    

12. FreeSound.org

    The Freesound Project aims to create a huge collaborative database of audio snippets, samples, recordings, bleeps, … released under the Creative Commons Sampling Plus License. The Freesound Project provides new and interesting ways of accessing these samples, allowing users to browse the sounds in new ways using keywords, a “sounds-like” type of browsing and download sounds to and from the database, under the same creative commons license.

    

13. Acoustica

    Acoustica has a great database and will help you find that ever so elusive sound effect!

    

14. Ljudo

    Ljudo gives free access to more than 1200 sound effects. The sounds are available in two formats: RealAudio and Mp3. Audition with RealAudioplayer or download as an MP3. Ljudo includes multilingual access, which translates the word you are searching for from your language into English.

    

15. Nature Sounds

    Nature Sounds.ca includes free online samples and as well as full-length (usually CD-length or longer!) downloads of quality nature sound mp3s. Some are mixed and edited field recordings, others are free of intervention.

    

16. Pac DV

    PacDV allows you to use the sound effects on their web site free of charge in your video, film, audio and multimedia productions.

    

17. Alc Ljudprod

    Alc Ljudprod have assembled their sound effects in MP3 format and they are free to download and use.

    

18. Hollywood Edge

    The Hollywood Edge is the leading Hollywood Sound Effects Library. These are the Sound Efx used in the big award winning Hollywood movies. From explosions to a pin drop.

    

19. Download Sound Effects

    Free Sound Effects to download will send your great specials for Sound-Effects products after you sign up their free newsletter. Also they will keep you updated with the best new SoundFX products from all over the world.

    

20. SNDBRD

    A very simple page which displays all the downloadable sound effects on its main page with a well-arranged list.

    

21. Brandens

    Many people make a living as Foley Artists adding sound f/x to movies and the like. Brandens has a large collection of sound f/x here in a few categories.

    

22. Animal Sounds

    Over 280 animal sounds available for free download. You can even read the provided description to know better about the particular animal sound.

    

23. I Love Waves

    ILovesWaves is your ultimate categorized .wav source. You can download sound effects from categories like animals, beeps and clicks, birds, cartoons, halloween, around the home, around the work place, insects, music, nature, people, vehicles and war.

    

24. Simply The Best Sound

    The sound files featured in SimplytheBest Sounds were gathered from various collections on the Internet, were created by our editors or submitted by their visitors.

    

25. Zero 1 Media

    Free wav sound samples from zero 1media. All sounds are in wav format. You can download sound inkickdrums, snaredrums, toms, highhats, loops, beat phrases, noises, voices, synth phrases, keyboards and synth sounds and effects.

    

26. Boogie Jack

    Funny, weird, annoying…you’ll find all kinds of sound effects at Boogie Jack.

    

27. AutoSpeak

    AutoSpeak Library of Sounds features the sounds of race cars, dragsters, motorcycles and other auto-related sounds.

    

28. Special Operations

    Special Operations offers free military sound effects for explosion sounds, battle sounds, machine gun sounds, rifle sounds, shortgun sounds, artillery sounds and others.

    

29. Little Music Club

    Littlemusicclub.com where you will find SERIOUS BIG sfx wavs that “rocks”and some other useful music links. For copyright purposes you should contact their respective owners by checking the properties section of each file where applicable.

    

30. Guide to Animal Sounds on the Net

    There are many samples of animal sounds on the World Wide Web and FTP sites, but finding them takes some patience and a bit of luck. This website provides a guide that much more convenient to have an index specifically for animal sounds.

    

31. Stoutman’s Sounds

    Sounds of all kinds for your listening and downloading pleasure! Stoutman’s Sounds is going to be putting up more sounds as time permits.

    

32. Cool Wavs

    Cool wavs is the place where you can look for some cool, funny, sexy wavs.

    

33. Free Audio Clips

    FreeAudioClips.com is loaded with tons of wav, midi and au files for your listening and downloading pleasure!
    Select a category on the right and easily find what you’re looking for. Or, use the quick "audio clip keyword search" to search through the database for that special sound clip!

    

34. Event Sounds

    Event sounds lets you download wavs so you can change the sounds your computer makes such as startup sounds, mail sounds, shut down sounds, error sounds, movie sounds and tv sounds.

    

35. WavCentral

    All of WavCentral’s audio files have been databased and categorized — to make searching and accessing EASY. Over 504 sound effects are available for free download.

    

36. WavPlanet

    Wavplanet, the only audio page that lets users upload to its collection and has become one of the largest on the Internet with thousands of movie and TV files, hundreds of sound effects and MIDI files.

    

37. Movie Sound Clips

    More sound effects categories are currently being worked on Movie Sound Clips. That includes more updates for the current categories, especially weapon sound effects, as well as new object sound effects, answering machine messages and lots more.

    

38. Wav-Sounds

    Wav-Sounds.com is the family friendly wav site. The place to find some of the best free wav sound files around like Answering Machine Wav Sounds, Cartoon Wav Sounds, E-mail Wav Sounds, Funny Wav Sounds, Movie Wav Sounds, Parody Wav Sounds, Various Wav Sounds and Vehicle Wav Sounds.

    

39. TalkingWav

    Talkingwav.com offers thousands of free wav sound files to download, including answering machine messages, cartoon, comedy, music, movie and tv wav sounds, all fully categorized with descriptions. Plus loads of free mobile cell phone ringtones and videos.

    

40. Tintagel’s Free Sound File Archive

    Sound files at Tintagel are provided free of charge, without any representation or warranty whatsoever. To the best of our knowledge, all wave, midi, and audio files presented here are in the public domain and are available for use without restriction.

    

41. Pachd

    Over 80 free sound effects are available for download at Pachd.

    

42. Amazing Sounds

    Amazing sounds is where you will find all kinds of WAV files. Their database has more than 1.000 WAV Sounds for you to download, FREE!! Their content is made basically for multimedia developers or creators that want to use these files; so you won’t find a lot of movie, serial, or other sounds here.

    

43. Wav Sound Files

    A complete archive for wav sound files download.

    

44. The Recordist

    The Recordist presents a collection of free sound effects in MP3 format. These effects are from The Recordist SFX Library and the “Special Edition”. The MP3 stereo versions are high quality 44.1 192k compressed.

    

45. Sound Jay

    Sound Jay allows you to use the sounds on our website free of charge and royalty free in your projects but you are NOT allowed to post the sounds on any web site for others to download, link directly to individual sound files, or sell the sounds to anyone else.

    

46. FreeSFX

    The free sound effects found within the categories on the site are royalty-free and free to download and use within your audio/visual productions. You do not have to declare the useage of these sounds to any performing rights organizations.

    

47. Sounds FX Page

    Sounds FX Page has a small collection of Sounds FX files saved in WAV format. Instead of creating a rather humongous plethora of sound directories, they thought you would get more use out of a fairly small selection of really good sound files.

    

48. Free Sound Effects

    Free Sound Effects has converted our Stage Sounds Series so you can pick and choose your effects to create your own customized CD. The sound effects are available in a smaller MP3 format and a larger WAV file-self-extracting zip file.

    

49. Water Sounds

    A mini collection of water sounds for ocean surf, rain sounds, stream, water sounds and waterfall.

    

50. 3dmm Studio

    The best movies always have great sound effects, and realistic background noises. So, to help you in your quest for better sounds, 3dmm Studio has compiled and categorised several sound packs. Rubin’s ‘3dmm Sound’ packs require you to import the .3mm file into your movie, where-as the packs complied by Will Cheyney are standard zips with categorised .wav files.

    

51. Media College

    MediaCollege.com is a free educational and resource website for all forms of electronic media. Topics include video & television production, audio work, photography, graphics, web design and more.They have hundreds of exclusive tutorials with supporting illustrations, videos, sound bytes and interactive features.

    

52. Free Sound Effects Collections

    Music for video provides different categories of sound effects and music clips. You can download and use these sounds for free on your video/multimedia productions. The sounds in this part of the website are mainly dedicated to people involved in video production , video montage ,multimedia projects and etc.

    

53. Wav Surfer

    Wav surfer provides free sound effects in wav files for movies, animals, musical, television and misc.

    

54. A1 Prank Calls

    A1 Prank Calls - The best free sounds, April Fools’ prank items and the funniest prank call humor.

    

55. Sounds & Noise

    Sounds & Noise provides free sound effects for animal sounds, human sounds, trains, planes and automobiles, weapons, horns, bells and whistles, sound of nature and household sounds.