Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Stress & Load Testing Web Applications using Apache jMeter
Chris Muir has posted an excellent blog on how to use Apache jMeter for stress and load testing APEX and ADF applications. Check it out: http://one-size-doesnt-fit-all.blogspot.com/2009/06/stress-load-testing-web-applications.html.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
It was meant to be ...
Well after an exceedingly great ODTUG Kaleidoscope conference that hopefully surpassed everyones expectations, it was time to head home. I didn't actually want to head directly home as my best mate from high school was over from Australia for a short visit with his wife, and was in San Francisco over the weekend before heading to Las Vegas, New York, LA and then back home.
I rang up our travel people and asked how much it would cost to change my ticket so I could have a night in San Francisco and on hearing it would cost $1,000 decided I would have to try my luck at the airport or fly to meet him in Las Vegas or New York.
Well I jumped on my scheduled flight from Monterrey to San Francisco on Friday morning (after checking they couldn't help me) and landed in SFO with only 45 minutes before my Chicago flight was due to take off. I thought I had no chance but decided to stand in line to ask the people at the counter. As I was standing there I watched the United message boards and saw they had 58 people on stand-by which gave me a chance.
I was sixth in line and then the second United person at the counter asked if anyone wanted to volunteer to take a later flight. I leaped to the counter and asked if I could be bounced to Saturday. The United representative was ecstatic I didn't want to get on a later flight that day as they were all full. He offered me a 2:00 pm flight, which was great but my mate was flying out at 4:00 pm to Las Vegas so I asked for a later flight. He then asked if I would mind going via Vegas which was perfect as I could fly to Vegas with my mate and then fly on to Chicago. Just to top off being bounced off a flight when you really wanted to be and placed on the perfect flight(s) he then proceeded to give me a voucher for a free return airfare.
Couldn't get any better one would think as I got to spend time with my mate and his wife, and rather than paying money was given a free ticket. But wait there's more - On getting the perfect bounce I jumped on the BART to downtown SF and called a good friend who lives in the city. This friend doesn't have a car and is always very busy at work, but I caught him at a bit of a lull on the work front. What's more he was baby sitting a car for a friend of his due to the issues with parking downtown SF. So not only was I able to meet up with two good mates at once but had a very knowledgeable local tour guide (with car no less) to show us all places we wouldn't have otherwise seen.
Ok at the risk of sounding like one of those TV Commercials ("If you buy within the next 10 minutes you will also get ...") Wait there's still more - As we were driving through Little Italy my Aussie friends said they had heard about this Italian restaurant (don't ask me the name I've forgotten, but it begins with 'T'). SF friend then proceeds to say that it is his favorite Italian restaurant so we decide we will eat there. Now this place is so popular that people stand outside for over 1 hour waiting for their table, unless you have a seasoned local who knows the inside track to reserving a table at a restaurant that doesn't take reservations. So we went and had cocktails for an hour and then walked back and sat down within minutes. Brilliant food, great company - what more could you ask for.
We then topped the night off with a "few" drinks at a place called "Gold Dust" (or something like that very near Union Square) where these three guys would play almost any song imaginable for a dollar. Even caught up with a couple of fellow Aussies from QANTAS in the bar. We stayed till closing - tortuous night - and then very wearily went out to the airport on Saturday to continue our travels.
A special thank-you to my friend in SF for making it such a memorable time for my Aussie friends and I - we all had an absolute blast.
All I can say is -- It was SO meant to be ...
Safe and happy travels to all :)
I rang up our travel people and asked how much it would cost to change my ticket so I could have a night in San Francisco and on hearing it would cost $1,000 decided I would have to try my luck at the airport or fly to meet him in Las Vegas or New York.
Well I jumped on my scheduled flight from Monterrey to San Francisco on Friday morning (after checking they couldn't help me) and landed in SFO with only 45 minutes before my Chicago flight was due to take off. I thought I had no chance but decided to stand in line to ask the people at the counter. As I was standing there I watched the United message boards and saw they had 58 people on stand-by which gave me a chance.
I was sixth in line and then the second United person at the counter asked if anyone wanted to volunteer to take a later flight. I leaped to the counter and asked if I could be bounced to Saturday. The United representative was ecstatic I didn't want to get on a later flight that day as they were all full. He offered me a 2:00 pm flight, which was great but my mate was flying out at 4:00 pm to Las Vegas so I asked for a later flight. He then asked if I would mind going via Vegas which was perfect as I could fly to Vegas with my mate and then fly on to Chicago. Just to top off being bounced off a flight when you really wanted to be and placed on the perfect flight(s) he then proceeded to give me a voucher for a free return airfare.
Couldn't get any better one would think as I got to spend time with my mate and his wife, and rather than paying money was given a free ticket. But wait there's more - On getting the perfect bounce I jumped on the BART to downtown SF and called a good friend who lives in the city. This friend doesn't have a car and is always very busy at work, but I caught him at a bit of a lull on the work front. What's more he was baby sitting a car for a friend of his due to the issues with parking downtown SF. So not only was I able to meet up with two good mates at once but had a very knowledgeable local tour guide (with car no less) to show us all places we wouldn't have otherwise seen.
Ok at the risk of sounding like one of those TV Commercials ("If you buy within the next 10 minutes you will also get ...") Wait there's still more - As we were driving through Little Italy my Aussie friends said they had heard about this Italian restaurant (don't ask me the name I've forgotten, but it begins with 'T'). SF friend then proceeds to say that it is his favorite Italian restaurant so we decide we will eat there. Now this place is so popular that people stand outside for over 1 hour waiting for their table, unless you have a seasoned local who knows the inside track to reserving a table at a restaurant that doesn't take reservations. So we went and had cocktails for an hour and then walked back and sat down within minutes. Brilliant food, great company - what more could you ask for.
We then topped the night off with a "few" drinks at a place called "Gold Dust" (or something like that very near Union Square) where these three guys would play almost any song imaginable for a dollar. Even caught up with a couple of fellow Aussies from QANTAS in the bar. We stayed till closing - tortuous night - and then very wearily went out to the airport on Saturday to continue our travels.
A special thank-you to my friend in SF for making it such a memorable time for my Aussie friends and I - we all had an absolute blast.
All I can say is -- It was SO meant to be ...
Safe and happy travels to all :)
Monday, June 22, 2009
ODTUG APEX Symposium
The APEX Symposium at ODTUG Kaleidoscope was very successful again this year with 200 people in attendance (the biggest of all the symposiums). Scott Spendolini hosted a great day with lots of interesting speakers and a lively APEX Panel session.
We had a little extra surprise today as we handed out the first ever Oracle Application Express t-shirts. Hope to post some pictures from our APEX meetup on Monday night where we have encouraged everyone to wear their new t-shirts.
ODTUG Kaleidoscope is the most important APEX Conference of the year and we try and send as many APEX Development Team members as possible. This year Mike Hichwa, Joel Kallman, Marc Sewtz, Patrick Wolf, Scott Spadafore, Jason Straub, and myself are presenting sessions and conducting Hands-on Labs. We have also pulled out all the stops to prepare a comprehensive demonstration of some of the latest APEX 4.0 features we are busy developing {Finally relax and enjoy the rest of the week once we have delivered that one}.
Looking forward to a very busy week meeting lots of old friends and making lots of new ones.
We had a little extra surprise today as we handed out the first ever Oracle Application Express t-shirts. Hope to post some pictures from our APEX meetup on Monday night where we have encouraged everyone to wear their new t-shirts.
ODTUG Kaleidoscope is the most important APEX Conference of the year and we try and send as many APEX Development Team members as possible. This year Mike Hichwa, Joel Kallman, Marc Sewtz, Patrick Wolf, Scott Spadafore, Jason Straub, and myself are presenting sessions and conducting Hands-on Labs. We have also pulled out all the stops to prepare a comprehensive demonstration of some of the latest APEX 4.0 features we are busy developing {Finally relax and enjoy the rest of the week once we have delivered that one}.
Looking forward to a very busy week meeting lots of old friends and making lots of new ones.
Application Express Developer Competition 2009
Oracle Technology Network (OTN) are conducting the Oracle Application Express Developer Competition 2009. Click here to register and submit an APEX application for your chance to win FREE tickets to Oracle Openworld 2009 in San Francisco, October 11- 15, and APEX books.This is your chance to not only win some great prizes but also the bragging rights that goes with it. There is also a chance that the 1st prize winner will get an "Unconference" session at Oracle Openworld and even a write-up in Oracle Magazine by Justin Kestelyn.
A special thank-you to our wonderful judges:
- Matt Chivers - Oracle
- Dimitri Gielis - APEX Evangelists
- Justin Kestelyn - Oracle
- Thomas Marshall - Auburn University
- Anton Nielsen - C2 Consulting
- John Scott - APEX Evangelists
- Scott Spendolini- Sumner Technologies
Get cracking writing your 'killer' application as the deadline for submission is 24 August 2009.
Good Luck!
David
Friday, June 19, 2009
Pensonalizing your ODTUG Agenda
For all of you attending ODTUG Kaleidoscope in Monterrey then take a few minutes to get your personalized APEX agenda.
Crystal Walton has been kind enough to send me the late breaking changes to the agenda.
Simply use this link to go to the APEX Conference Sessions application. Once there simply add the following columns - Date, Start Time, and Room, then download to CSV or PDF.
I urge everyone to try and get to the APEX Sysmposium on Sunday for a great lineup of speakers, rounded off with an APEX Panel session. There is also a surprise or two in store for all of those in attendance on the Sunday :)
Look forward to catching up with all of you.
David
Crystal Walton has been kind enough to send me the late breaking changes to the agenda.
- Consumer Reports can't make it to the APEX Symposium but Jan Navratil from CampusIT and BT Global Services is flying in from the UK at very short notice to talk at 1:00 pm on Sunday.
- Anton Nielsen will not be able to attend so Doug Gault is doing a session on performance 10:00 am Monday.
- Kathy Hunsicker is also unavailable so John Scott's session 'Dispelling Myths about APEX' originally scheduled for 3:45 pm Monday has been moved to 1:30 pm Wednesday. This allows everyone to attend Mike Hichwa's session 'Oracle Application Express 4.0' on Monday at 3:45 pm. Kathy's other slot at 8:00 am on Thursday will be filled so keep an eye on the daily updates.
Simply use this link to go to the APEX Conference Sessions application. Once there simply add the following columns - Date, Start Time, and Room, then download to CSV or PDF.
I urge everyone to try and get to the APEX Sysmposium on Sunday for a great lineup of speakers, rounded off with an APEX Panel session. There is also a surprise or two in store for all of those in attendance on the Sunday :)
Look forward to catching up with all of you.
David
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