Compensation System For Multinational Corporations Economics Essay

Compensation System For Multinational Corporations Economics Essay Global compensation managers that is, everyone involved at any level in pay-related decisions increasingly deal with two areas of focus. They must manage highly complex and turbulent local details while concurrently building and maintaining a unified, strategic pattern of compensation policies, practices and values. For multinationals successfully to manage compensation and benefits requires knowledge of employment and taxation law, customs, environment and employment practices of many foreign countries, familiarity with currency fluctuations and the effect of inflation on compensation and an understanding of why and when special allowances must be supplied and which allowances are necessary in what countries all within the context of shifting political, economic and social conditions. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MULTI NATIONAL CORPORATION (MNC) AND TRANS NATIONAL CORPORATION (TNC) The both multinationals corporations and transnational corporations operate internationally and their compensation or reward system is also similar, but some differences exist between two, which are: MNCs operate in several different countries while transnational implies just across the border as in the US and Canada. Obviously, both operate internationally A MNC has a centralized headquarters is a corporation with extensive ties international operations in more than one foreign country. Examples are Coke, Pepsi, General Electric, Exxon, Wal-Mart, and Mitsubishi. A transnational company has no head office and moves whatever base of operations it has fluidly between its national offices. It is a MNC that operates worldwide without being identified with a national home base i.e. it is said to operate on a borderless basis. Examples are Daewoo, Saint Gobain, Sony, Samsung Group, Shell Oil etc. OBJECTIVES OF INTERNATIONAL COMPENSATION When developing international compensation policies, a firm seeks to satisfy several objectives. The policy should be consistent with the overall strategy, structure and business needs of the multinational. The policy must work to attract and retain staff in the areas where the multinational has the greatest needs and opportunities. Hence the policy must be competitive and recognize factors such as incentive for Foreign Service, tax equalization and reimbursement for reasonable costs. The policy should facilitate the transfer of international employees in the most cost-effective manner for the firm. The policy must give due consideration to equity and ease of administration. The international employee will also have a number of objectives that need to be achieved from the firms compensation policy. First, the employee will expect the policy to offer financial protection in terms of benefits, social security and living costs in the foreign location. Second, the employee will expect a foreign assignment to offer opportunities for financial advancement through income and/or savings. Third, the employee will expect issues such as housing, education of children and recreation to be addressed in the policy. If we contrast the objectives of the multinational and the employee, we see, of course, the potential for many complexities and possible problems, as some of these objectives cannot be maximized on both sides. Firms must rethink the traditional view that local conditions dominate international compensation strategy. COMPENSATION MANAGEMENT OR SYSTEM The type and amount of compensation necessary to attract technically and culturally qualified international managers and technical professionals to the three nationals or country categories involved international human resource management activities from which employees are selected whether the people are: PCNs (parent country nationals) TCNs (third country nationals) HCNs (host country nationals) An expatriate is an employee working in a country other than their country of origin. PCNs (Parent Country Nationals) Those personnel who are of the same nationality as the contracting government or personnel from headquarters They come from the home country of the operation. The policy of using PCNs is usually employed when one or more of the following situations exist: (1) the host country cannot readily supply desired managerial personnel, (2) efficient communication with headquarters is required, and (3) the company adopts a centralized approach to globalization. TCNs (Third Country Nationals) Those personnel of a separate nationality to both the contracting government and the area of operations i.e. whose nation of residence is neither the host country nor the home country. Such an employee normally is recruited from outside the host country and relocated from the point of recruitment to the host country. HCNs (Host Country Nationals) These are Indigs (Indigenous Personnel) / Nationals / Locals those personnel who are indigenous to the area of operations Whose basic residence or home is the host nation. Local colleagues of the expatriate, they are valuable socializing agents, sources of social support, assistance, and friendship to expatriates. Expatriates are more likely to adjust when HCNs engage in this behavior. HR managers focus on their strategic objectives to develop a comprehensive compensation plan, in terms of considering base pay, short and long-term incentives, benefits and growth opportunities. The objective of this kind of strategy is to ensure that both TNC/MNCs long and short-term objectives coexist in the compensation system without overlap, which would duplicate a single pay plan for the same objectives. The purpose of the planning is also designed to ensure that the compensation system attracts and retains the desired employees and that it motivates them to do those things that support the business plan. KEY COMPONENTS OF AN INTERNATIONAL COMPENSATION PROGRAM The area of international compensation is complex primarily because multinationals must cater to three categories of employees: PCNs, TCNs and HCNs. Key components of international compensation are as follows: COMPONENTS OF MNCS COMPENSATION BASIC SALARY ALLOWANCES OTHER BENEFITS 1. Base Salary In a domestic context, base salary denotes the amount of cash compensation serving as a benchmark for other compensation elements (such as bonuses and benefits). For expatriates, it is the primary component of a package of allowances, many of which are directly related to base salary (e.g. Foreign Service premium, cost-of-living allowance, housing allowance) and also the basis for in-service benefits and pension contributions. It may be paid in home or local-country currency. The base salary is the foundation block for international compensation whether the employee is a PCN or TCN. Major differences can occur in the employees package depending on whether the base salary is linked to the home country of the PCN or TCN, or whether an international rate is paid. Foreign Service inducement/hardship premium Parent-country nationals often receive a salary premium as an inducement to accept a foreign assignment or as compensation for any hardship caused by the transfer. The definition of hardship, eligibility for the premium and amount and timing of payment must be addressed. In cases in which hardship is determined, US firms often refer to the US Department of States Hardship Post Differentials Guidelines to determine an appropriate level of payment. Making international comparisons of the cost of living is problematic. These payments are more commonly paid to PCNs than TCNs. Foreign service inducements, if used, are usually made in the form of a percentage of salary, usually 5-40 per cent of base pay. Such payments vary, depending upon the assignment, actual hardship, tax consequences and length of assignment. 2. Allowances Issues concerning allowances can be very challenging to a firm establishing an overall compensation policy, partly because of the various forms of allowances that exist. (a)The cost-of-living allowance (COLA), which typically receives the most attention, involves a payment to compensate for differences in expenditures between the home country and the foreign country (to account for inflation differentials, for example). The COLA may also include payments for housing and utilities, personal income tax or discretionary items. (b)The provision of a housing allowance implies that employees should be entitled to maintain their home-country living standards (or, in some cases, receive accommodation that is equivalent to that provided for similar foreign employees and peers). Other alternatives include company-provided housing, either mandatory or optional, a fixed housing allowance or assessment of a portion of income, out of which actual housing costs are paid. As a firm internationalizes, formal policies become more necessary and efficient. (c)There is also a provision for home leave allowances. Many employers cover the expense of one or more trips back to the home country each year. Firms allowing use of home leave allowances for foreign travel need to be aware that expatriate employees with limited international experience who opt for foreign travel rather than returning home may become more homesick than other expatriates who return home for a reality check with fellow employees and friends. (d)Education allowances for expatriates children are also an integral part of any international compensation policy. Allowances for education can cover items such as tuition, language class tuition, enrolment fees, books and supplies, transportation, room and board and uniforms. PCNs and TCNs usually receive the same treatment concerning educational expenses. (e)Relocation allowances usually cover moving, shipping and storage charges, temporary living expenses, subsidies regarding appliance or car purchases (or sales) and down payments or lease-related charges. Allowances regarding perquisites (cars, club memberships, servants10 and so on) may also need to be considered (usually for more senior positions, but this varies according to location). These allowances are often contingent upon tax-equalization policies and practices in both the home and the host countries. (f)Spouse assistance to help guard against or offset income lost by an expatriates spouse as a result of relocating abroad. Although some firms may pay an allowance to make up for a spouses lost income, US firms are beginning to focus on providing spouses with employment opportunities abroad, either by offering job-search assistance or employment in the firms foreign office (subject to a work visa being available). (g)Multinationals generally pay allowances in order to encourage employees to take international assignments and to keep employees whole relative to home standards. In terms of housing, companies usually pay a tax-equalized housing allowance in order to discourage the purchase of housing and/or to compensate for higher housing costs. This allowance is adjusted periodically based on estimates of both local and foreign housing costs. 3. Benefits The complexity inherent in international benefits often brings more difficulties than when dealing with compensation. Pension plans are very difficult to deal with country-to-country, as national practices vary considerably. Transportability of pension plans, medical coverage and social security benefits are very difficult to normalize. Firms need to address many issues when considering benefits, including: Whether or not to maintain expatriates in home-country programs, particularly if the firm does not receive a tax deduction for it. Whether firms have the option of enrolling expatriates in host-country benefit programs and/or making up any difference in coverage. Whether expatriates should receive home-country or host-country social security benefits. In some countries, expatriates cannot opt out of local social security programs. In such circumstances, the firm normally pays for these additional costs. Laws governing private benefit practices differ from country to country, and firm practices also vary. Multinationals have generally done a good job of planning for the retirement needs of their PCN employees, but this is generally less the case for TCNs. TCNs may have little or no home-country social security coverage; They may have spent many years in countries that do not permit currency transfers of accrued benefit payments; Or they may spend their final year or two of employment in a country where final average salary is in a currency that relates unfavourably to their home-country currency. In addition to the already discussed benefits, multinationals also provide vacations and special leave. Included as part of the employees regular vacation, annual home leave usually provides airfares for families to return to their home countries. Rest and rehabilitation leave, based on the conditions of the host country, also provides the employees family with free airfares to a more comfortable location near the host country. Emergency provisions are available in case of a death or illness in the family. Employees in hardship locations often receive additional leave expense payments and rest and rehabilitation periods. ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS AND SERVICES Lifestyle enhancement services à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provision for employee family to learn the local language à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Education training of employee family on local culture, customs and social expectations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Counseling services for employee family à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Assistance in finding a home at the foreign work site / school suitable education programmes for children dependents à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Company car, driver, domestic staff, and child care à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Use of Fitness facilities / subsidized health care services à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Assistance in joining local civic, social, professional organizations Allowances Premiums à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Foreign Service premium tax equalization allowance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Temporary living allowance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Currency protection à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mobility premium à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Stopover allowance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Completion of assignment bonus à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Assignment extension bonus à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Emergency loan à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Extended work-week payment APPROACHES TO INTERNATIONAL COMPENSATION There are two main approaches in the area of international compensation The Going Rate Approach (also referred to as the Market Rate Approach) The Balance Sheet Approach (also known as the Build-up Approach). (a)The Going Rate Approach With this approach, the base salary for international transfer is linked to the salary structure in the host country. The multinational usually obtains information from local compensation surveys and must decide whether local nationals (HCNs), expatriates of the same nationality or expatriates of all nationalities will be the reference point in terms of benchmarking. For example, a Japanese bank operating in New York would need to decide whether its reference point would be local US salaries, other Japanese competitors in New York or all foreign banks operating in New York. With the Going Rate Approach, if the location is in a low-pay county, the multinational usually supplements base pay with additional benefits and payments. The Balance Sheet Approach The basic objective is to keep the expatriate whole (that is, maintaining relativity to PCN colleagues and compensating for the costs of an international assignment) through maintenance of home-country living standard plus a financial inducement to make the package attractive. The approach links the base salary for PCNs and TCNs to the salary structure of the relevant home country. For example, a US executive taking up an international position would have his or her compensation package built upon the US base-salary level rather than that applicable to the host country. The key assumption of this approach is that foreign assignees should not suffer a material loss due to their transfer, and this is accomplished through the utilization of what is generally referred to as the Balance-sheet Approach. COMPENSATION ISSUES IN INTERNATIONAL SCENARIO Incentives provided to stimulate movement or expatriation to a foreign location/ host country Allowances for repatriation to home country Additional tax burdens placed on employees working in a foreign location Labour regulations in home and host country Cost-of-living allowances in the host country Home country and host country currency fluctuation Formal and informal compensation practices unique to the host country Determining home country for setting base pay of TCNs MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES CONCERNING INTERNATIONAL BENEFITS COMPENSATION Compensation is one of the most complex areas of international human resource management Pay systems must conform to local laws and customs for employee compensation while also fitting into global MNC policies Managers face diverse political systems, laws regulations; confront different economic climates, economic development, tax policies, diverse culture, customs, the role of labor unions, standard of living It is also important for MNCs to consider carefully the motivational use of incentives and rewards among the employees drawn from three national or country categories The traditional function of pay to attract, retain and motivate employees has not changed The emphasis has shifted from the attraction and retention functions to the motivation function. TNC/MNCs must ensure that those skilled employees are compensated for achieving goals that make the international business operations succeed HR managers focus on their strategic objectives to develop a comprehensive compensation plan, in terms of considering base pay, short and long-term incentives, benefits and growth opportunities The objective of this kind of strategy is to ensure that both TNC/MNCs long and short-term objectives coexist in the compensation system without overlap, which would duplicate a single pay plan for the same objectives. The purpose of the planning is also designed to ensure that the compensation system attracts and retains the desired employees and that it motivates them to do those things that support the business plan The compensation costs of a family with children are shifted to hardship allowance for schooling, childcare, increased residence cost and all fringe benefits associated with supporting a family life cycle It may be that international compensation administration is more complex than its domestic counterpart, but not radically different in pattern or form. QUESTIONS:- Q1. What is international compensation system? Explain its objectives. Q2. Explain the parties involved in international compensation system? Q3. List the components of an international compensation program. Q4. Explain the approaches to international compensation system. Q5. What are different challenges faced by the management concerned to various benefits in international compensation program.

A Concussion is No Laughing Matter Essay examples -- Exploratory Essay

A Concussion is No Laughing Matter It’s something we see it in cartoons all the time; one character gets bonked on the head and stars are suddenly floating in the air with the cartoon having a dazed look. However, only seconds later the cartoon is back up and back in action. This may seem funny on the latest saga of Tom and Jerry or Coyote and Roadrunner, but it’s not so funny in real life. Seeing stars, feeling dazed, and losing consciousness may be a type of brain injury called a concussion. A concussion, simply put, is a temporary loss of normal brain function caused by a sudden jolt or blow to the head. Concussions and other types of brain injuries are fairly common. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, â€Å"every 21 seconds, someone in the United States suffers from a brain injury.† Most doctors consider concussions as a mild form of brain injury because they are usually not life threatening (cdc.gov). Even so, the effects of concussions can be serious. Any blow to the head can warrant a concussion. Sport accidents, falls, fights, and car accidents are th... A Concussion is No Laughing Matter Essay examples -- Exploratory Essay A Concussion is No Laughing Matter It’s something we see it in cartoons all the time; one character gets bonked on the head and stars are suddenly floating in the air with the cartoon having a dazed look. However, only seconds later the cartoon is back up and back in action. This may seem funny on the latest saga of Tom and Jerry or Coyote and Roadrunner, but it’s not so funny in real life. Seeing stars, feeling dazed, and losing consciousness may be a type of brain injury called a concussion. A concussion, simply put, is a temporary loss of normal brain function caused by a sudden jolt or blow to the head. Concussions and other types of brain injuries are fairly common. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, â€Å"every 21 seconds, someone in the United States suffers from a brain injury.† Most doctors consider concussions as a mild form of brain injury because they are usually not life threatening (cdc.gov). Even so, the effects of concussions can be serious. Any blow to the head can warrant a concussion. Sport accidents, falls, fights, and car accidents are th...

Common Issues in Romanticism Essay example -- Romanticism Essays

The key figures in Romanticism addressed many of the same issues. Such connectivity is marked in William Blake’s poems â€Å"Infant Sorrow† and â€Å"On Another’s Sorrow†, and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Shelley, like Blake, argues for continual development of innocence to experience, and through the character of Victor Frankenstein’s creation, Mary Shelley suggests the equilibrium of innocence and experience offers insight into the human condition. The shift is distinguished by what Blake states in plate 3, stanza 2 of â€Å"The Marriage of Heaven and Hell†: â€Å"Without contraries is no progression† (112). Any event, idea, or emotion that is contrary to the innocent human conscience is a progression to experience. In Frankenstein, the balance and shift of innocence and experience is evidenced by the creature’s observance of the De Lacey’s, the misfortune that befalls him in his wandering, and finally, the progr ession of experience reaches maturation through murder. A careful analysis of the creature’s initial human interaction shows a steady shift from innocence as the creature experiences the world around him. Frankenstein’s creation is simple and child-like in conscience yet aged and abhorred in appearance. Although a paradox, the creature is akin to an adult child: innocent and naà ¯ve, but forced to experience the world. Blake recognizes this concept in his poem â€Å"Infant Sorrow† in which he states, â€Å"Into the dangerous world I leapt: / Helpless, naked, piping loud, / Like a fiend hid in a cloud† (ll. 2-4). One rarely thinks of a newborn baby as a â€Å"fiend†. It seems more believable to observe the grotesque form of the creature as a fiend. However, both the infant and Frankenstein’s creation entered the world with veiled and â€Å"clouded† eyes, unable ... ... for his actions, likewise, humans continue to, at the least, coexist with their fellow man, abiding by laws and regulations. It is hopeful then that in the world today, the balance of innocence and experience is not entirely overturned. Works Cited Blake, William. â€Å"The Marriage of Heaven and Hell†. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Romantic Period. Eighth Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006. (111-120). Blake, William. â€Å"Infant Sorrow†. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Romantic Period. Eighth Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006. (95). Blake, William. â€Å"On Another’s Sorrow†. Classical Poetry: Songs of Innocence. Passions in Poetry Foundation: 11 Nov. 2008. . Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Second Edition. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000.

Seamus Heaney’s Storm on the Island and Walt Whitman’s Patrolling Essay

Seamus Heaney’s Storm on the Island and Walt Whitman’s Patrolling Barnegat which were written in 1966 and 1856 respectively are two classical poems describing vividly How the poems I have studied explored nature and its effect. Seamus Heaney’s Storm on the Island and Walt Whitman’s Patrolling Barnegat which were written in 1966 and 1856 respectively are two classical poems describing vividly the horror and insecurity experienced by human’s during a wild storm. Storm on the Island and Patrolling Barnegat have many similarities and differences, the similarities reside around each writer’s description of a storm but the differences are mainly due to the writer’s on personal attitude and approach to a storm and how they apply it to their writing. At the beginning of Heaney’s Storm on the Island he clearly highlights that they have prepared for a storm â€Å"We are prepared; we build our houses squat†, Heaney also makes it clear that there is no company or shelter on the island â€Å"Nor are there trees that might prove company when it blows full blast†. Throughout the poem Heaney is describing the elements that have to be faced during a storm, he describes the wind, the sea and the fear they produce. In contrast to Heaney, Whitman begins his poem with a prompt and vivid description of the storm and his dramatic account of a storm continues throughout the poem. Whitman’s portrayal of the storm is somewhat different to that of Heaney as it is more sophisticated and complex, â€Å"Steady the roar of the gale, with incessant undertone muttering†. The attitude of each poet towards the poem plays a prominent role in the style and rhythm of each poem. In brief it is quite clear that Heaney’s attitude to a ... ...ed the people experiencing it. My preference would have to be Patrolling Barnegat as I feel I was more engaged in the reading of it than I was in the reading of Storm on the Island and the way Whitman described the various components of a storm really impressed more so than anything else. On a final note I would like to acknowledge that these two poems I have been comparing are non-fiction but I do realise that storms do occur and their consequences can be catastrophic to say the least and you have to look no further than the recent hurricane disaster in New Orleans were over one thousand people lost their lives to the devastation caused by nature and that thousands of peoples lives have been permanently affected by this. We all should learn a valuable lesson from this disaster and in future hopefully this tragedy will not have to be experienced again.

Symbolism and Imagery

Choices, one would have to make a lot of these in his lifetime. While there are minor choices, there are major ones, either way, making a choice never come so easy. Making a choice is one of life’s most challenging hurdles each and every person would have to go through. It is one of those times when all of man’s senses are at work. The eyes need to see what to watch out for, as far as it can navigate through the blinding horizon. The ears need to heed the advices of those who has been there and done that, and do their own assessment of hard lessons that come by. The nose needs to smell the roses from time to time as life does not always have to be without pleasures, happiness from simple things fuels the soul to go on and move on. The mouth needs to shout out to release the madness it cannot contain much as it renders a smile at life whenever blessings come its way. And the sense of touch needs to feel the hard trails ahead as it needs to bleed every so often to remind him that he is human and that pain makes him stronger. In the like manner, it needs to feel the smoothness of the sail for no matter how hard the circumstances turns out to be, life is good and it is certainly a thing of beauty beyond words and human comprehension. At certain points in life, one is confronted by certain yields in the road he threads on. These are the moments when he has to make a decision. And yes only one way to go. Every choice a person makes becomes the essential elements that define his whole being. Robert Frost’s poem, A Road Not Taken was written with the use of symbolisms. The poem was about making life changing decision as well as the repercussions of every choice one makes. It tells more than having to pick a single road to thread. While the choice one makes is crucial no one knows for sure what lies beyond the bend of either way. After all, life is a journey and its destination is kept a mystery until one reaches the conclusion as the sun sets to mark the end of his beautiful life. The moment one takes his first stride on that road he chooses to thread, he can never take a step back and walk the other way. The wood Frost speaks about in this poem is symbolic of the world man lives in. On the other hand, the dark wood is symbolic of the solitude of oneself on which confines the finest literary works begins to materialize. Most people choose the other of the two roads particularly the one that is usually trodden for it promises a not so complicated path. As a dictate of human nature, people would not dare take the road less traveled for naturally if one has a choice, he would go for the one with less hassles, with less challenges, with less pain. Frost also utilized imagery in this particular poem that he wrote. The leaves that are kept undisturbed on the ground tell the readers that the road they cover is less traveled by. While making a choice is a fact of life and as usual and certain as the rising and setting of the sun, every time one does make a choice, it is almost as if he has never done so. The imagery of this poem implies the need to choose one of the two roads, where none gives even just a hint of what is laid in store for every traveler who walks by. The poem’s structure is one that is frank, distinct, and strong at the same time. Its focal point is on making a choice, the right one at that as well as the thoughts that runs through one’s brain every time he has to make life – changing decisions. The speaker in the poem opted to thread in the road that is less traveled by. This choice he made does tell so much about who he is and what he is made of. He is one of the few who would dare to set apart from all the rest who would rather stay in their comfort zones for fear of not being able to surface the challenge that lies ahead. He is characteristically more bold, valiant, and full of pride. He knew for a fact that there is not need to conform and seeking to be different can give a tremendous amount of satisfaction in the end. He is someone who is certain about what he wants to gain out of life. For him, conformity is a dead end. The faith he has for his beliefs, he chooses to keep. He knows when and how to battle it out whenever fate tests his principles and the values he holds in high regard. He is someone at peace with his individuality and his uniqueness, the very elements that defines who he is in all the ways that matter. He knows that he is very much capable of making that choice that could do him good. He has confidence that he can very well navigate his life and take charge of his own fate no matter what it takes and how hard it can be. While no one will ever know what could have been if he opted for the road he did not choose, regrets may come naturally. Nonetheless, not taking the easy way out is more fulfilling and thus makes all the difference. For when one deems that he made the right choice, regrets are much easier to dismiss. Each and every person alive live with choices until the last time he gasps for air to breathe. Every choice has its own share of repercussions and do create an impact and leaves a mark in each life it touches. In conclusion, this poem is one piece of poetry that outlives its author. It is timeless as it leaves a lesson that remains true today and even after several years more since it was written. It helps its readers to contemplate more on every choice they make as it would navigate the wheels of life in more ways than one and in every imaginable circumstance there is. Indeed, making a choice is one of life’s most challenging hurdles each and every person would have to go through. For inevitably, every person would have to make a decision for every opportunity in his life wherein he is required come up with one. Whenever he does, he must make it a point that he does so in the best of his ability. All because every choice he makes determines every twist of fate in the life he leads. And every choice he decides upon makes or breaks the life he worked so hard to live the best way he knew how. Works Cited â€Å"A Road Not Taken.† 2008. Bartleby.com. Retrieved May 9, 2007, from http://www.bartleby.com/119/1.html.

Remote Desktop

Ever wished you could access your PC from the road? With Remote Desktop inWindows 7, you can. Remote Desktop connects two computers over a network or the Internet. Once connected, you'll see the remote computer's desktop as if you were sitting right in front of it, and have access to all its programs and files. This feature is included with all editions of Windows 7, but you can only connect to computers running the Professional, Ultimate, or Enterprise editions. Use Remote Desktop to access one computer from another remotely. For example, you can use Remote Desktop to connect to your work computer from home. You will have access to all of your programs, files, and network resources, as if you were sitting in front of your computer at work. While you are connected, the remote computer screen will appear blank to anyone at the remote location who sees it. Server and Client Requirements The computing model for thin-client networking means that the horsepower is concentrated on the server end, not the client end. Because the server will be supporting dozens of people — maybe hundreds — this is not the time to skimp on power. Server Hardware The notion of using a bigger server so that you can skimp on client-side hardware isn't new. That's all a file server is: a computer running a big, fast hard disk so that you don't have to buy big, fast hard disks for everyone in the office. RDS servers are designed on a similar principle — if most of the processing takes place in a single location, you can concentrate the hardware resources needed to support that processing in a single location and worry less about power on the client end. Use a Powerful RD Session Host Server Since an RD Session Host server will be serving applications or full desktops to clients, you'll need to purchase or build a powerful server. Processing power and RAM are the most important resources. Depending on the types and number sessions you're supporting, you may also want to consider boosting disk access and network bandwidth. On the surface, calculating the needs seems straightforward. Just follow these steps: 1. 2. Calculate the resources needed for the operating system. 3. . Calculate the resources needed for a small number of sessions (such as five). 5. 6. Multiply the resources needed for your sessions based on the total number of sessions you plan to support. If you planned to support 100 sessions and you measured five sessions, you'd multiply by 20 (20 * 5 = 100 sessions). 7. 8. Add the total session resources needed for sessions to the resources needed for the operating system. Although this seems like simple math, it never seems to work out that way. Synergy is often hard to predict. Synergy (where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts) often results in something unexpected. Additionally, if the deployment is successful and users are happy with what they can do, they may end up using it much more than you anticipated. You don't need to tell this to the budget people, but it's best to add a buffer for the unknowns and to plan for expansion. Additionally, you should do some independent research starting with Microsoft's Remote Desktop Services home: www. microsoft. com/windowsserver2008/en/us/rds-product home. aspx. Core Hardware Resources For the purposes of running an efficient RD Session Host server, the bare minimum required to run Server 2008 R2 won't cut it. Although there are no hard-and-fast specifications for an RDS server, some general guidelines for server sizing follow: Processor Faster is better to a point. More important than a fast processor is one with enough cache so that it doesn't have to reach out to the (slower) system memory for code and data. Faced with a choice between more cache and more speed, go with more cache. Most RDS servers these days have multiple processors, and these processors have multiple cores. Although only multithreaded applications will actually use more than one processor at a time, if there are multiple processors, then threads needing execution can line up at both. Memory RDS servers tend to be memory bound, not processor bound. Get high-speed, error-correcting memory; get plenty of it; and be prepared to add more as you add more users or applications to the RDS server. The amount of memory you'll need depends on the applications that people use, the number of concurrent sessions, and the memory demands of the files opened in those sessions — computer-aided design (CAD) programs will stress the system more than, say, Notepad. Thankfully, the 64-bit operating system goes well beyond the 4GB limit. Start your calculations with at least 8GB of RAM for the server, and start adding based on the of number of users and memory required by the applications they'll run on the server. Windows Server 2008 R2 will support up to 2TB of RAM. Disk Consider Serial Computer System Interface (SCSI) disks on an RDS server if at all possible. A SCSI disk controller can multitask among all the devices in the SCSI chain. Most people believe that SCSI performs much better both Serial Advanced Technology Attachment(SATA) and Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics (EIDE) disks, though some people are starting to find that high-end SATA solutions perform better than low-end SCSI solutions. Disk performance is an important capability in any server, especially so in an RDS server. Additionally, consider a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) solution to increase the performance and/or fault tolerance of the drives. For a high-end RDS server, a RAID 1+0 solution provides both performance gains and redundancy. Network On a busy RDS server, consider load-balancing high-speed network cards, which can assign multiple NICs to the same IP address and thus split the load of network traffic. Another alternative is a multihomed server with one NIC dedicated to RDS session traffic. As far as network speed goes, sending application output and client-side input back and forth requires little bandwidth, but client-print jobs sent to mapped printers can take quite a bit of bandwidth. Mapped drives may also increase the load by making it possible to copy files back and forth across the RDP connection. Using the Performance Monitor The Performance Monitor (discussed in Chapter 17) can help you get an idea of how RDS sessions are stressing the server. Server load should scale closely with the number of people using the server; therefore, as long as you pick a representative group of about five people, you should be able to extrapolate your needs for larger groups. The key objects and counters for measuring eneral server stress introduced in that chapter will help you size your RDS servers. But a couple of Performance Monitor objects are worth examining to give you detailed information for your RDS server. Performance Monitor Objects Still Called Terminal Services Although the name of Terminal Services has changed to Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2008 R2, it's still called Terminal Services in Performance Monitor. It might look like a typo, but the two ob jects are called Terminal Services and Terminal Services Session. First, the Terminal Services object has counters representing the number of active sessions (sessions where the user has connected to the RD Session Host server and successfully logged on), inactive sessions (where the user is still logged onto the RDS server but has stopped using the session), and the total combined. Besides simply monitoring activity, you could use this to alert you when the number of active session reaches a certain threshold. Say you wanted to know when a server hosts more than 100 sessions. You could do this with a data collector set. Chapter 17 discussed data collector sets in more depth, but it's possible to set up a simple user-defined data collector set with an alert. This is done by creating the user-defined data collector set manually (not with a template), selecting Performance Counter Alert, and then setting the threshold for the active sessions. You can then set a task for the alert to notify you with a basic script or log the event to a file. Although you can get some session-level information from the Remote Desktop Services Manager, a performance object called Terminal Services Session provides quite a bit more data. Use the Remote Desktop Services Manager to find the session you want to monitor — sessions are identified in Performance Monitor by their session numbers, not user login name — and then add counters to monitor that session. Each session object has processor and memory counters that should look familiar to anyone who's used Performance Monitor, but it also has session-specific counters such as the ones in Table 25. 1. We haven't included all the counters here, just the ones to show you the kind of information that will be useful when you're calculating the load on the server and looking at the kind of performance the sessions are getting. Table 25. 1: Key Terminal Services Session Performance Monitor Counters Counter| Description| See Also| % Processor Time| Percentage of time that all of the threads in the session used the processor to execute instructions. On multiprocessor machines the maximum value of the counter is 100 percent times the number of processors. | | Total Bytes| Total number of bytes sent to and from this session, including all protocol overhead. | Input Bytes, Output Bytes. | Total Compressed Bytes| Total number of bytes after compression. Total Compressed Bytes compared with Total Bytes is the compression ratio. | Total Compression Ratio| Total Protocol Cache Hit Ratio| Total hits in all protocol caches holding Windows objects likely to be reused. Hits in the cache represent objects that did not need to be re-sent, so a higher hit ratio implies more cache reuse and possibly a more responsive session. | Protocol Save Screen Bitmap Cache Hit Ratio, Protocol Glyph Cache Hit Ratio, Protocol Brush Cache Hit Ratio| Working Set| Current number of bytes in the Working Set of this session. Virtual Bytes, Page Faults/Sec| Wait on the License Server When experimenting with Remote Desktop sessions to find out how many users you'll be able to support for each session, do not set up a license server; let the RDS server issue its temporary 120-day licenses for this purpose. Although this sounds counterintuitive, using the temporary licenses prevents you from unwittingly assigning per-device licenses to test equipment. See the  "Licensing Mode† section for an explanation of how licensing and license allocation works. Client Hardware. When connecting to an RD Session Host server via a native RDP client, you'll most often use a PC with a Windows operating system loaded, a Windows terminal, or a handheld PC using Windows CE. Native RDP Client In this context, a native RDP client means one available from Microsoft and thus implies Windows. Although Microsoft does not support other platforms (except for its OS X Macintosh client, available for download at www. microsoft. com/mac/products/remote-desktop/default. mspx), Hobsoft link sells a cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux, DOS) Java client at www. hobsoft. com/products/connect/jwt. sp, and there is a free Linux RDP client available at www. rdesktop. org. Windows Terminals In its narrowest definition, a Windows terminal is a network-dependent device runningWindows CE that supports one or more display protocols such as RDP or Independent Computing Architecture (ICA), the display protocol used to connect to Presentation Server servers. Many Windows ter minals also support some form of terminal emulation. For this section, think of a Windows terminal as any terminal device designed to connect to a Windows RD Session Host server; it can run any operating system that has an RDP client. A Windows-based terminal (WBT) is such a device that's running a Windows operating system locally — CE or (more rarely) Windows XP/Vista for Embedded Systems — and follows the Microsoft system design requirements for WBTs. The main thing defining a Windows terminal is its thin hardware profile: because the main job of most Windows terminals is to run a display protocol, they don't need much memory or processing power, and they don't use any storage. A Windows terminal includes a processor; some amount of memory, network, and video support; and input devices such as a keyboard (or equivalent) and mouse (or equivalent). The terminals don't generally have hard disks, CD-ROMs, or DVD players. The operating system is stored in local memory. Beyond those similarities, Windows terminals range physically from a â€Å"toaster† form factor to a pad to a small box that can attach to the back of a monitor — or even be part of the monitor itself. Some models of Windows terminals are wireless tablets, intended for people (such as doctors and nurses) who would ordinarily use clipboards and folders to store information. Although most Windows terminals are entirely dependent on their RDS server, a small set of them can run applications locally. The devices still don't have hard disks; the applications are stored in ROM like the operating system. The types of applications available depend on the terminal's operating system, since locally stored applications must run locally instead of just being displayed. Generally speaking, however, it's more common for Windows terminals to depend on an RDS server for applications. Windows terminals are most popular in environments where people are using a single application, where supporting PCs would be logistically difficult, or anywhere else that PCs aren't a good fit. However, PCs still outnumber Windows terminals as thin clients. Part of this is because many environments can't depend totally on server-based computing. Companies already have PCs, and unless they're refreshing the desktop entirely, taking away a powerful PC to replace it with a less-powerful terminal doesn't really make sense. PC Clients At this point, people are using more than twice as many PCs as Windows terminals for RDS server client machines. This isn't surprising. First, unless they're starting fresh, people already have the PCs. Even though WBTs are a little less expensive than low-end PCs (not much, though), they're still an added cost. Second, not all applications work well in an RDS server environment. It's often best to run some applications from the RDS server and some locally. Unless you're buying new hardware and don't anticipate any need to run applications locally, you're likely to have to work with PCs for at least some of your terminal clients. To work with Remote Desktop Services, the PCs must be running a Windows operating system, have the RDP display protocol installed, and have a live network connection usingTCP/IP and a valid IP address. Handheld PCs We're surprised that handheld PCs (H/PCs) aren't more popular than they are, given how handy they are. They're a terrific substitute for a laptop — inexpensive, lightweight, and thrifty with their power so that you can actually use them during the entire flight instead of having to give up two hours after takeoff. (You can also use one on a plane without worrying that the person in front of you will suddenly recline their seat and crack your laptop's display. ) Usually, they run Windows Mobile (previously known as Pocket PC). You can use wired, wireless LAN, or dial-up connections to connect to an RDS server. What an H/PC looks like depends on who makes it. Some (mine among them) look like a laptop's baby brother. Others fold into a little portfolio shape or are a flat tablet. Some are small pocket-sized deals that are too small to really work on. Some — the ones we prefer — have keyboards; others have only pointers. What all this comes down to is that an H/PC isn't really in a position to replace a desktop PC. Instead, it's usually used in cooperation with a desktop machine with which it's partnered

Operating System Essay

1. What is the application Zenmap GUI typically used for? Describe a scenario in which you would use this type of application. Zenmap is an application that is used to scan ports for networks. A scenario where it can be used is to scan the ports of a network to know exactly which ports are opened or closed thus allowing a network administrator to reduce the vulnerability of its network. 2. Which application is used for Step 2 in the hacking process to perform a vulnerability assessment scan? Nessus. 3. What must you obtain before you begin the ethical hacking process or penetration test on a live production network, even before performing the reconnaissance step? One must obtain a signed authorization form showing exactly what kind of test you are authorized to perform. 4. What is a CVE listing? Who hosts and who sponsors the CVE database listing website? CVE listing is a dictionary of publicly known information security vulnerabilities and exposures. IT is hosted by the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security 5. Can Zenmap GUI detect which operating systems are present on IP servers and workstations? Which option includes that scan? Yes, the OS detection using TCP/IP stack fingerprinting option includes that scan. 6. If you have scanned a live host and detected that it is running Windows XP workstation OS, how would you use this information for performing a Nessus vulnerability assessment scan? One can use this information to create a policy of vulnerabilities that you want Nessus to scan for on that specific host. 7. Once a vulnerability is identified by Nessus, where can you check for more information regarding the identified vulnerability, exploits, and the risk mitigation solution? You can check the report generated by Nessus, specifically in the hostname plugin ID which will give you a detailed description of the vulnerability found along with possible mitigation solutions. 8. What is the major difference between Zenmap GUI and Nessus? The major difference between Zenmap GUI and Nessus is that Zenmap only a scanner that maps a network and gives you information about open ports but Nessus is a vulnerability scanner than scans a network and gives a report on how vulnerable that specific port is. The main difference is one gives a report on how to fix a vulnerability in a port while the other doesn’t. 9. Why do you need to run both Zenmap GUI and Nessus to perform the first three steps of the hacking process? You need both Zenmap GUI and Nessus to perform the first 3 steps of the hacking process because Zenmap GUI and Nessus are used to perform different tasks and steps in the hacking process therefore you would not be able to perform the first 3 steps effectively using only one software. Both are needed.