Holographic “Selfie” – Your companion next time you go for shopping

Retail sector is one of growing sectors and must “thought off” sector now days. Speaking in terms of statistics, Market expansion is expected to record yearly growth of close to 5% through 2015 to exceed $13.2 trillion. With Growth in organized retail, the demand for implementing advanced technology in retail sector also increases. BCC Research estimates the global retail technology industry to be worth almost $7 billion, set to increase to $9.5 billion in 2015, representing yearly growth of almost 6.5%. 

In this blog I would like to throw some light on implementation of Hologram/ Holographic technology in Retail sector.

Hologram? What is it?

It's an advanced form of photography that allows an image to be recorded in three dimensions – it's in fact a recording of an interference pattern made by the interaction of two beams of light.

Holograms work by creating an image composed of two superimposed two-dimensional pictures of the same object seen from different reference points. Holography requires the use of light of a single exact wavelength, so lasers have to be used.

Basically, when viewing any object, the human eyes each receive a distinct image but from slightly offset reference points. The brain combines them into a three-dimensional image – the hologram just produces the effect artificially.

Application of hologram in Retail sector:

Holographic Greeter:

Every time you enter a retail shop, you are greeted politely by a greeter right at entrance? How many times we might have thought - in current age when almost all complex processes/tasks are automated, such a simple task is still manual/ human? And we have answer for this -“Personal Feel” will be missing if this job is automated.
But now we have holographic greeter that not only gives “Personal Greetings” but also helps shop owners save few dollars on Human wages.

Holographic Changing Rooms:

During apparel shopping aren’t we irritated and bored to “try” all clothes before buying? And we end up “Trying” only few of them and “Trusting” other ones?

Now what if I say you just select apparels and your “Holographic selfie” will try them all for you? Isn’t that interesting? But that is what exactly holographic changing rooms do.

In holographic changing rooms, 3D Hologram life size customer images will be created. Customer can select apparels which he wishes to try and the hologram tries them for him. Customer can dress his Holographic selfie friend infinite times and select best item he is ready to “Pay for”.

Interactive Mirror: 

Don’t we feel nice if after trying apparels someone “suggest” us with few accessories that will go nice along with the tried apparel? Interactive mirror (also called as smart mirror) does that. Once your holographic companion has tried with the clothes, interactive mirror suggest with the accessories, and your holographic friend is always ready to try them.

This not only helps customer to ease in shopping but also helps retail owners to “Push” sales.

There are various other technologies that can complement Holographic technology helping retail owners and customers. To name a few, there are various applications that can sense/ detect user blood pressure, facial expressions and other such attributes and “Suggest”/Promote products accordingly.

(And as mentioned earlier, if required your Holographic friend is always ready to try!!) 

Today Holographic technology is limited to few stores in few countries, but considering the enormous advantages it offers, this technology will surely be practiced widely.

About Author:

Saurabh Kane is a consultant in Systems Plus Pvt. Ltd. Within Systems Plus, he actively contributes to the areas of Technology and Information Security. He can be contacted at: saurabh.k@spluspl.com

SQL SERVER Monitoring Script

Problem

As a SQL Server DBA, dedicated to monitoring and administering many busy OLTP production environments, I always find myself trying to answer questions like:

1. What was SQL Server doing last night when the end users were experiencing slow application response times? 
2. How much time the ABC job taken for execution?
3. Why the A job get failed?
4. Are the SQL services running?
5. What is the OLAP DB size?
6. Is the backup plan executed properly and what the size of the BKP files.

The answers to such questions are never easy to identify. So how can I figure this out?

Solution

The following script comes in handy because it captures the code the SQL Server engine is processing at any point in time and delivers it on email with following information.

Here is the query:

CREATE PROC ServerInfo         

AS         

SET NOCOUNT ON         

IF EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM tempdb..sysobjects where name='##sqlservice')         

DROP TABLE ##sqlservice         

CREATE TABLE ##sqlservice (details VARCHAR(100))         

IF EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM tempdb..sysobjects where name='##agentservice')         

DROP TABLE ##agentservice         

       

CREATE TABLE ##agentservice (details VARCHAR(100))       

WAITFOR DELAY '00:02'        

        

DECLARE @sname VARCHAR(100), @starttime VARCHAR(30)         

DECLARE @authmode VARCHAR(25), @subject VARCHAR(250)         

DECLARE @insname VARCHAR(50),@agentname VARCHAR(50)         

DECLARE @sqlstatus VARCHAR(100), @agentstatus VARCHAR(100)         

DECLARE @dbstatus VARCHAR(100), @dbdetail VARCHAR(2000)         

DECLARE @sctsql VARCHAR(200), @HTML VARCHAR(8000)  ,@tableHTMLVARCHAR(8000)       

DECLARE @dbcount int   

select @dbcount=count (*) FROM sys.databases WHERE state_desc <>'ONLINE'       

SELECT @sname = @@SERVERNAME         

SELECT @authmode=case SERVERPROPERTY('IsIntegratedSecurityOnly') when 1then 'Windows' else 'Mixed' end         

SELECT @starttime=CONVERT(VARCHAR(30),create_date,109) from sys.databaseswhere database_id=2         

IF (serverproperty('InstanceName')) IS NOT NULL         

BEGIN         

SET@insname='mssql$'+CONVERT(VARCHAR(40),serverproperty('InstanceName'))         

SET@agentname='sqlagent$'+CONVERT(VARCHAR(40),serverproperty('InstanceName'))         

END         

ELSE         

BEGIN         

SET @insname='mssqlserver'         

SET @agentname='sqlserveragent'         

END         

SELECT @sctsql='EXEC master.dbo.xp_cmdshell ''sc query '+@insname+' | FIND "STATE"'''         

INSERT ##sqlservice         

EXEC (@sctsql)         

SELECT @sctsql='EXEC master.dbo.xp_cmdshell ''sc query '+@agentname+' | FIND "STATE"'''         

INSERT ##agentservice         

EXEC (@sctsql)         

IF EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM ##sqlservice WHERE details LIKE'%RUNNING%')         

SET @sqlstatus = 'Running'         

ELSE         

SET @sqlstatus = '<font color="red">Not Running</font>'         

IF EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM ##agentservice WHERE details LIKE'%RUNNING%')         

SET @agentstatus = 'Running'         

ELSE         

SET @agentstatus = '<font color="red">Not Running</font>'         

IF EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM sys.databases WHEREstate_desc<>'ONLINE')         

BEGIN         

SET @dbstatus= '<font color="red">Some of the database(s) are offline</font>'         

SELECT @dbdetail = '<table border="1"><tr><th>Database Name</th><th>Database Status</th></tr><tr>'          

SELECT @dbdetail = @dbdetail + '<td  align="Center">' + name + '</td><td  align="Center">'+state_desc+'</td></tr>       

</table>' FROM sys.databases WHERE state_desc<>'ONLINE'         

END         

ELSE         

BEGIN         

SET @dbdetail = ''         

SET @dbstatus='All databases are online'         

END         

SET @subject=@sname+' : DB Monitor Alert'         

SET @HTML=       

N'<style type="text/css">       

#box-table       

{       

font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Grande", Sans-Serif;       

font-size: 12px;       

text-align: center;       

border-collapse: collapse;       

border-top: 7px solid #9baff1;       

border-bottom: 7px solid #9baff1;       

}       

#box-table th       

{       

font-size: 13px;        

font-weight: normal;       

background: #b9c9fe;       

border-right: 2px solid #9baff1;       

border-left: 2px solid #9baff1;       

border-bottom: 2px solid #9baff1;       

color: #039;       

}       

#box-table td       

{    border-right: 1px solid #aabcfe;       

border-left: 1px solid #aabcfe;       

border-bottom: 1px solid #aabcfe;       

color: #669;       

}       

tr:nth-child(odd) { background-color:#eee; }       

tr:nth-child(even) { background-color:#fff; }         

</style>'+       

       

'<h3><font color="Green"> -:: '+@sname+' ::- </h3><br>'+'       

<table id="box-table">       

<tr><font color="Green"       

<th>SQL Server Startup time</th><th>SQL Server Service</th><th>SQL Agent Service</th> <th>Database(s) Status</th><th>Authentication Mode</th>       

</tr>       

<tr><td align="Center">'+@starttime+'</td><td align="Center">'+@sqlstatus+'</td><td align="Center">'+@agentstatus+'</td><td align="Center">'+@dbstatus+'</td><td align="Center">'+@authmode+'</td>       

</tr>       

</table>           

<br>'    

if (@dbcount >0 )   

begin      

set @HTML=@HTML + N'<H3><font color="Red"> -:: Off-Line Database Details ::- </H3>' +       

N'<table id="box-table" >' +       

N'<tr><font color="Green"><th>Database Name</th><th>Status</th><th>Created Date</th>       

</tr>' +       

CAST ( (        

SELECT td = CAST([name] AS VARCHAR(200)),'',       

td = [state_desc],'',       

td = CONVERT(VARCHAR(30),[create_date],120)        

FROM sys.databases WHERE state_desc <> 'ONLINE'        

ORDER BY [name]       

FOR XML PATH('tr'), TYPE        

) AS NVARCHAR(MAX) ) +       

N'</table>' +   

    

'<h3><font color="Green"> -:: Job Notification ::- </h3><br>'+'       

<table id="box-table">       

<tr><font color="Green"       

<th>Server Name</th>       

<th>Job Name</th>       

<th>Job Status</th>        

<th>Last Run Status</th>       

<th>Last Date Run</th>       

<th>Run Duration</th>       

</tr>' +        

CAST ( (        

SELECT td = CAST(CAST(Serverproperty('servername') as varchar(100)) ASVARCHAR(200)),'',      

td = j.name,'',       

td = CASE j.enabled WHEN 1 THEN 'Enabled' Else 'Disabled' END,'',       

td = CASE jh.run_status WHEN 0 THEN 'Error Failed'     

    WHEN 1 THEN 'Succeeded'     

    WHEN 2 THEN 'Retry'     

    WHEN 3 THEN 'Cancelled'     

    WHEN 4 THEN 'In Progress' ELSE     

    'Status Unknown' END ,'',     

         

td = isnull(convert(varchar(12),ja.run_requested_date,107),'-'),'',       

td = isnull(CONVERT(VARCHAR(10),CONVERT(DATETIME,RTRIM(19000101))+(jh.run_duration * 9 + jh.run_duration % 10000 * 6 + jh.run_duration %100 * 10) / 216e4,108),'-')     

     

FROM(msdb.dbo.sysjobactivity ja      

LEFT JOIN msdb.dbo.sysjobhistory jh ON ja.job_history_id =jh.instance_id)     

join msdb.dbo.sysjobs_view j on ja.job_id = j.job_id     

WHERE ja.session_id=(SELECT MAX(session_id)  frommsdb.dbo.sysjobactivity)  and j.job_id in ( select job_id frommsdb.dbo.sysjobs where enabled=1)     

ORDER BY j.name     

FOR XML PATH('tr'), TYPE) AS NVARCHAR(MAX) ) +       

N'</table>'        

end   

else   

set @HTML=@HTML + N'<H3><font color="Green"> -:: Off-Line Database Details ::- </H3>' +   

N'<table id="box-table" >' +       

N'<tr><font color="Green"><th>Database Name</th><th>Status</th><th>Created Date</th>       

</tr>'+       

CAST ( (        

SELECT td = 'No Database Available','',    

td = '-','',          

td = CONVERT(VARCHAR(30),getdate(),120)        

FOR XML PATH('tr'), TYPE        

) AS NVARCHAR(MAX) ) +       

N'</table>'  +   

    

'<h3><font color="Green"> -:: Job Notification ::- </h3><br>'+'       

<table id="box-table">       

<tr><font color="Green"       

<th>Server Name</th>       

<th>Job Name</th>       

<th>Job Status</th>        

<th>Last Run Status</th>       

<th>Last Date Run</th>       

<th>Run Duration</th>       

</tr>' +       

CAST ( (        

SELECT td = CAST(CAST(Serverproperty('servername') as varchar(100)) ASVARCHAR(200)),'',      

td = j.name,'',       

td = CASE j.enabled WHEN 1 THEN 'Enabled' Else 'Disabled' END,'',       

td = CASE jh.run_status WHEN 0 THEN 'Error Failed'     

    WHEN 1 THEN 'Succeeded'     

    WHEN 2 THEN 'Retry'     

    WHEN 3 THEN 'Cancelled'     

    WHEN 4 THEN 'In Progress' ELSE     

    'Status Unknown' END ,'',     

         

td = isnull(convert(varchar(12),ja.run_requested_date,107),'-'),'',       

td = isnull(CONVERT(VARCHAR(10),CONVERT(DATETIME,RTRIM(19000101))+(jh.run_duration * 9 + jh.run_duration % 10000 * 6 + jh.run_duration %100 * 10) / 216e4,108),'-')     

     

FROM(msdb.dbo.sysjobactivity ja      

LEFT JOIN msdb.dbo.sysjobhistory jh ON ja.job_history_id =jh.instance_id)     

join msdb.dbo.sysjobs_view j on ja.job_id = j.job_id     

WHERE ja.session_id=(SELECT MAX(session_id)  frommsdb.dbo.sysjobactivity)  and j.job_id in ( select job_id frommsdb.dbo.sysjobs where enabled=1)     

ORDER BY j.name     

FOR XML PATH('tr'), TYPE) AS NVARCHAR(MAX) ) +       

N'</table>'        

       

print @HTML        

--print @tableHTML       

       

EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_send_dbmail         

@recipients ='dbaadmin@abc.com', --replace with your email id          

@subject=@subject,         

@body =@HTML,

@body_format ='HTML'

About Author:

Raghwendra Mishra is DBA who works as associate consultant with Systems Plus Pvt. Ltd. He in free time reads and write on various web technologies. He can be contacted at: raghwendra.mishra@spluspl.com