Inter-vendor Storage Management Application Tools Essay Example for Free

Inter-vendor Storage Management Application Tools Essay Inter-vendor storage application management tools are huge enterprise software applications that are used for robust, reliable, available and effective data management. The applications are both hardware and software dependent. The choice of their implementation depends on the organizational needs and objectives. Various vendors develop and support these tools both for support of business and mission critical applications. Some of the leading Inter-vendor applications tools that have dominated the industry as well as organizational automations in the last two years include VERITAS, Oracle and NetApp (ESM, 2009). VERITAS Its application tools provides for automated storage management software for enterprise business applications which have increased dependence on data from corporate storage infrastructure. VERITAS application tools are vital for boosting administrator productivity and reduce errors in automated storage administration. Among the tools it provides is the Storage Resource Management (SRM) software tools that help to automate the erroneous, tedious and routine tasks in storage administration. The tools are able to predict when the problem is likely to happen and as a result the IT managers are able to head off these problems. The automated storage provisions help the administrators have a continuous, uninterrupted access to the enterprise storage resources. The storage administration by the automated SRM software can accomplish several tasks in use, management and applications of the storage allocations. The automation tools are able to gather data around the storage infrastructure and also give feedback on the successful storage policies and also provide input and reports on the storage environment. The accurate and timely data help managers make informed and intelligent decisions on the future use of the storage. Further administrators are able to report and monitor on resource utilization and performance. When applications crash, the pagers beep and systems panic, it is the administrator that is on the receiving end of a pager to get the problem notification. Such situations prove to be very critical especially for business users due to degraded performance, equipment failure, resource shortages, and corruption of data or storage problem risks. This interruption of application access may in turn lead to incalculable financial losses to the business or organization. Therefore the automated software provisioning has a framework that manages the growing inventory in the components of enterprise storage. When the SRM software tools are deployed into the automated storage provisioning framework, the administrator has an easier access to the event based interventions and rule based policies which adequately resolve and intercept potential problems before they reach their critical levels (Hussain, 2008). The storage management application tool for a web based directory assistance runs on a web server as a data entry component with a more sophisticated management application that runs on a separate application server. When data is entered for the directory assistance, it is updated on the web server and staged on the repository application server and it is then automatically transferred to a relational database in another server by the directory management application. For fault tolerance as provided by the database server, database tables are duplicated using the snapshots from the primary database. The services however are vulnerable to storage failures especially when space allocation to the web server, database and repository is threatened to be exhausted and as a result bring down the system. Organizations of all sizes and in all industries are dependent on enterprise technological infrastructure which means that there is immense need for automated storage management process to avert any failures in the enterprise storage infrastructure. Therefore the SRM software tools and the automated storage provisioning should be implemented to solve the storage management problems. The rule based storage automations streamlines the administrator’s routine which improves productivity, reduces potential errors and system’s availability which impacts business activities and application availability. Oracle and NetApp The Automatic Storage Management (ASM) application tool provides a way to manage storage with an underlying database on a volume manager for the files on the database and an integrated file system. Its gives an alternative to the volume management solutions and file systems for the storage management tasks in the database (Manning Bridge, 2009). On the other hand NetApp filers simplify management and deployment of the enterprise data. The ASM and NetApp storage lower ownership costs and save on costs through the configuration of combined technology. There are combined benefits for using the NetApp for database layered applications and Oracle database which includes practices for deployment of ASM with the storage solutions networked by NetApp. Oracle ASM on NetApp iSAN and SAN storage like Oracle on NAS storage by NetApp has alternative capability for volume management for customers on an Oracle server that can alter, drop and create SQL statements which simplifies the storage provisioning on the database. The NetApp and ASM storage application tools has features that complement one another in performance to avoid errors by balancing of workload and help utilize the disk drive resources available. They also provide for support of online removal and addition of storage capacity that help maximize data availability and at the same time making configuration changes in the storage. The applications tools provide data security and availability since enterprises require high levels of data availability and protection whether there are component failures or faults storage subsystems. These tools include NetApp mirroring solutions that offer protection for disaster recovery requirements and business continuance while ASM provides protection against storage failures. In shared storage, Oracle’s Real Application Clusters (RAC) provides scalability and availability for the Oracle database which requires all servers to have direct read and full access to the database files. The ASM implementation provides a simplified cluster file system with optimized functionality of the volume manager in the shared storage. The NetApp networked storage gives shared access as required by RAC while in SAN environments, ASM provides volume management by Oracle RAC and a capable clustered file system. Both application tools have a rich assortment of storage data management that can be used separately or when combined depending on the customer enterprise requirements or the data infrastructure (Animi et al, 2009). The Automatic Storage Management application tool simplifies the management and configuration of storage management for the Oracle data files in its database. It also complements iSCSI SAN products for storage and NetApp Fibre Channel and while combined, they give full value to both technologies. With several combinations for data storage management and protection exists in the market, the Oracle and NetApp partnership offer powerful combinations that offer best practices to meet business performance and high availability requirements. Storage Management Networking Industry Association (SNIA) SNIA has created Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S) application tool in order to standardize and develop storage management technologies for networking and storage. The SMI-S is for a standardized interface like SAN based storage management which are a challenge for interrogators and end-users to manage especially for multivendor SANs. The applications developed in most cases are unable to work together or are uncoordinated to perform tasks and deliver functionality, security and reliability for increased business efficiency. SMI-S therefore specifies protocols to manage communications with incorporated mechanisms for standard based management. It unifies the storage networks and also the management tools. The set of interfaces will allow the control of heterogeneous storage by storage management software packages. This way storage administrator will create and delete volumes and zones and also monitor array controllers, switches and host bus adapters. The enterprises too can manage with a single management framework their storage capacity independent of manufacturers. The application features have a common and extensive management transport, which has unified and complete which provides control of Zones and LUNs in a SAN context. It also has an automated discovery system with a newer approach in application of the CIM/WBEM technology. This specification helps to secure a reliable interface that can allow for the storage management interface classify, identify, control and monitor logical and physical resources in a SAN. The Technical Specification defines the management of a heterogeneous SAN and describes information from a SMI-S compliant CIM server available to a WBEM client. This information is object oriented, message based, XML based interface that is designed to support requirements of the managing devices through and in SANs. Using the CIM-XML on HTTP standard which is an independent management protocol, vendors increase the functions and features of their products without having to redesign the management storage therefore reducing cost and extending functionality. The SMI-S functional capabilities include the version requirements as provided and stated in the interface. Among them is that it will be able to receive the asynchronous notifications incase the SAN configuration changes. It will also be able to identify the health of vital resources in a SAN and also receive the asynchronous notification incase the SAN resource’s health has changed. It will also identify interconnects available performance in a SAN and receive the asynchronous notification incase a SAN’s interconnect performance changes. It will also identify zones that SAN enforces and help enable or disable, delete or create zones in a SAN. It will also identify the access rights and connectivity to SAN Storage Volumes and also enable or disable, delete or create access rights and connectivity to SAN Storage Volumes. These standards and specifications can only be used by a WBEM compliant and authenticated client. The language chosen for managing information and other related operations is the XML language which will help traverse the organizational firewalls and installed at low costs (Cover, 2010). In midrange computing environments and enterprise class, the SANs are highly emerging due to various functions and applications such as sharing of huge storage resources between multiple systems and having a LAN free backup. Other applications include disaster tolerant and remote online mirroring of critical data and clustering fault tolerant applications and systems with one data copy. While emergence of SANs accelerate, the informational industry requires a management interface for different classes of software and hardware products for multiple vendors to allow interoperation and reliability in order to monitor and control resources. For this reason SMI-S was created to define this interface and provide a standard for heterogeneous, functionally secure and reliable control and monitoring of resources in the complex distributed Inter-vendor SAN topologies. The SMI-S standard can simplify the huge storage management and reduced costs in storage administration but has not solved all storage problems. Since storage is an integral part in IT infrastructure to be managed with a combination of servers, applications and networks, management solutions offered by SMI-S work for servers, storages and networks. In the storage infrastructure, it provides the end-users with a consistency for device discovery, configuration and status information. SMI-S defines the behavior and structure of devices and their management and configuration in the storage infrastructure and provides management of multiple storage devices from multivendor. However, it does not solve the problem of incompatibility of hardware devices from the different vendors while its domain in storage management does not cover remote replication and backup. Conclusion There is countless demand by customers for open software from the computer industry vendors which is the reason multiple vendors such as Oracle and NetApp have had to work more closely to develop common standards, protocols and languages for storage and network management. The multipurpose standards could help storage administrators take control of the distributed applications with a resulting inter-vendor, manageable and open information systems. Using standard based storage management application tools can help increase value of IT investments. Before the multivendor standards were developed by SNIA, the individual users would need to manage the storage devices with vendor specific tools while disparate information was integrated manually. Today’s management standards and specifications are increasingly interoperable while still maintaining competitive advantage among vendors through differentiation.

The Friedrich Nietzsches Worldview Philosophy Essay

The Friedrich Nietzsches Worldview Philosophy Essay Each person has a different way of perceiving and interpreting the world. It is his or her worldview that decides his perspective. According to Nancy Cavender, Basic background beliefs make up world views. World views are like lenses that cause us to see the world in a particular way, or like filters through which we process our new ideas or information (26). Worldview not only influences the way someone thinks or sees the world, but also his or her decisions. Therefore, people can figure out someones worldview based on his or her actions, decisions, or ideas. Friedrich Nietzsche, one of the most influential German philosophers, has influenced, impacted, and brought forth new questions for many philosophers to follow. In one of his famous writings, Morality as Anti-Nature, Nietzsche expresses the belief that the church that represents morality negates the value of life and says no to all the desires of life. Based on Nietzsches words and ideas in the work, people can realize that he has a positive outlook on life. Nietzsche believes that to acquire a positive life, people have to live with their passions. According to him, passions are roots of life which are desires by nature. They are found in living things (702). These desires exist as part of who we are; they define us in a way. They can aid us, and they can also harm us. When people embrace our desires, people acknowledge their positive sides and negative sides; they dont hide their evil and they have peace of mind in their life. Due to the damaging side of passion, on the contrary, churches that symbolize morality choose to remove passion to be out of suffering its consequence. As Nietzsche points out, The church fights passion with excision in every sense: its practice, its cure, is castratism which means cutting off sensuality, pride, avarice, vengefulness (702). This implies that the church wants its followers to obey a series of negative enforcements or impossible rules which are against their nature. In other words, the churchs meth od is getting rid of the negative side of passion, the church ready accept to give up good side of passion, and the church wants people to hide their vice. Their method clearly is not successful. As Nietzsche declares that the extreme of the church reaches its climax only when such types lack even the firmness for this radical cure, which suggests that the more extreme the church becomes, the less successful it is (702). Nietzsche also points out the situation of the followers, The most poisonous things against the senses have been said not by the impotent, nor by ascetics, but by the impossible ascetics, by those who really were in dire need of being ascetics (702). This strongly supposes that its followers cannot conform to the set of morals or the rules of the church, not because they are powerless or effortless, but they know that they never can fulfill the impossible requirements. Moreover, it implies the followers are miserable and become mentally self-imposed slaves because t hey are kept in a perpetual state of sin, which can only be remedied by the church. As Nietzsche shows, the churchs way fails because the kind of morality which the church embodies is against the instincts of life (703). All Nietzsches illustrations of the negative method of the church imply that people cannot get a positive life until they are living under the naturalistic morality_the passions that he asserts to be kind of healthy morality (703). Nietzsche also supposes that to live a positive life, people need to possess a power to conquer hindrance. As mentioned above, passions of a person also have negative side; they can drag down their victim with the weight of stupidity (701). In order to harvest the benefits but avoid the stupidity of the passion, Nietzsche suggests that people get over their obstructions by spiritualizing hostility, which he means a profound appreciation of the value of having enemies (702). This clearly implies that people need to possess power to resist their temptation and to tame it or redirect it in a constructive way. Furthermore, he emphasizes another meaning of internal enemy, which means acting and thinking in the opposite way from that which has been the rule (702), such as the rule of the church or the institutions. This will help people liberate themselves from imposed rules or ideas from institutions, find a creative way to make decisions people need to make to get they want for their lif e or to make a difference for their life. Nietzsches positive worldview of life is also reflected in the attitude that people who embrace their own nature need to have a tolerance view to their enemy or their difference. He claims that life contains a rich variety of ways of living, so people need to accept and respect those varieties. As Nietzsche states, We immoralists, have conversely, made room in our hearts for every kind of understanding, comprehending, and approving (705). He He also claims that having an internal enemy will help people to stay young in spirit and open to gain comprehension and approval (705). when people can curb their weakness or their enemies, they will become stronger in spirit and feel pleased with themselves, and more importantly, gain freedom of the will which is the main factor to help us to succeed in life and gain happiness. In short, Life is not about whats right but whats wrong Think The Opposite from Paulo Ferreira

Activities for Sc1 and Sc4 Skills Development

Activities for Sc1 and Sc4 Skills Development Primary Science Task Introduction It is important that assessment in primary science is linked to learning outcomes if it is to be successful (Hudson, 2005). It is therefore important that all primary teachers in science understand the learning outcomes which are appropriate to their year, and that learning activities and assessments are based on that. Most children in year 4 at school would be expected to be working between levels 2 and 5, although most children would only be expected to reach level 4 by the age of 11 (DirectGov, 2008). Here a set of activities based around circuits are discussed in terms of how they allow for development in Sc1 Scientific Enquiry and Sc4 Physical Processes skills. Assessment of Sc1 and Sc4 Skills In order to ensure appropriate development through both Sc1 and Sc4, it would be considered preferential to change the order of the learning activities. The first activity which would be approached would be that of the safety session. This would be approached first due to the importance of approaching safety considerations before approaching any practical activities utilising electricity. This activity is not only considered crucial to safety, but presents a good introduction to circuits, as the learning objectives would be considered to be at level 2 (L2) of Sc4. For example discussion of the differences between mains and battery electricity corresponds to pupils being able to compare the way in which devices work in different electrical circuits (QCA, n.d.). The learning outcomes of this activity, being able to record the characteristics of the devices using mains electricity, would also be at L2 of Sc1, which states that pupils should be able to describe observations using simple scientific vocabulary. The second activity approached would be that of looking at drawings of circuits. This is an important step before practical work with circuits as it may address some of the gaps in knowledge of circuits which may be present in children of this age (Glauret, 2008). The learning objectives and the activity itself allow for development from L2 of Sc 4 to L3. For example while knowing that a circuit needs a power source means that pupils are able to compare the way in which devices work in different electrical circuits (L2), it could also be developed so that pupils are able to discuss cause and effect (L3). The same could be said of the knowledge that a complete circuit is needed for a device to work. The actual activity itself, in which children look at drawings of circuits and decide and explain which will work and which will not could be performed at L2 of Sc1, where pupils are able to observe and compare objects and events, and say what is expected. It could however allow for develo pment to L3, where pupils are able to use their knowledge and understanding of physical phenomena to link cause and effect in simple explanations. By asking children to design a circuit which will work, record it, and annotate it, this is however only tackling L1 of Sc1 in terms of notation, where pupils are able to communicate their findings in simple ways (QCA, n.d.). Although not specifically addressed in this learning activity, it may also be useful to include some discussion in pairs or small groups. This is due to evidence that vocalisation of scientific concepts may help with development of scientific vocabulary (Mercer et al., 2004). This may then assist in developing from being able to communicate findings in simple ways (Sc1 L1) to using simple scientific vocabulary (Sc1 L2) and beyond. Using the third activity, in which pupils test their ideas about what make good conductors would allow for further development of Sc1 and Sc4. For example the learning objective about how to find out which materials allow electricity to pass through them could be approached from L1 if suggestions are actively offered to the pupils (Sc1 L1), or could be developed through the L4 if pupils are given freedom to design their own approach with lower levels of guidance. The learning objective relating to the development of the knowledge that some materials are better conductors of electricity than others relates to both L3 and 4 of Sc4. This involves development from being able to use knowledge to link cause and effect to being able to use knowledge to create generalisations. This development is also addressed by the objective that pupils are able to use results to draw conclusions about which materials conduct electricity. This objective also addresses development of L3 to L4 in Sc1 in tha t pupils develop from being able to provide explanations for their observations (L3) to pupils being able to relate their conclusions to patterns in their data and scientific knowledge. The specific learning outcomes of this activity would be that pupils would be able to use equipment to make observations, by being able to construct a circuit to test which materials let electricity pass through (Sc1 L2) and that they would be able to provide explanations for their observations by explaining that with some materials the bulb did not light because the circuit was not complete (Sc1 L3). This may even be developed through to Sc1 L4, where pupils begin to relate their conclusions to patterns in their data and scientific knowledge, if pupils are able to relate their findings to other sources of information. Rather than approach it as a separate activity, it would be better to incorporate the activity of making simple switches here, as it too relates to conductors and complete circuits. As such, it does not particularly offer further development of any of the learning targets, so does not warrant investigation as a separate session. As a development of the third activity, it then makes logical sense to proceed to discuss the uses of metals and plastics as conductors and insulators. This would lead to the development of Sc1 L4 if pupils were not previously able to relate their own work to outside information. This also includes exploring secondary sources, which can also be developed from L2 of Sc1 to L4, depending on the sophistication of sources used and what is done with the information. For example using the information to explain why metals are used for some purposes and plastics for others indicates being able to link cause and effect in simple explanations (Sc4 L3), although if pupils are also able to make generalisations about physical phenomena and use physical ideas to explain, then this may indicate development to L4. The final activity in the paper would be included last, as this is generally a culmination of the information gathered to this point, and offers development of Sc1 and Sc4 to L4. For example making predictions about what will happen indicates that pupils are able to make generalisations and use physical ideas to explain simple phenomena (Sc4 L4). Deciding how to change the brightness of bulbs and speed of a motor in a circuit also shows that pupils are able to decide on an appropriate approach towards answering a question and also able to vary one factor while keeping the others the same (Sc1 L4). Designing their own experiment also indicates that pupils are able to describe physical phenomena, for example how a particular device may be connected to work in a circuit (Sc4 L4). This type of self-directed activity may also be essential for some young children in developing scientific confidence (Glauert, 2005). Finally, a self-directed activity at the end of the series of sessions also allows for a better assessment of progress through the levels, as it allows for complete flexibility as to how much assistance is given in the task, thereby allowing for a better assessment of competency. Conclusions By utilising the appropriate activities from those given, it is possible to allow for development of both Sc1 and Sc4 right through from level 2 to level 4, which is appropriate for this age group. There is also some degree of flexibility in the levels which the selected activities could be approached from to allow for individual achievement levels within the class. The sessions lend themselves to culmination in a self-directed session, which allows for more accurate assessment of levels within Sc1 and Sc4. References DirectGov (2008) National curriculum teacher assessments and key stage tests. DirectGov. Available [online] from: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/ExamsTestsAndTheCurriculum/DG_10013041 [Accessed 22/08/2008]. Glauert, E.B. (2005) Making sense of science in the reception class. International Journal of Early Years Education, 13(3), 215-233. Glauert, E.B. (2008) How young children understand electric circuits: Prediction, explanation and exploration. International Journal of Science Education, DOI: 10.1080/09500690802101950. Hudson, P.B. (2005) Analysing preservice teachers’ rubrics for assessing students’ learning in primary science education. Proceedings Australian Curriculum Studies Association. Available [online] from: http://eprints.qut.edu.au/archive/00002102/ [Accessed 22/08/2008]. Mercer, N., Dawes, L., Wegerif, R. Sams, C. (2004) Reasoning as a scientist: Ways of helping children to use language to learn science. British Educational Research Journal, 30(3), 359-377. QCA (No date) Attainment targets for science. Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. Available [online] from: http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/key-stages-1-and-2/subjects/science/attainmenttargets/index.aspx?return=/key-stages-1-and-2/subjects/science/keystage2/index.aspx%3Freturn%3D/key-stages-1-and-2/subjects/index.aspx [Accessed 22/08/2008].

Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler and Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her

Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler and Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler and Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children present two strongly defined female heroines whose actions not only adversely affect the other characters’ lives but also suggest a fundamental problem with their societies. Both playwrights establish the macroscopic view of society’s ills in the microscopic, individual characters of Hedda and Mother Courage. Both characters have an indomitable magnetism that, on the one hand, allows them to control others but, on the other, causes them to make desperate choices that reflect a repressive society. Ibsen creates in Hedda Gabler a dominating, fiercely controlling female heroine who controls everyone in her circle, from her weak husband Tesman, to Lovborg, Mrs. Elvsted and even, to a lesser degree, Judge Brack, who reverses roles with Hedda by the end of the play. Hedda, as a chameleon figure, alternately shifts her manipulative tactics to maintain control, and each character cannot stay away from her influence. Only when Hedda has lost control of Lovborg, does she resort to an act of supreme self-control: suicide. Judge Brack believes he has won in his battle of wills with Hedda and believes he remains â€Å"the only cock in the yard†¦Ã¢â‚¬  at the play’s end. Nevertheless, her suicide reinforces her superiority because she has claimed the ultimate position of control in the play. Judge Brack cannot assert his lustful intentions through coercive blackmail, and she will not relinquish the power to any character or realization, whether it is Tesman’s loving yet remonstrative pleas or Judge Brack’s slyly conniving wiles. She defines her own role by her self-inflicted death... ...she does choose this role, ultimately valuing profit over her children’s safety. She continues on this journey without her children even as the play ends. Both characters, Hedda and Mother Courage, express values dictated by society. Though Mother Courage’s actions destroy her family and Hedda’s suicide destroys herself and her unborn child, both characters choose these destructive paths. In effect, they become like the society itself, embodying its values and motivations, its limitation and corruption. Neither Hedda nor Mother Courage possess any real individual power or self-control to overcome a society that forces them to act destructively. Ibsen and Brecht represent society’s power to coerce characters like Hedda and Mother Courage into accepting values that refract social ones as destructive to them as to the society that informs their characters.

Production Report on Thriller Film Essay example -- Papers

Production Report on Thriller Film For my production unit, I chose Brief 1: Thriller Film. This is due to my interest in them and the confidence I have in producing my own, which I found from GCSE television advertising work and in my ability to deconstruct existing films. In order to fulfil my brief successfully, I had to perform several areas of research, which will make the product look like products in real life and show that I know and can use the appropriate codes and conventions. I also watched a non-Hollywood film, the French film 'La Haine'. Comparing the two different sorts of films, emphasised the codes and conventions that I needed to use for my 'classic Hollywood' film. For example, the 180degree rule, continuity and the way sound is constructed to fit the distance of source from camera. To go into more detail about typical Hollywood style, I deconstructed many sequences in terms of shots and techniques in existing Hollywood thriller films, with a fifteen or eighteen certificate looking at the codes and conventions specifically used in them to create the effect desired e.g. the use of incidental music and silences; filming the villain so his face is never fully shown; using low-key lighting to create shadows; low and high angled shots to create the feeling of power and control; close-ups of eyes to show fear; slow, long-held shots to create tension. A particular favourite film of mine was 'Silence of the Lambs'- a film by Jonathan Demme, because the tension created was a lot subtler and there was very little violence or action in the film- the enjoyment came out of the highly detailed characters and the i... ... my film was an older, more sophisticated audience than most thriller films- probably the same audience as 'Silence of the Lambs', who will appreciate little action and detailed characters. I think my film does target this audience as it involves complex emotions and in the opening sequence, a lot of mystery and things to work- it is not self-explanatory-an enigma and I think an older audience would enjoy this factor of the film. Overall I am pleased with the effect I have created in my sequence. I think it sets up the rest of the film well and this opening sequence would make an audience want to watch the rest of the film. I believe that my film follows enough conventions to be called a 'Classic Hollywood Realism' film and although the quality is not brilliant due to lack of technology, I am pleased with the result.

Psychoeducational Group Leadership: Mindfulness of Breathing Essay

In forming a psychoeducational group, it is vital to determine what kind of information may be needed by the participants. Psychoeducational groups are performed for people who are more mentally balanced and are simply seeking deeper knowledge on a certain theme related to psychological health. A good topic for discussion in many cases is the theory and technique of mindfulness of breathing. Being mindful of how one breathes is often a good indicator in the present moment of how stressed or how calm a person is (Yalom, 2006). When a person is able to self regulate one’s breathing, making sure that the breaths are slow and deep enough, then a person is aware of how situational occurrences affect one’s state of being. This paper takes a look at the case of a psychoeducational group which was formed with the intention of educating group members about the importance of mindfulness of breathing. Group Dynamics This psychoeducational group was formed by the participation of six voluntary group members who were invited to participate in a 30 minute session about the importance of mindfulness of breathing. The initial stage of the group consisted of a warm up activity where people greeted and introduced themselves to one another, followed by a short overview by the group leader regarding the importance of mindfulness of breathing and its connection to increased relaxation and decreased stress. The working phase of the group is where group members opened up to one another about certain stressful situations which occur in life and how their breathing correlated to these situations. Group members practiced being aware of their own breathing and being able to control the breath’s depth and speed. The final stage of the group is when group members affirmed their experience of working together, being thankful that they had the chance to learn something new, communicate with one another, and practice something useful for their personal health. Personal Reflection It is interesting to reflect on what it was like for me to lead this psychoeducational group about mindfulness of breathing, as this is an important element of my own personal ability to self regulate stress. I was excited to sit with the group members, to introduce myself and speak about the healthful benefits of good breathing patterns which produce happy alpha brain waves. The working stage of the group was especially interesting, in that people were relaxed enough to open up about their own personal lives and experiences and to practice slow and deep breathing with one another. The final stage of the group was also successful, in that people had a few minutes to be openly thankful for the group experience and their newfound knowledge. Although it seems like there should be something to say about how the group could have been run better, I am honestly proud to say that the group ran especially smoothly, with the right amount of time spent in each area and the right amount of educational information disseminated in interesting ways. The group members were able to bond with me and with each other, which makes me feel as if this group was led with great success. Conclusion In forming a psychoeducational group, it is important to consider the needs of the participants as well as the focus of topic and organizational structure of the group. The beginning initial stage and ending final stage of the group are usually more structured and planned, with the working stage of the group being more in the hands of the participants (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2010). In any case, it is vital that the group is formed in a true spirit of goodwill, so that the group participants feel safe and comfortable and are able to open up to the group process. References Corey, M. S. , Corey, G. , & Corey, C. (2010). Groups: Process and practice (8th ed. ). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. Yalom, I. (2006). The Schopenhauer cure. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Heart of Darkness †An Allegory? Essay

Heart of Darkness is in its entirety not an allegory. Its surface is too profound and meaningful to allow itself to be interpreted in more than two ways. There are however several parts in the novel that hint at the opposite and that prove that the context of the novel can be seen from more than one angle. This can mainly be perceived in the life of Mr. Kurtz, as his descent into madness can be seen as an allegory for the colonization and destruction of the African continent and its people by the Europeans. Because just as Kurtz was a perfectly sane and normal man before he went into the African wilderness so were also the European nations very civilized before they came to Africa. And just as the nations of Europe governed Africa and its people without rules and restrictions so did isolation compel Mr. Kurtz to live his life without boundaries. Proof of this can be found on page 83, â€Å"His mother was half-English his father was half-French. All of Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz.† This shows that Kurtz can be seen as a symbol of Europe, as he is the typical European explorer – ambitious, greedy and adventurous. And if Kurtz is Europe embodied then it would be quite logical that Africa should be represented by the â€Å"harlequin† (p.87) his faithful Russian comrade. Their relation greatly resembles that of the relation between Africa and Europe, although the African people act quite differently to their â€Å"masters† compared to how the Russian acted towards Kurtz. The similarities lay in how the master treats the subordinate. â€Å"He wanted to shoot me too one day†¦.I had a small lot of ivory†¦he wanted it, and wouldn’t hear reason†¦and there was nothing on earth to prevent him killing whom he jolly well pleased.†(p.92). The way Kurtz treats the Russian is mirrored in the way the Europeans governed Africa and extracted its riches. They stopped at nothing to make their colonies as effective and prosperous as possible. This of course included killing any opposition, or in the words of Conrad, killing whoever they jolly well pleased. In conclusion it can be said that the two voyages in Heart of Darkness, the one in the mind and the one on the Congo River, are not as much an allegory  as they are descriptions of two separate, but still closely linked, plot developments. For example, as the company sails ever closer to Kurtz and the heart of the African jungle Marlow’s internal voyage alters his morals and opinions according to his experiences. This might seem as an allegory to some, as it features two separate levels, one relatively superficial the other underlying and sometimes also very symbolic, as when Kurtz is portrayed as a devil. However the novel misses out on the most important aspect of an allegory, that of it having a layer used only to represent or suggest other elements, often abstract, than those found in the main story. So although Heart of Darkness contains much symbolism and dual meanings, it falls short of being a true allegory of anything, but perhaps the voyage of Mr. Kurtz soul.