Remote Collaboration Tools For Effective Performance Monitoring

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Remotely monitoring a team of developers can be a tedious and time-consuming task, not to mention the unwanted delays in product delivery. As the COVID-19 outbreak has forced people to work from home, remote collaboration has become essential to ensure effective work productivity. As of today, a majority of IT companies are managing their teams remotely through various means of communication. However, it can be difficult to accurately monitor the tasks being performed by employees in the absence of an effective performance monitoring software. In addition, using remote collaboration tools is essential to fill the communication gaps due to geographical differences.  

To remotely manage a team of developers, an organization requires three main types of tools for communication and collaboration:

• Collaboration tools
• Monitoring tools
• Communication tools

This blog post highlights the most effective tools in the aforementioned categories to ensure seamless communication, collaboration, and performance tracking. 

Also read Achieving Business Success with Business Intelligence

Remote Collaboration Tools

Remote collaboration tools are required to bring teams and employees together to complete a piece of work or accomplish a common goal. Given below are the most extensively used business tools for remote collaborations. 

GitHub

When it comes to SaaS application development, GitHub needs no introduction. It is a popular software development tool that is widely used by developers for both in-house and remote development projects. Being a comprehensive platform for code creation and review, it can be an ideal collaboration tool for both remote and in-house software projects. It provides developers with a multi-level access system and thus renders an intuitive and comprehensive development environment. 

Hubstaff Tasks

It is a comprehensive project management suite that enables project managers to organize and distribute various tasks and projects. Hubstaff Tasks lets you efficiently manage workforce activities by facilitating smooth collaboration between teams of all levels. It employs Kanban boards to organize tasks assigned to various team members. Using this tool, managers can send instant notifications to their team members by tagging them in comments or adding task labels. They can also create task checklists and monitor work progress through dedicated progress bars. 

Above all, it comes with advanced custom workflows to automatically assign tasks to various team members based on their prior experience, skills, and capabilities. 

Trello

Trello is yet another useful work collaboration tool that uses Kanban boards to organize project-related tasks. In Trello, managers can create Kanban boards to represent their projects where tasks are shown in cards. After completing a task, team members can change the color status of their card to mark completion. Trello is a light alternative to Jira (a QA tool) that enables managers to proactively monitor work progress to ensure seamless workflow. 

Performance Monitoring Tools

The main purpose of establishing effective collaborations is to improve performance and achieve operational efficiency. While remote collaboration tools can help you track work progress, there are dedicated tools for performance monitoring. These tools enable project managers to monitor computer activities of their subordinates to ensure they are working as per the given timeline. 

Time Doctor

Time Doctor is a SaaS-based time tracking and productivity tool that also facilitates remote collaboration to enhance work efficiency. It offers a multi-functional time tracking software with advanced CRM capabilities. Time Doctor is an ideal tool for white labelling and thus you can use it to build your own employee tracking and performance monitoring software. Given below are the key features of Time Doctor:

Time Tracking: Monitor time spent by your employees on various tasks

Attendance Tracking: Proactively track attendance data of your employees

Computer Screenshots: View random screenshots of your employees’ computer screen to monitor exactly what your team is doing

Performance Reports: Get daily, weekly, and monthly reports to track and analyze your team’s performance

Tracking Web and App Usage: Track websites and apps used by your team members in accordance with their usage frequency

Payroll Management: Automate payroll processing and generate accurate payroll data based on time spent by your employees

At Oodles Technologies, we have built several full-scale time and attendance tracking applications using Time Doctor for various clients. We have also developed a comprehensive timesheet module to accurately track our employees’ performance, hours, and all work-related activities. Our development team is skilled at using advanced tools like Time Doctor, Toggl, and Hubstaff to build effective time, attendance and performance tracking software for varied project requirements. 

You may also be interested in reading Big Data Apps Emerging As The New Driving Force For Industries

Hubstaff

Toggl is yet another performance monitoring tool that companies can use to monitor time, attendance and work activities of their staff. It starts tracking time as soon as you login and is extremely useful for handling multiple projects in perfect sync. It provides online timesheets to track employee tasks and facilitates effective team scheduling. Likewise, project managers can track application usage and time spent by employees on different websites. Below are the key features of Hubstaff:

• Employee tracking with screenshots
• Attendance tracking and monitoring
• Automated performance reports
• Employee scheduling and GPS tracking
• Budgeting and Invoicing
• Payroll processing

Business Communication Tools

Business communication tools are essential to carry out various tasks by enabling managers and team members to communicate via messaging, voice/video calling, and screen sharing. These tools are extremely important to establish a smooth coordination between team members to accomplish various tasks. There are a number of tools that businesses can use to establish seamless communications between employees. Some examples are Slack, Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Troop Messenger. ‘Skype for Business’ is yet another effective communication tool offered by Microsoft that is being used by a large number of enterprises worldwide.

Wrapping Up

The availability of these three types of tools is essential to efficiently run business operations by establishing remote collaboration. Besides, it is advisable to use these tools for inhouse activities as well. Many of these tools can be white labelled to support your mission-critical business needs. To build custom solutions for monitoring and remote collaboration, you can avail services from a SaaS App Development Services.

Avail Our SaaS Application Development Services To Build Time and Performance Monitoring Software

We are a SaaS app development company that provides end-to-end time and performance monitoring software solutions for varied business needs. We have our expertise in developing data-driven time and attendance tracking systems, remote collaboration tools, and business communication tools to facilitate effective team collaboration and coordination. Our development team is skilled at using the latest tools and technologies to build performance monitoring software with custom features like time tracking, attendance tracking, computer screenshots, performance reports, and payroll management.

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Installing Spark On Apache Hadoop Cluster

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In this blog post, we will look into installing Spark on Hadoop cluster. Below is a step-by-step guide for the entire installation procedure. 

1. Change directory to hadoop installation directory. In my case, I have installed hadoop in /opt/local/hadoop
   $cd /opt/local/hadoop
2. I have hadoop 3.2.1 is installed. I have downloaded ths spark 2.4.5 version $ wget

https://downloads.apache.org/spark/spark-2.4.5/spark-2.4.5-bin-hadoop2.7.tgz

Please verify whether the Spark version supported your hadoop installation version or not.

1. Install scala on all the nodes $sudo apt install scala
   $scala -version

1. Extract spark and rename
   

   $ tar -xvzf spark-2.4.5-bin-hadoop2.7.tgz
   
   $ mv spark-2.4.5-bin-hadoop2.7 spark

1. Set Spark_Home in environment variable

   $cd
   $vim ~/.basrc
   Add following line in bashrc
   export SPARK_HOME=/opt/local/hadoop/spark export PATH=$PATH:$SPARK_HOME/bin

1. source ~/.bashrc
2. cd $SPARK_HOME/conf
3. Configuring spark-env.sh file
   mv spark-env.sh.template spark-env.sh
   Edit spark-env.sh and add below line
   export SPARK_MASTER_HOST=server1.bigdata.com export JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-amd64
4. Configuring spark-defaults.conf
   mv spark-defaults.conf.template spark-defaults.conf
   Edit and add below lines in spark-defaults.conf
   spark.master yarn spark.yarn.am.memory 768m

spark.driver.memory 512m
spark.executor.memory 512m
spark.eventLog.enabled true
spark.eventLog.dir hdfs://server1.bigdata.com:9000/sparklogs

Below is the explanation for each of the variable configured in the spark-defaults.conf

1. “Spark.master yarn”
   This will set spark ready to interact with yarn
2. “spark.yarn.am.memory 768m”
    

This will set maximum memory allocation allowed to the yarn container. In this case we have set it to 768 megabytes. If the memory requested will be more than the maximum, yarn will reject the creation of the container and spark application will fail to start.

The value of yarn memory memory application must be lower than that of yarn.scheduler.maximum-allocation-mb in $HADOOP_CONF_DIR/yarn-site.xml.

c. “Spark.driver.memory 512m”
Set 512 megabytes default memory allocated to Spark Driver in cluster mode In cluster mode, the Spark driver runs inside YARN Application master. The amount of memory requested by spark at initialization is configured.

d. “spark.executor.memory 512m”
Set the Spark Executor base memory to 512 megabytes
The Spak Executors allocation is calculated based on two parameter inside $SPARK_HOME/conf/spark-defaults.conf

• ?  spark.executor.memory: sets the base memory used in the calculation
• ?  spark.yarn.executor.memoryOverhead: is added to the base memory,
  It defaults to 7% of base memory, with a minimum of 384 MB
  Example: for spark.executor.memory of 1Gb , the required memory is 1024+384=1408MB. For 512MB, the required memory will be 512+384=896MB

???????

e. To enable Spark job logs in hdfs add in spark-defaults.conf spark.eventLog.enabled true
spark.eventLog.dir hdfs://server1.bigdata.com:9000/sparklogs

Make sure to create “sparklogs” directory in the hdfs. $hdfs dfs -mkdir /sparklogs

10.Configuring salves

mv slaves.template slaves

Edit and below line slaves file

server1.bigdata.com server2.bigdata.com server3.bigdata.com

11. Copy the spark directory on slaves node.
Create spark directory in hadoop home directory on both the slave nodes server1.bigdata.com and server2.bigdata.com from hadoopuser

Below command on master node will copy the spark configuration and other detail on slave nodes:

$scp -r /opt/local/hadoop/spark/* h?adoopuser@server2.bigdata.com?:/opt/local/hadoop

$scp -r /opt/local/hadoop/spakr/* hadoopuser@server3.bigdata.com?:/opt/local/hadoop

Congratulations! You have installed Spark on Apache Hadoop cluster. Change the directory to SPARK_HOME
$cd $SPARK_HOME

Run below command
$./bin/spark-submit --class org.apache.spark.examples.SparkPi --master yarn-client --deploy-mode client --driver-memory 1024m --executor-memory 512m --executor-cores 1 examples/jars/spark-examples_2.11-2.4.5.jar
400

During the job execution you can check the status on spark web UI

http://server1.bigdata.com:4040/jobs/

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We are a SaaS Application Development Company that provides end-to-end web and mobile app development services with a focus on next-gen technologies. Our development team is skilled at using the latest tools, frameworks, and SDKs to build performance-driven web and mobile applications that are easy to scale and customize. We have successfully completed several full-fledged SaaS projects for clients from across the globe. Our 360-degree SaaS application development services include quality assurance and software testing services.  

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New Features and Upgrades Coming To tvOS 14

In a recent Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), Apple revealed new features and minor upgrades coming to its much anticipated tvOS 14 update. Rolling out to all supported Apple TV 4K devices, the new update aims to bring a number of small incremental changes to enhance viewer experiences. Although tvOS 14 received a little mention in the WWDC, we are expecting more changes to be unveiled during the annual keynote this fall. 

Among the significant changes coming to tvOS 14 is the quick game resume, a feature similar to that on PS4 and Xbox One. It lets you resume a game on Apple TV where you left off. At the same time, it renders support for Xbox Elite series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controllers. Let’s explore the upcoming features and other significant changes in tvOS 14.
 

Also read Engaging Entertainment Seekers with Media Streaming Apps

New tvOS Features and Upgrades

As of now, Apple has only revealed limited information about its forthcoming tvOS 14 update. For all we know, this new Apple TV update mainly focuses on extending the existing functionalities rather than introducing new features. Based on the information shared by Apple during WWDC, below are the main features and upgrades coming to tvOS 14.  

Picture-in-Picture

Picture-in-Picture (PiP) was previously available in select iPad devices. With tvOS 14, Apple TV users will now gain access to this feature that allows them to move between apps while keeping the videos running. Having said that, the PiP feature was supported by select Apple TV 4K devices. However, it was previously limited to fewer applications and media types. Apple has extended their PiP feature with the latest update as it will now be supported by many other applications, in many other places. 

Multiple User Accounts

The previous version of tvOS (i.e tvOS 13) rendered multi-user support, providing different content recommendations for each user profile. However, the feature was limited to watching movies and TV shows. With the forthcoming release, Apple plans to extend this functionality for games as well via Apple Arcade.

Extended Gaming Support

As already mentioned above, tvOS 14 brings significant changes and upgrades for game lovers. Amongst the most sought after features is the quick game resume that enables users to resume a gaming app right where they left. In addition, it will now support Xbox Elite Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controllers that were released in late 2019. Besides, it will also provide game recommendations to users based on their previous gaming activities. 

Other Notable Changes

There are several other changes rolling out this major tvOS update. The list includes the following notable changes in tvOS:

• Users can now use AirPlay feature to mirror 4K content from an iPhone to the Apple TV 4K devices
• tvOS 14 enables audio sharing feature for all devices having H1 chip installed
• Users can stream 4K videos from YouTube once Google releases the app update
• HomeKit videos will now be accessible through Control Center
• Users can select aerial screensavers based on various themes

You may also be interested in reading Apple TV Application Development

tvOS 14 Release Date

When Apple first announced its tvOS 14 update on June 22 during WWDC, it didn’t mention the official release date. For all we know, the update is rolling out this autumn along with the iOS 14 release and iPhone launch event. However, based on Apple’s previous Keynote events, we can expect tvOS 14 to arrive between 14th and 18th September 2020. 

Avail Our OTT Services To Build an Interactive Apple TV App

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New Features and Updates Coming To iOS 14

Apple recently announced its iOS 14 update coming this fall to the supported iPhone and iPad devices during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2020. Being a major iOS update, it is expected to bring significant changes, enhancements, and several new features to the iPhone/iPad users. 

Apple proclaims that iOS 14 is going to be their biggest update to this date. It brings home screen design changes, new modified features, updates for existing apps, Siri improvements, and many other major features to improve the iOS interface.

Let’s delve deeper into the new features, changes, and enhancements that are expected to roll out with this major iOS update.

Also read 5 Reasons to Choose Swift for Custom iOS App Development

Features

Home Screen Changes

iOS 14 introduces new design features for the Home Screen with better personalization. Users can customize it using the available widgets. In addition, there will be a new App Library and options to hide the entire pages of various apps, and much more.

Widgets

Earlier, widgets were available on the Today screen. But the iOS 14 update has brought a whole new look with completely redesigned widgets to give you more information at a glance. The widgets can be added to the home screen and adjusted as you like. You can choose from multiple sizes and stack widgets simply by dragging one over the other. In addition, iOS 14 brings smart widgets that automatically surfaces the widget option based on time, location, and activity.

App Library

iOS 14 has come up with this new feature called App Library which is positioned at the end of the Home Screen. The App Library automatically organizes all your apps into specific folders such as social, health and fitness, educational, and so on. There is also a folder for Apple Arcade that lets you explore the various features that you can unlock in games. Besides, the App Library provides different folders for recently added apps and suggestions, that show recommended apps based on time of day, location, and user activity. Furthermore, you can hide apps that you don’t want on your home screen. Instead, they will appear in the App Library. In a nutshell, iOS 14 brings in a more efficient way to organize your apps.

Compact Calls

With iOS 14, incoming calls from your iPhone, FaceTime, or third-party apps do not cover up the entire screen. Instead, they show up as a small banner at the top of your screen. You can swipe up to dismiss it or swipe down to answer it and see more call options. In case the phone is locked, you’ll see the standard phone call interface.

Picture in Picture

The Picture-in-Picture feature on the iPad is now extended to the iPhone with iOS 14. This feature enables you to keep watching a video or continue your FaceTime call while using another app in unison. The windowed view of the video or the FaceTime call will show up in the corner of the screen. It can be relocated and adjusted as per your convenience.

Messages

iOS 14 offers a number of new ways to stay connected to conversations that matter the most. It provides several new tools to customize your conversations with photos, emojis, and Memojis the way you like. You can pin your most important conversations to the top of your conversation list for easy access. This can be done for up to 9 conversations. With features like inline replies and mentions, you can direct a message to a specific person in a group chat.

In case of mentions, the name of the person you mention gets highlighted. You can also customize your group conversations to receive notifications only when you are mentioned. Besides, there are a bunch of new options for Memoji styles and stickers. You can choose from over 20 different hair and headwear styles that suit your personality, hobby, or profession.

Siri

With iOS 14, Siri has a new compact design with a host of new features. It is better equipped with translation functionality and an even more extensive base of knowledge. You can also record and send audio messages with Siri.
 

Maps

The Maps feature mostly looks the same. However, there are some useful features for those who have electric vehicles and those who like to bike. You can now get cycling directions using Maps. It shows you if there’s an elevation, stairs, or steep passages in your way. It also lets you see how busy the street is.

The electric vehicle routing feature shows all the charging stations along your planned route. Additionally, the Guides option in Maps shows a variety of places in a city to eat, shop, and explore.
 

Translate

Previously, translation capability was just a function of Siri in iOS 13. But now with iOS 14, Apple now has a completely new Translate app. It is designed for supporting conversations across 11 different languages.

Turning your iPhone to landscape mode will initiate conversation mode. It also has the ability to automatically detect the language you speak. The app has an offline translation mode that enables you to download languages and keep your translations private.
 

Home

The Home app has several new useful features that let you manage your smart home more effectively. With iOS 14, you have new automated suggestions and expanded controls in the control center. The app also provides services like Adaptive Lighting for compatible lights. It will automatically adjust your lights with the color temperature throughout the day. The face recognition feature can easily identify your friends and family with the information it already has.

Safari

With iOS 14, Safari is more responsive and enables new ways to protect your privacy. It can translate websites in 7 different languages. Besides, its password monitoring feature lets you detect saved passwords that may have been breached.

You may also be interested in reading Challenges Faced by Application Developers in HTML5 Development

Car Keys and CarPlay

Using iOS 14, you can unlock and start your car with your iPhone. Your digital key is stored in the wallet app. You can easily share this key with friends or family through a messaging app. The Car Keys feature also lets you customize controls and restrict certain profiles as per your preferences. It works up to 5 hours even after your iPhone’s battery runs out.

CarPlay feature supports customizable wallpaper which lets you personalize your CarPlay dashboard and home screen looks. It also lets you download apps like parking, electric vehicle charging, and quick food ordering.
 

AirPods

With iOS 14, AirPods are now able to switch automatically between iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch according to which device you are using. The new battery notification lets you know when your AirPods need charging.
 

App Clips

App Clips lets you access a small part of an app without having to download the full app. Using this facility you can rent a bike, pay for parking, order food, and do much more right at the time of need. It is fast, easily accessible, and transactions are safe with apps that use Apple Pay.
 

Privacy

With iOS 14, you get information on the privacy practices of every app in the App Store before downloading it. Also, all apps will need user permission before keeping a track of their activities. Whenever an app uses your microphone or camera, an indicator appears at the top of your screen. You can see if any app has used them recently in the Control Center. In addition, you can share only your approximate location instead of your exact location.

 

At Oodles, we have gained extensive experience in providing iOS application development company. We specialize in developing user-centric mobile applications with smart integration capabilities for intelligent features. Our development team is skilled at providing SaaS App Development Company ranging from architecture, development, optimization, maintenance, and much more.

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