A look at Software Architecture

Architecture principles

Here we are going to talk about very basic principles to follow for any software architecture –

1. Scalability – It can refer to the capability of a system to increase its total output under an increased load when resources (typically hardware) are added.
2. Cost effective.
3. Separation of concern – what is the advantage of loose coupling.
• Concerns are the different aspects of software functionality. For instance, the "business logic" of software is a concern, and the interface through which a person uses this logic is another. The separation of concerns is keeping the code for each of these concerns separate. Changing the interface should not require changing the business logic code, and vice versa.
• Divide your application into distinct features with as little overlap in functionality as possible. The important factor is minimization of interaction points to achieve high cohesion and low coupling. However, separating functionality at the wrong boundaries can result in high coupling and complexity between features even though the contained functionality within a feature does not significantly overlap. When designing an application or system, the goal of a software architect is to minimize the complexity by separating the design into different areas of concern. For example, the user interface (UI), business processing, and data access all represent different areas of concern. Within each area, the components you design should focus on that specific area and should not mix code from other areas of concern. For example, UI processing components should not include code that directly accesses a data source, but instead should use either business components or data access components to retrieve data. 
• Single Responsibility principle. Each component or module should be responsible for only a specific feature or functionality, or aggregation of cohesive functionality.
• Principle of Least Knowledge (also known as the Law of Demeter or LoD). A component or object should not know about internal details of other components or objects. 
• Don’t repeat yourself (DRY). You should only need to specify intent in one place. For example, in terms of application design, specific functionality should be implemented in only one component; the functionality should not be duplicated in any other component. 
• Minimize upfront design. Only design what is necessary. In some cases, you may require upfront comprehensive design and testing if the cost of development or a failure in the design is very high. In other cases, especially for agile development, you can avoid big design upfront (BDUF).
4. Reusability - Software reusability more specifically refers to design features of a software element (or collection of software elements) that enhance its suitability for reuse.

SOA

Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is a software design and software architecture design pattern based on discrete pieces of software providing application functionality as services to other applications. This is known as service-orientation. It is independent of any vendor, product or technology.

A service is a self-contained unit of functionality, such as retrieving an online bank statement. Services can be combined by other software applications to provide the complete functionality of a large software application. SOA makes it easy for computers connected over a network to cooperate. Every computer can run an arbitrary number of services, and each service is built in a way that ensures that the service can exchange information with any other service in the network without human interaction and without the need to make changes to the underlying program itself.

UML

A unified modeling language for documenting a system in an object oriented manner.

This is a modelling language by which a technical architect can create a design for the system which can be used by the developers.

UML diagrams represent two different views of a system model: 

Static (or structural) view: 

It emphasizes the static structure of the system using objects, attributes, operations and relationships. The structural view includes class diagrams and composite structure diagrams.

• Class diagram: It describes the structure of a system by showing the system's classes, their attributes, and the relationships among the classes.
• Component diagram: It describes how a software system is split up into components and shows the dependencies among these components.
• Composite structure diagram: It describes the internal structure of a class and the collaborations that this structure makes possible.
• Deployment diagram: It describes the hardware used in system implementations and the execution environments and artifacts deployed on the hardware.
• Object diagram: It shows a complete or partial view of the structure of a modeled system at a specific time.
• Package diagram: It describes how a system is split up into logical groupings by showing the dependencies among these groupings.
• Profile diagram: It operates at the meta-model level to show stereotypes as classes with the <<stereotype>> stereotype, and profiles as packages with the <<profile>> stereotype. The extension relation (solid line with closed, filled arrowhead) indicates what metamodel element a given stereotype is extending.

Dynamic (or behavioral) view: 

It emphasizes the dynamic behavior of the system by showing collaborations among objects and changes to the internal states of objects. This view includes sequence diagrams, activity diagrams and state machine diagrams.

• Activity diagram: It describes the business and operational step-by-step workflows of components in a system. An activity diagram shows the overall flow of control.
• UML state machine diagram: It describes the states and state transitions of the system.
• Use Case Diagram: It describes the functionality provided by a system in terms of actors, their goals represented as use cases, and any dependencies among those use cases.
• Communication diagram: It shows the interactions between objects or parts in terms of sequenced messages. They represent a combination of information taken from Class, Sequence, and Use Case Diagrams describing both the static structure and dynamic behavior of a system.
• Interaction overview diagram: It provides an overview in which the nodes represent communication diagrams.
• Sequence diagram: It shows how objects communicate with each other in terms of a sequence of messages. Also indicates the lifespans of objects relative to those messages.

What is Data conformance?

Modeling for staging area. How it should be? Target driven or source driven? Design staging tables to better suit the target rather than the source. Let's take a look at both approaches.

Target driven:

• ETL is usually a two-step process. Stage then load. if the staging does mild transformations to better suit the target, I need only create one set of load processes. If the DW gets similar data from multiple sources.
• All I need to do is create new source specific staging processes and let the existing load processes handle the new source.
• Sources change. I don't want to rewrite ETL processes from end-to-end because of a change in the source.
• Most of the heavy transformation logic occurs on the load side. With the staging tables closer in structure to the target, the load process code tends to be simpler.

Source driven:

There are several reasons to keep the staging area relatively simple. One is that it should be able to trace individual records back to the source. This may not be a requirement now, but it could become one in the future as more people use the DW and want to prove that it is correct. If you're dealing with deltas, there is always the possibility that the deltas do not arrive in referentially complete sets but become referentially complete over time. Also, if you are dealing with deletes and updates (including the need to back out and/or replace source files), keeping the data in its original dimensions helps you avoid unintentional business rules.

Normalization – Definition of normal forms.

Database normalization is the process of organizing the fields and tables of a relational database to minimize redundancy and dependency

• A table is in first normal form if the domain of each attribute contains only atomic values, and the value of each attribute contains only a single value from that domain.
• A table is in 2NF if and only if it is in 1NF and no non-prime attribute is dependent on any proper subset of any candidate key of the table.
• Every non-prime attribute of R is non-transitively dependent (i.e. directly dependent) on every superkey of R.

Logical and physical data model

• A logical data model describes the data in as much detail as possible, without regard to how they will be physical implemented in the database. Features of a logical data model include: Includes all entities and relationships among them. All attributes for each entity are specified. The primary key for each entity is specified. Foreign keys (keys identifying the relationship between different entities) are specified. Normalization occurs at this level.
• The steps for designing the logical data model are as follows: Specify primary keys for all entities. Find the relationships between different entities. Find all attributes for each entity. Resolve many-to-many relationships. Normalization.
• Physical data model represents how the model will be built in the database. A physical database model shows all table structures, including column name, column data type, column constraints, primary key, foreign key, and relationships between tables. Features of a physical data model include: Specification all tables and columns. Foreign keys are used to identify relationships between tables. De-normalization may occur based on user requirements. Physical considerations may cause the physical data model to be quite different from the logical data model. Physical data model will be different for different RDBMS. For example, data type for a column may be different between MySQL and SQL Server.
• The steps for physical data model design are as follows: Convert entities into tables. Convert relationships into foreign keys. Convert attributes into columns. Modify the physical data model based on physical constraints / requirements.

Object oriented programming principles

• Data abstraction - Abstraction denotes a model, a view, or some other focused representation for an actual item. It’s the development of a software object to represent an object we can find in the real world.
• Encapsulation - The ability to provide users with a well-defined interface to a set of functions in a way which hides their internal workings. In object-oriented programming, the technique of keeping together data structures and the methods (procedures) which act on them.
• Inheritance - The ability to derive new classes from existing classes. A derived class (or "subclass") inherits the instance variables and methods of the base class and may add new instance variables and methods. New methods may be defined with the same names as those in the base class, in which case they override the original one.
• Polymorphism - Polymorphism refers to the ability to define multiple classes with functionally different, yet identically named methods or properties that can be used interchangeably by client code at run time.

What is Structural conformance?

The benefits of architectural analyses are only achieved if one can guarantee that the implementation conforms to the architecture. We propose an approach for checking and measuring the structural conformance of a software system's implementation to its execution architecture.

Shared nothing architecture. Performance issue – Redistribution/repartitioning.

A shared nothing architecture (SN) is a distributed computing architecture in which each node is independent and self-sufficient, and there is no single point of contention across the system. More specifically, none of the nodes share memory or disk storage.

Shared nothing is popular for web development because of its scalability. As Google has demonstrated, a pure SN system can scale almost infinitely simply by adding nodes in the form of inexpensive computers, since there is no single bottleneck to slow the system down. Google calls this sharding. A SN system typically partitions its data among many nodes on different databases (assigning different computers to deal with different users or queries), or may require every node to maintain its own copy of the application's data, using some kind of coordination protocol. This is often referred to as database sharding.

Loosely coupled architecture

If the client requesting a service must be waiting for the reply, the architecture is "Tightly. Also known as "stop and wait". By contrast, in the architecture type "Loosely", a service client can continue doing other things after a service request.

Therefore, all implementations of this architecture, such as 3-tier or n-tiers, on Web service (with wait request-response), are "Tightly Coupled".

A very frequent question on type of architecture, "Loosely Coupled" is: How responses are processed once they are available? The answer is: Thread process or a function type "Callback"to handle responses. Therefore, the structure of your client program, usually must be divided into two parts, the part that handles the main flow and the other is the function that processes the answers.

Architecture VS Design

Difference between a Designer and an Architect. Where do each of their roles stop?

1. If you are “architecting” a component, you are defining how it behaves in the larger system. If you are “designing” the same component, you are defining how it behaves internally.
2. The architecture of a system is its 'skeleton'. It's the highest level of abstraction of a system. What kind of data storage is present, how do modules interact with each other, what recovery systems are in place. Just like design patterns, there are architectural patterns: MVC, 3-tier layered design, etc.
3. Software design is about designing the individual modules / components. What are the responsibilities, functions, of module x? Of class Y? What can it do, and what not? What design patterns can be used?
4. So in short, Software architecture is more about the design of the entire system, while software design emphasizes on module / component / class level.
5. Architecture usually deals with what (is done) and where (it's done), but never with how. That is think is the principle difference - design completes the how that architecture doesn't (and shouldn't) talk about.

Cloud Security

With the cloud, we no longer have well-defined boundaries regarding what’s internal and what’s external to our systems. We must assess whether holes or vulnerabilities exist across servers, networks, infrastructure components, and endpoints and then continuously monitor them.

According to the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), an organization dedicated to ensuring security best practices in the cloud, significant areas of operational risk in the cloud include the following:

Physical security: It covers security of IT equipment, network assets, and telecommunications infrastructure.

Human resource security: It deals with the people side of the equation — ensuring background checks, confidentiality, and segregation of duties.

Business continuity: It ensures that the provider meets its service level agreement for operation.

Disaster recovery: It ensures that assets (data and applications) are protected. If, for example, we are using a public Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) to run an application, find out what happens if there’s some sort of disaster (natural or otherwise).

Incident handling changes in a cloud: Working with service provider to control at least part of the infrastructure. The multi-tenant nature of the cloud often makes investigating an incident more complicated. For example, because information may be commingled, log analysis can be difficult because your service provider is trying to maintain privacy.

Application security changes in the cloud: Uncovering exposed security threats (in a public cloud). The CSA divides application security into different areas including securing the software development lifecycle, authentication, authorization, identity management, application authorization management, application monitoring, application penetration testing, and risk management. So, if we are using a Platform as a Service (PaaS) to develop applications, be concerned about application security. Likewise, if we are running your application in the cloud or using a SaaS provider, application security will be an issue.

Identity and access management: Controls and maintains access to computer resources, applications, data, and services. In a traditional data center, you may use a directory service for authentication and then deploy the application in a firewall safe zone. The cloud often requires multiple forms of identity to ensure that access to resources is secure.

Encryption and key management: Ensures that only intended recipients receive data and can decrypt it. Data encryption refers to a set of algorithms that can transform text into a form called cyphertext (an encrypted form of plain text that unauthorized parties can’t read). The recipient of an encrypted message uses a key that triggers the algorithm to decrypt the data and provide it in its original state to the authorized user.

Could security best practices

Knowing current state helps us to building a comprehensive strategy. Then, we can ensure that best practices are followed.

• In a highly distributed environment, manage the identity of who’s allowed to access what resources under what circumstances. Clearly defined rules combined with automation provide a path forward.

• Try to create general awareness of security risks by educating and warning staff members about specific dangers. Complacency is easy, especially if you’re using a cloud service provider. However, security threats come from employees as well as outside organizations.

• Regularly have external IT security consultants check your company’s IT security policy, IT network, and the policies and practices of all your cloud service providers.

• Determine specific IT security policies for change management and patch management, and make sure that policies are well understood by your service management staff and by your cloud service provider.

• Review backup and disaster-recovery systems in light of IT security. Apart from anything else, IT security breaches can require complete application recovery.

Stay or Move on

Places to visit in India ... Lucknow - The City of Nawabs

Fast Fact

Temperature: Summer: 43- 30C  Winter: 25- 5C

Best Season : November to February

Clothing : Summer- Cotton,  Winter - Woollens

Languages spoken : Hindi, Urdu and English

Retaining a feast of British Raj architecture as well as home to two grandiose tombs, Lucknow was the administrative and cultural hub of the Nawabs of Avadh (Oudh). During the period of the weakening of the Mughal Empire, the city rose into prominence as a centre for poetry, music, dance and courtly diction.

Modern Lucknow, extending along the banks of the Gomti River, is a seamless blend of the medieval and the modern, as new shopping complexes and ultra-modern mall are popping up all over the city. Today capital of the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, it is a fabulous place to sample its elaborate cuisine for which the city is widely known.

Getting There
How would you like to travel?
AIR
The city’s airport, Amausi Airport, is connected by flights from major cities of India.

RAIL
A major railway junction, Lucknow is conveniently linked with prominent cities and places in India.

ROAD
Lucknow is connected by good motorable roads to all major places and cities in India.
Lucknow is:
210 km from Allahabad
135 km from Ayodhya
497 km from Delhi
238 km Dudhwa National Park
400 km from Corbett National Park
79  km from Kanpur
320 km from Khajuraho
305 km from Varanasi

Sights to See
Rumi Darwaza 
Built by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula in 1784, this colossal, ornate gateway is said to be a copy of an entrance gate in Constantinople. The Nawab embarked upon the construction of this gate to create employment during the terrible famine of 1784.

Hussainabad (Chota) Imambara 
Hussainabad Imambara – Located near the Rumi Darwaza, this structure, constructed by Mohammed Ali Shah in 1832 houses his tomb and that of his mother. Also known as the Chhota Imambara, it has a white dome and several turrets and minarets. The walls of the mausoleum are decorated with verses in Arabic. Chandeliers, gilded mirrors, colorful stucco, the King's throne and ornate tazia or replicas of the tombs at Karbala adorn the interior.

Asafi Imambara 
Also known as the Bara Imambara, this colossal tomb was built by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula in 1784 and is one of the architectural delights in Lucknow. Within the complex is an imposing Asafi mosque.

Residency 
A collection of terraced lawns and gardens, the ruins of Residency reminds us of the dramatic events during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 also hailed as First War of Independence. Built for the British Resident in 1800, the building is known for the Siege of Lucknow involving besieging of the British community by the rebels.

Shah Najaf Imambara 
Located on the bank of Gomti River, the striking Shah Najaf Imambara houses the tombs of Nawab Ghazi-ud-din Haidar and his wives including Mubarak Mahal who was a European. The silver tomb of Ghazi-ud-din Haidar is located in the centre of the building and is flanked by the more imposing silver and gold tomb of Mubarak Mahal on one side, and another tomb on the other.

State Museum / Zoo 
A favorite spot for recreation, the State Museum houses a large collection of artifacts and memorabilia as well as sculptural masterpieces dating back to the 3rd century AD. Located at Banarasi Bagh, within the zoo premises, the museum remains closed on Mondays.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal
One of the major attractions of modern Lucknow, the park occupies an area of 107 acres in Gomti Nagar. Dedicated to the memory of great freedom fighter and social reformer Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the memorial is comes alive at night when the sprawling campus is illuminated with beautiful lighting.

LA Martiniere
Designed and built by the Frenchman Major General Claude Martin , this fort-like building is a fine specimen of the seamless blend of European and Mughal architectural styles. Today it is a prestigious boarding school.

Places to visit in India... Nanital

Fast Fact

Temperature:  Summer: 26.7 -10.6 C  Winter: 15.6 -2.8C 

Season: April to June & Mid-Sept to Mid-Nov

Clothing: Summer- Light Woolens and tropical   Winter- Heavy woollens

Languages spoken: Hindi, Punjabi, English

Nainital, a very famous hill station in the Kumaon, is set around the ebony-emerald Naini Tal (Lake) ringed by hills. Founded by Mr. P. Barron, a European merchant and an enthusiastic hunter in 1841, the city derives its name from a temple dedicated to the goddess 'Naini Devi". Located at a height of 1938 meters, this famous hill station of India is surrounded by pine forests. Its numerous lakes, stunning mountain vistas are a paradise for holidaymakers and nature lovers. A travel to Nainital is a fairytale panoramic tour through the Himalayan Mountains where nature is both the backdrop and the director.

Getting There

How would you like to travel?

AIR

The nearest Airport is Pantnagar (71 km). However, delhi is the convenient airport which is connected with major cities in India and abroad.

RAIL

35 km. away, Kathgodam is the nearest railhead is connected with major cities and places in India.

ROAD

Nainital is connected by motorable roads with different places and cites in India.

Nainital is: 

67 km from Almora

403 km from Agra

303 km from Badrinath

318 km from Delhi

306 km from Haridwar

120 km from Kausani

380 km from Lucknow

155 km from Moradabad

355 km from Mussoorie

Sights to See

Naini Lake

This attribute lake is believed to be one of the emerald green eyes of Shiva's consort, Sati. According to Hindu mythology, when Sati's father insulted Shiva by not inviting him to a family sacrifice, she immolated herself in protest. This infuriated Shiva who gathered the charred remains in his arms and proceeded to engage in ‘tandav’ "dance of cosmic destruction," which threatened the very existence of the world. To terminate the dance, Vishnu, the preserver of the Universe, chopped up Sati’s body into pieces, and the remains were scattered throughout India. The modern Naina Devi Temple at the northern end of the Naini Lake is the exact spot where Sati's eye is believed to have fallen.

Snow View

A visit to the Snow View is a must for all Nainital visitors who want to have a grand view of Nanda Devi, India's second-highest peak. High above the town, Snow View is a hilltop area and 2,235m (7,450 ft.) above sea level. There visitors will find a small marble temple dedicated to Dev Mundi housing images of different gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheons including Durga, Sita, Shiva, Rama, Lakshmana and Hanuman. 

Dorothy Seat

Located at an altitude of 2292 meters and 4 km from the town, Dorothy Seat, also known as Tiffin Top, is set atop the Aryapatta Hill. Here you will find a memorial to an English lady named Dorothy Kellet, believed to have been killed in an air crash. Today the place is a famous picnic spot. 

Hanumangarhi

At an altitude of 1951 metres, the place is home to a shrine of immense spiritual activity. From this scenic spot you can have a majestic view of the sunset.

High Altitude Zoo 

Located at a height of 2075 meters, it is at a distance of 1.5 km. from the bus station. It is well known for animals that live in high altitudes.

Kilbury

Kilbury is located 2528 meters above sea level and at a distance of 3 km. A forest rest house is available for overnight stay and reservation for the same may be made through the District Forest Office (DFO), Nainital. 

Land’s End

A magnificent view of Khurpa Tal and the terraced fields on the hill side.

Khurpa-Tal

This peaceful and enchanting spot is situated at the outskirts of Nainital and famous for fishing. The place is 5 km. from Nainital.

Laria Kanta 

A picnic spot at an height of 2481 meters with a view of mountain ranges. 

Naina Peak

At height of 2610 meters, it is the highest peak around Nainital which can be reached either by trekking or on horse back. There is a four-room log cabin for tourists. 

State Observatory

This observatory is devoted to astronomical studies and optical tracking of artificial earth satellites.

Success vs Failure .... Decide yourself.

Cloud Basics

What is cloud computing?

Cloud computing has evolved from a risky and confusing concept to a strategy that organizations large and small are beginning to adopt as part of their overall computing strategy. Companies are now starting to ask not whether they should think about cloud computing but what types of cloud computing models are best suited to solve their business problems. 

There are many important cloud fundamental services —

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) — to develop and deploy applications to support the business and open up new innovative opportunities and new revenue streams.
• Software as a Service (SaaS) provides packaged business process offerings that live in cloud and leverage both IaaS and PaaS services.

While cloud computing and services can be use for some relatively simple purposes also. like -

• e-mail
• Customer relationship management

Cloud computing is a method of providing a set of shared computing resources that includes - 

• Applications
• Computing
• Storage
• Networking
• Development
• Deployment platforms
• Business processes

Cloud computing turns traditional and typical computing assets into shared pools of resources that are based on an underlying Internet foundation.

Clouds come in different versions, depending on your needs. There are two primary deployment models of cloud -

• Public
• Private

Most organizations use a combination of private computing resources (data centers and private clouds) and public services as a hybrid environment.

The cloud doesn't exist in isolation to other corporate IT investments. The reality is that most companies use a combination of public and private cloud services in conjunction with their data center. Companies use different methods, depending on their business requirements to link and integrate these services. The way you construct your hybrid computing environment is determined by complexity of workloads and how you want to optimize performance of those workloads to support your constituents.

We may consider following factors for deciding deployment kind for cloud -

• Particular performance
• Security requirements
• Specific business goals

IaaS- 

The delivery of services such as hardware, software, storage, networking, data center space, and various utility software elements on request. Both public and private versions of IaaS exist.

In a public IaaS, user needs a simple sign-up mechanism to acquire resources. When users no longer need the resources, they can de-provision them.

In a private IaaS, IT organization or an integrator creates an infrastructure designed to provide resources on demand to internal users and sometimes partners. IaaS is the fundamental element used by other cloud models. Some customers bring their own tools and software to create applications.

PaaS- 

A mechanism for combining IaaS with an abstracted set of middle-ware services, software development and deployment tools that allow the organization to have a consistent way to create and deploy applications on a cloud or on-premises environment. A PaaS environment supports coordination between the developer and the operations organization, typically called DevOps. A PaaS offers a consistent set of programming and middleware services that ensure developers have a well-tested and well-integrated way to create applications in a cloud environment. A PaaS requires an infrastructure service.

SaaS- 

A business application created and hosted by a provider in a Multi-Tenant (shared) model. The SaaS application sits on top of both a PaaS and foundational IaaS. A SaaS environment can be built directly on an IaaS platform. Typically these underlying services aren’t visible to end-users of a SaaS application.

Cloud Capabilities -

• Elasticity and self-service provisioning
• Billing and metering of service usage
• Workload management
• Management services

Some Design tips in IBM Infosphere Information Datastage

1) When you need to run the same sequence of jobs again and again, better create a sequencer with all the jobs that you need to run. Running this sequencer will run all the jobs. You can provide the sequence as per your requirement.

2) If you are using a copy or a filter stage either immediately after or immediately before a transformer stage, you are reducing the efficiency by using more stages because a transformer does the job of both copy stage as well as a filter stage

3) Use Sort stages instead of Remove duplicate stages. Sort stage has got more grouping options and sort indicator options.

4) Turn off Run-time Column propagation wherever it’s not required.

5) Make use of Modify, Filter, and Aggregation, Col. Generator etc stages instead of Transformer stage only if the anticipated volumes are high and performance becomes a problem. Otherwise use Transformer. It is very easy to code a transformer than a modify stage.

6) Avoid propagation of unnecessary metadata between the stages. Use Modify stage and drop the metadata. Modify stage will drop the metadata only when explicitly specified using DROP clause. You may try dropping such unnecessary metadata with other stages, but that would not work as it will carry till end in background, only modify stage help in dropping such metadata.

7) Add reject files wherever you need reprocessing of rejected records or you think considerable data loss may happen. Try to keep reject file at least at Sequential file stages and writing to Database stages.

8) Make use of Order By clause when a DB stage is being used in join. The intention is to make use of Database power for sorting instead of Data Stage resources. Keep the join partitioning as Auto. Indicate don’t sort option between DB stage and join stage using sort stage when using order by clause.

9) While doing Outer joins, you can make use of Dummy variables for just Null checking instead of fetching an explicit column from table.

10) Data Partitioning is very important part of Parallel job design. Use proper partitioning method according to given scenario.

11) Do remember that Modify drops the Metadata only when it is explicitly asked to do so using KEEP/DROP clauses.

12) Range Look-up: Range Look-up is equivalent to the operator between. Lookup against a range of values was difficult to implement in previous Data Stage versions. By having this functionality in the lookup stage, comparing a source column to a range of two lookup columns or a lookup column to a range of two source columns can be easily implemented.

13) Use a Copy stage to dump out data to intermediate peek stages or sequential debug files. Copy stages get removed during compile time so they do not increase overhead

14) Where you are using a Copy stage with a single input and a single output, you should ensure that you set the Force property in the stage editor TRUE. This prevents DataStage from deciding that the Copy operation is superfluous and optimizing it out of the job.

Data Modeling

What is Data Modeling??

Data modeling is a process to define and analyze data requirements needed to support the business processes within the scope of corresponding information systems in organizations.

Data models provide a structure for data used within information systems by providing specific definition and format. If a data model is used consistently across systems then compatibility of data can be achieved. If the same data structures are used to store and access data then different applications can share data seamlessly.

• Visual representation of objects and their relationships
• Nature of Data, Business rules and organization in database.

What to and who will visualize - 

• House – Database
• Building Architect – Data Modeler
• Building Requirement – Business Requirement
• Building Plan – Data model
• Civil Engineers - DBA

Advantages of Data Modeling -

• Define the significance of business on various objects. 
• Business rules can be easily represented. 
• Easy communication with Line of business.
• To assist business analysts, programmers, testers, manual writers, IT package selectors, engineers, managers, related organizations and clients to understand and use an agreed semi-formal model the concepts of the organization and how they relate to one another. 
• To manage data as a resource 
• For the integration of information systems 
• For designing databases/data warehouses (aka data repositories)
• All data objects are covered from requirement and represented and connected pictorially

Life without Data Modeling - 

• Write everything in a piece of paper or notepad 
• Write all rules in text how various objects are related 
• Miss out pieces while writing 
• Others won’t understand the complete picture of requirement 
• Inefficiency in the starting point of software cycle 
• Navigates down the line and the outcome is a bad product Maintenance or enhancement?

Data Modeling Tools in Market

• Erwin – Computer Associates 
• Embarcadero - Embarcadero Technologies 
• Rational Rose - IBM 
• Power Designer - Sybase Corporation 
• Oracle Designer - Oracle Corporation

Data Modeling Development Cycles

• I PHASE - Business requirement gathering 
• II PHASE - Conceptual Data Modeling 
• III PHASE - Logical Modeling 
• IV PHASE - Physical Modeling 
• V PHASE - Physical Creation of Database Objects

Business Requirement Gathering:

In this Phase we understand existing the Business process , procedures and Rules. We do data analysis of existing system to understand the data and do perform gap analysis by doing the meetings and knowledge sharing sessions by Business SME’s.

• Understanding the Business by meeting the Process/Business Owners.
• Understanding the Existing Business Processes, Procedures and Rules followed by organization.
• Understanding the goals and expectations of business users and there problem areas.
• Doing Data Analysis.

Conceptual Data Modeling:

In conceptual data model we identifies the highest-level relationships between the different entities.

• Outline of entities.
• Includes the important entities and the relationships among them.Drawing a picture - No detail information 
• Thin layer in Development cycle that we don’t realize
• No attribute is specified. 
• No primary key is specified.

Logical Data Modeling:

In Logical data Model, we describes the data in as much detail as possible, without regard to how they will be physical implemented in the database.

1. Includes all entities and relationships among them. 
2. All details are captured – Entities, attributes, relationships & key groups 
3. No info related to database.
4. All attributes for each entity are specified. 
• The primary key for each entity is specified.
• Foreign keys (keys identifying the relationship between different entities) are specified.
• Normalization occurs at this level. 
5. The steps for designing the logical data model are as follows:
• Specify primary keys for all entities.
• Find the relationships between different entities.
• Find all attributes for each entity.
• Resolve many-to-many relationships.

Physical Data Modeling:

In Physical data model we represent how the model will be built in the database.A physical database model shows all table structures, including column name, column data type, column constraints, primary key, foreign key, and relationships between tables.

1. All tables, columns, relationships and database properties are used here 
2. Abbreviated names for objects if needed 
3. NULL, NOT NULL, RI and relationships are ensured.
4. Features of a physical data model include:
• Specification all tables and columns.
• Foreign keys are used to identify relationships between tables.
• De-normalization may occur based on user requirements.
• Physical considerations may cause the physical data model to be quite different from the logical data model.
• Physical data model will be different for different RDBMS. For example, data type for a column may be different between MySQL and SQL Server.
5. The steps for physical data model design are as follows:
• Convert entities into tables.
• Convert relationships into foreign keys.
• Convert attributes into columns. Modify the physical data model based on physical constraints / requirements.

Physical Creation of Database Objects: 

In this phase we implements the Physical data model in real time Database to create different Database objects. This implementation happens environment wise, these environment are based on the project cycle like - Development, Testing, Production.

Places to visit in India ... Delhi ... Heart of India.

Fast Fact

Temperature :  Summer: 45.2 -21.4 C
Winter: 33.7 -6.8 C

Best Season : September to March
Clothing : Summer- Cottons,
Winter- Heavy woolens

Languages spoken :
Hindi, English, Urdu, Punjabi

Delhi, this is city is my personal favorite one to visit. I can visit this any number of time, again and again.

This city has lot of things to offer to visit and to understand India's rich history.

Stately and historic, the city is one of the undisputed highlights of the country. An array of historical sites including World Heritage Sites of Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb and Qutub Minar rests among other several historical treasures in Delhi’s possession.

The seamless blend of old and new worlds makes for a fascinating exploration of this metropolis. The city is normally the first port of call for those planning to visit Northern India.

No other city in the world is like Delhi, the capital of India. One of the oldest cities in the world, Delhi has an excellent old town ambiance in Old Delhi, and is modern in New Delhi.

Getting There

How would you like to travel?

AIR

Indira Gandhi International Airport is one of largest airport in the world. The airport is the major domestic air hub of the region and is also connected to all the major cities of the world.

RAIL

Delhi is the headquarters of the Northern Railway and is a very well connected railways point with all major cities and towns in India. Main railway stations are New Delhi, Delhi Junction (Old Delhi), Hazrat Nizamuddin, Anand Vihar and SaraiRohilla.

ROAD

Delhi is connected by major highways to all major places in India. 

Sights to See

Qutub Minar

The earliest specimen of the Muslim architecture is the Qutub Minar, a gigantic 72m tower, tapering from a 15m diameter at the base to 2.5m at the top. A World Heritage Site monument built by the first Muslim ruler of India Qutub-ud-din Aikab of the Delhi Sultanate, the Qutub Minar ranks as one of the most famous attractions in India. Near the QutubMinar lies Quwwat-ul-Islam, considered to be India's oldest mosque. Visitors can also find an Iron Pillar, dating back to the 4th century AD. 

Humayun’s Tomb

A forerunner of the Taj Mahal in Agra, the mausoleum of Humayun, the second Mughal emperor, was built by the emperor’s wife, Haji Begum. Designed by the Persian (Iranian) architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, the tomb was completed in 1569 AD. Set in a formal Persian garden, the tomb features an artful combination of red sandstone and white marble in the outward appearance of the edifice. In the grounds, you can also find other monuments including Isa Khan’s tomb.

Red fort

Built by Shah Jahan, the palace fortress, is known as the Red Fort because of the red sandstone fabric of its rampart walls, with its halls, palaces, pavilions and serene gardens was completed in 1648. Within the enclosure of the red fort are located many fairy tale buildings. The Diwan-i-Khas (also known as Shah Mahal) and the Rang Mahal (also called Imtiyaz Mahal or palace of distinctions) are the tow most conspicuous buildings inside the Red Fort.

Jama Masjid

The grand Jami Masjid of Delhi was built by Shah Jahan in 1656. Situated on a hill near the Red fort, this largest mosque of India took 5,000 laborers 6 years to complete and pays testament to the vision and power of Shah Jahan, who is considered to be the most prolific builder among the Mughal emperors. Jami Masjid can hold 25,000 people at one time. 

Dilli Haat 

Situated opposite the INA Market, this open-air arts-and-crafts market provides a unique shopping experience. You can buy regional handicrafts from different parts of the country. Apart from this, people visiting Dilli Haat can taste the regionally diverse cuisines. 

Birla Mandir (Laxmi Narayan Temple) 

It is located on Mandir Marg in central Delhi. The temple was built in 1938 by the prominent Indian industrialist Raja Baldev Das Birla and inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. Also known as the Lakshmi Narayan Temple, it is dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and Lord Narayana (Lord Vishnu). Built in Orissan style, the shrine houses a large number of idols of various gods of Indian pantheon. The well-grafted gardens are added attraction. 

Chattarpur Mandir

Located beyond the Qutab Minar in Mehrauli, the wonderful Chattarpur Mandir is built in South Indian style. Dedicated to Goddess Durga, the temple complex is spread over a large area with beautiful lawns and gardens. A constant hive of activity, the shrine becomes one of the busiest pilgrimage sites during the during the Navratri celebrations. 

Gurdwara Bangla Sahib 

One of the famous pilgrimage destinations of the Sikh religion, the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib is venerated by devotees who make a trip to this holy place in the capital of India. Located in the heart of New Delhi's Cannaught Place area, the shrine was constructed at the site where Harkrishan Dev, the eighth Sikh guru, spent several months. An architectural beauty, the shrine has beautifully carved marble pillars, decorated floors and onion domes adorned with gold. 

St. James Church

Located at the intersection of Church Road and Lothian Road, St. James Church is the oldest church in Delhi. Built by Colonel James Skinner, the church was consecrated in 1836. Combining the styles of Greek and Roman architecture, the church is designed in a cruciform plan with the entrance towards the west and the altar towards the east. Its dome interestingly is very similar to that of Florence Cathedral in Venice in Italy. Porches on the north, south and the west provide the building with three entrances. The central portion of the church is an octagon with circular columns supporting the dome. 

Lodi Gardens 

A green, shaded oasis in the heart of the city, Lodi Garden, also known as Lodi Gardens, is about 3 km to the west of Humayun's tomb. In these well-maintained gardens are the tombs of rulers belonging to the Sayyid and other Lodi dynasties.

Rashtrapati Bhawan 

Delhi’s other architectural gem is Rashtrapati Bhavan, official residence of the president of India and formerly of the British Viceroy. The building is the highlight of Lutyen’s New Delhi and was completed in 1929 at a cost of 12,53,000 pound sterling.

Bahai Lotus Temple 

Shaped like the sacred lotus flower, this extraordinary temple is a major highlight of Delhi. Designed by Iranian-Canadian architect FariburzSahba in 1986, it is situated at Kalkaji and has 27 immaculate white-marble petals. It is open to the adherents of all faiths who come here to pray or meditate silently according to their own religion. The temple remains closed on Mondays. 

National Gallery of Modern Art 

Once the palace of maharaja of Jaipur, this gallery is a repository of the works of all the great modern Indian artists. Here you can find works by Amrita Sher-Gil, Nobel laureate RabindraNath Tagore and MF Husain. It remains closed on Mondays and Public Holidays. 

Jantar Mantar 

Built by Sawai Jai Singh II, this astronomical observatory is the earliest of the five observatories that were erected by him in different places in India. Built in 1725, it is dominated by a huge sundial and houses other instruments plotting the course of heavenly bodies. 

Parliament House

A marvelous piece of architecture designed by the famed architect Lutyens and constructed under the direct supervision of Sir Herbert Baker, Parliament House is designed as a circular structure. The House is 171 meters in diameter and about one-third of a mile in circumference. The two semicircular house chambers flank the Central Hall with its impressive dome. The building has a continuous open corridor on the first floor fringed with a colonnade of 144 creamy sandstone pillars. The exterior walls of red sandstone are carved in geometric patterns that echo Moghul jaalis. 

Teen Murti Bhavan

Originally the residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces in India, the Teen Murti Bhavan housed the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. Designed by Robert Tor Russel, the architect of Connaught Place, and the Eastern and Western Courts on Janpath. the house was converted into a national memorial comprising a library and a museum after Nehru’s death. The library is one of the finest ones for information on modern Indian history. The house gets its name after the Teen Murti (three statues) Memorial, which stands on its extensive grounds. The memorial was built in memory of the Indian soldiers who perished in World War I. The Bhavan is closed to public on Mondays and on all public holidays. 

Raj Ghat 

Located on the west bank of the river Yamuna, Raj Ghat is the place where Mahatma Gandhi, "Father of the Nation," was cremated on the evening of January 31, 1948. A simple open platform inscribed with his last words, 'Hey Ram' (Oh God) is set in a garden with fountains and a variety of exotic trees. 

Ferozshah Kotla Fort 

Firoz Shah Kotla, off Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, is home to the ruins of the palace of the fifth city of Delhi, Ferozabad, built by Firoz Shah of Tughlaq dynasty in 1354. A major highlight of the fort is a 13m-high sandstone Ashokan Pillar which was brought from Punjab by the Tughlaq ruler to be erected here. 

Vijay Ghat 

Located near Raj Ghat, Vijay Ghat is a memorial dedicated to Lal Bahadur Shastri, the second Prime Minister of India. His last rites was performed here. 

National Zoological Park 

Loctated in close proximity to Purana Qila, near ITO, the Delhi zoo was established in 1959. Spread over a massive area of 214 acres, it is regarded as one of the finest zoos in Asia. Efforts have been made to provide an almost natural habitat to the animals and birds. There are more than 2,000 animals and bird species from places like Africa, America, Australia and Asia. There is a lot of greenery around the zoo and it is an ideal picnic spot especially in winter.

ISKCON Temple

Built by the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKON), this elegant temple is one of the largest temple complexes in India. Lavishly decorated in a mix of ultra-contemporary and traditional styles, the shrine attracts a large number of Hare-Rama Hare-Krishna cult followers.

Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia

One of the most sacred Muslim pilgrimages in India, the tomb of the saint Sheikh Nizamuddin Aulia is undoubtedly one of Delhi's most fascinating attractions. A visit to the place will land you in medieval times. The complex of the shrine includes several other tombs, including that of the noted poet MirzaGhalib (1786-1869), Amir Khusbru and the grave of Jahanara, favourite daughter of Shah Jahan.

India Gate 

One of the chief attractions of Delhi, India Gate was built as a memorial to commemorate the 70,000 India soldiers who died in World War I. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens the monument was completed in 1931.

Akshardham

Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi epitomizes 10,000 years of Indian culture in all its breathtaking grandeur, beauty, wisdom and bliss. It brilliantly showcases the essence of India’s ancient architecture, traditions and timeless spiritual messages. The Akshardham experience is an enlightening journey through India’s glorious art, values and contributions for the progress, happiness and harmony of mankind.

Garden of Five Senses

Twenty acres of sprawling lush garden area, the Garden of Five Senses is situated close to Mehrauli heritage zone. The park is a great place to relax and unwind. The park plays host o a variety of activities that invite public interaction and exploration.

The National Museum 

If you only visit one museum in Delhi, make it the National Museum. A couple of hours’ stay here will equip you with the historical knowledge you will need for when you go exploring the capital city as well as the rest of India.

Chandni Chowk

One of the oldest and largest enclosed bazaars in India, Chandni Chowk (Moonlit Square) is one of the most enticing and wonderful attractions in Delhi. Running through the middle of the walled city, Chandni Chowk is crammed with hundreds of shops, religious shrines and tea houses. It is an amazing experience to amble around the alleyways, looking and enjoying, or bargaining and buying.

Tughlaqabad 

Presently toppled to a state of picturesque ruination, Tughlaqabad was a magnificent fort city built by Ghiasuddin Tughlaq in 1324. At that time within its enclosures were located a vast number of buildings, mosques, palaces, towers, and tanks surrounded by mammoth bastions. After his death it became a deserted, and a haunted place. 

Safdarjung's Tomb

Representing the last phase of the Mughal style of architecture, Safdarjang's Tomb stands in the center of an extensive garden, aid down on the pattern of the Mughal Charbagh style. Built in 1753 by Shauja-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh, to house the remains of his father Safdarjung, who was a powerful minister in the Mughal court during the reign of Muhammad Shah, the tomb is referred to as the "last flicker in the lamp of Mughal architecture." Built in red sandstone and buff stone, the monument shows how the grace and grandeur of the Mughals had been overtaken by decadence. The tomb also has a mosque. 

Qila Rai Pithora 

Built by greatest Chauhan ruler Prithviraja Chauhan III, this landmark is also known as the first Red Fort of Delhi and one of the seven ancient cities of Delhi. Prithviraja Chauhan is credited to have extended the citadel of Lal Kot, and constructed huge ramparts and moats around it. The city derived its name from the title of Prithviraja Chauhan himself and thus came to be known as Qila Rai Pithora, with Lal Kot as its southwestern base.

Motivational thought .... Respect.... !!

Places to visit in India.... Jammu.. A city of temples...

Fast Facts

Temperature :
Summer: 39.9 -23 C
Winter: 26.2-4.3 C
Season: September to April

Clothing :
Summer- Cottons,
Winter- Heavy woollens

Languages spoken :
Hindi, English, Urdu and Dogri
STD Code: 0191

Once seat of power of the Dogra Rajas, this winter capital of the state is the leaping off point for the magnificent religious and natural attractions that lure the tourists and devotees to the other parts of the region. In Jammu you can visit beautiful temples, palaces and relics of the past and enjoy the city’s peaceful atmosphere with delightfully stunning tourist sights.

Appropriately called the City of Temples because of the profusion of shrines dotting the landscape, Jammu is a travel destination on its own right. Studded with an incredibly beautiful landscape, this southernmost unit of the state of Jammu & Kashmir nestles in the foothills of the Himalayas. 

Getting There

How would you like to travel?

AIR

The city’s airport is connected by flights from major cities of India.

RAIL

Jammu Tawi is connected by rail with major cities and places in India.

ROAD

Jammu is connected by good roads to all major places in India. 

Jammu is:

243 km from Amritsar

436 km from Chandigarh

586 km from Delhi

428 km from Manali

305 km from Srinagar

48 km from Katra

Sights to See

Raghunath Temple 

The most famous of the shrines of Jammu, Raghunath Temple is situated in the heart of the town. Dedicated to Lord Rama, this major landmark of the city consists of a cluster of temples housing gigantic statutes of deities and numerous lingams. 

Ranbireshwar Temple

One of the most famous shrines of Shiva in Jammu, Ranbireshwar Temple was built by Maharaja Ranabir Singh in 1883. Inn the temple is enshrined an eight feet long central 'Lingam'. It also enshrines twelve Shiva 'Lingams made out of crystal measuring from 15 cms to 38 cms. 

Bahu Fort 

Steeped in history, majestic Bahu Fort is one of the principal visitor attractions in Jammu. Located on the opposite bank of the Tawi River on an upland plateau, the fort is surrounded by a lush green terraced garden, with waterfalls and flowers of just about every kind and colour. It is also one of the most sought after picnic spots the city attracting picnickers in great number. 

Mubarak Mandi Palace 

An ostentatious jewel in the crown of the rulers of Jammu, the Mubarak Mandi Palace is a wonderful showpiece of architecture. This magnificent structure which once served the residential palace of the princely rulers encompasses an array of courtyards, gardens and buildings including Sheesh Mahal and pink Mahal. Within the palace complex is situated Dogra Art Gallery where you can view fine miniatures belonging to the Jammu and Basohli School of painting. 

Shrine of Pir Badhan Ali Shah 

The 'durgah' of Peer Budhan Ali Shah or Peer Baba as it is known, is visited by people of all faiths. It is said that Peer Baba, a friend of 10th Guru Gobind Singh, lived his entire life on milk alone and lived to the age of five hundred. Hence the name Budhan Ali Shah. 

Pir Khoh

Overlooking the Tawi River, the Peer Khoh cave temple is another well-known Shiva temple in Jammu.

Amar Mahal Palace Museum 

Amar Mahal Palace Museum is a sight that should not be missed when visiting Jammu. Located on the right bank of the Tawi River, this museum was once a palace built by Raja Amar Singh. Built by a French architect on the lines of a French Chateau, this architectural wonder displays beautiful paintings and several rare art collections.

Ranbir Canal

An oasis of tranquility, a visit to Ranbir Canal offers a serene escape from the daily chores of life. One of the most beautiful spots in Jammu, the place lures the local people who use it as a picnic spot. The scenic landscape, fresh and pure atmosphere will provide visitors an unforgettable experience.

Excursions

Akhnoor (32 km)

Situated on the banks of the mighty Chenab River, the picturesque and historic town of Akhnoor is associated with the legendary romance of Soni-Mahiwal. Hence romance is most definitely in the air in Akhnoor. Ruins of the Indus Valley Civilization along the riverbank are a real draw. 

Shahdra Sharief (177 km)

One of the most sacred destinations of Muslim pilgrimage, the shrine of the great Muslim saint, Pir Baba Ghulam Shah, is visited by a large number of devotees. Built in the 19th century on a beautiful hillock in Thanna Mandi area, 29 km from Rajouri town, it has great historical significance in the context of the origin of the State of Jammu & Kashmir. Thanna Mandi was the chosen stopover for the Mughals when they journeyed from Delhi to Kashmir and back. It was renowned for its woodcraft and chikri work, particularly the double-edged combs. Regular bus services are available from Rajouri and Jammu. 

Jhajjar Kotti (35 km)

Breathtakingly beautiful the idyllic tourist destination of Jhajjar Kotti in the state of Jammu and Kashmir offers an exhilarating experience. It is a famous picnic spot located on the banks of the Jhajjar rivulet. 

Purmandal- Uttar Behani (40 km)

The place is famous for its imposing rock temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and for the paintings on the walls of old buildings.

Surinsar Lake (42 km)

Emphatically not to be missed while you're in Jammu is a visit to the Surinsar Lake. Set in the midst of a dramatic landscape, this heart shaped bewitching lake, situated amid picturesque low hills, will surely captivate you.

Babor (58 km)

The spot is a famous archaeological site, known for its temples. 

Vaishnodevi (61 km)

Nestled in the lap of the mighty Trikuta Mountains, the cave shrine of Trikuta Bhagvati, popularly known as Vaishnodevi, one of the most visited pilgrimage centres in India – and indeed the world. Located at an altitude of 5,200 feet above sea level, the shrine attracts devotees from different parts of the country and the world. 

Kirimchi Temple (64 km) 

Located in a beautiful landscape, the magnificent Kirimchi Temple complex is one of the sacred sites for the Hindus. Known for its exceptional architectural and natural beauty, the group consists of five temples locally known as Pandva temples. They were built during eight-ninth century A.D.

Baba Dhansar (65 km)

Surrounded by natural Scenery this is a sacred place that is 10 km from Katra. Shivaratri is the major festival which attracts a large number of visitors. 

Jassota Sanctuary (65 km)

Occupying a small area of 3.75 sq. miles the sanctuary supports a large population of Chital, barking deer, wild boar and rhesus macaque. 

Dera Baba Banda (75 km)

A famous pilgrimage destination for the Sikhs the place, located 30 km from Katra, is an attractive spot, with a Gurudwara & Samadhi dedicated to Baba Banda Bairagi- the favorite saint soldier of Guru Gobind Singh.

Mansar Lake (80 km)

A visit to this beautiful and picturesque lake ringed by forest covered hills is a fairy tale panoramic tour. The ruins of a small old palace decorated with colourful frescoes on its banks are an added attraction. 

Holy Cave of Shiva Khori (90 km)

Located in an incredible landscape, Shiva Khori is a site of immense significance for pilgrims. 75 Km from Katra, the place can be reached after a 3 km. trek from Ransu. Shaped like Lord Shiva's Damroo, the holy cave is nearly a kilometre long and houses a 4 ft high, naturally formed ‘Shivling’. A major fair on the eve of Shivaratri is organised every year with much pomp and ceremony and large crowd gather here to pay their homage. 

Salal Dam & Lake (95 km)

The largest hydro electric project in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the dam is visited for its beautiful artificial lake that captivates tourists. 

Ramnagar (102 km)

Steeped in history, the place is one of Jammu’s greatest treasures. It is home to an impressive fort housing palace, built by Raja Suchet Singh, as well as Samadhi of Maharani who committed sati after the death of the king. 

Kud (106 km)

Located at an altitude of 1770 meters on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, the place captivates picnickers and offers a wide range of trekking options. 

Patnitop (108 km) 

A popular excursion from Jammu, Patnitop has been a huge draw card for travelers from far and wide for its natural beauty and tranquility. Enveloped by thickly wooded forests the place is perched atop a hill. The beauty of Patnitop means that a trip here should definitely be included in your Jammu’s itinerary.

Reasi (79 km)

Once the seat of the erstwhile Bhimgarh State, the town is located on the Chenab River. 

Gauri Kund (115 km)

Named after Goddess Parvati, consort of Lord Shiva, this spring is the place where she used bathe before commencing her daily prayers at Sudh Mahadev.

Billawar (120 km)

A place of religious significance, it is famous for its Mahabilkeshwar Shiva temple. 

Sudh Mahadev (120 km)

Situated at an altitude of 1225 meters near Patnitop, this sacred place is visited by pilgrims on the full moon night of "Saawan" (July-August) to worship the "Trishul" (trident) and a mace which according to tradition is said to belong to Lord Shiva. 

Mantalai (124 km)

Surrounded by lush Deodar forests, Mantalai is a few Kilometers away from Sudh Mahadev. Located at a height of over 2000 mts, it is famous for being the place where Lord Shiva got married to Goddess Parvati. 

Basohli (125 km) 

Basohli attracts visitors who come to this town in Jammu and Kashmir for a brush with history and art. The Place gave birth to the famous art of the Pahari miniatures known as Basohli Paintings. 

Batote (125 km)

The stuff of poetry and painting, Batote is situated at an altitude of 1560 metres. The bracing climate, enchanting pine forests and good spring water make Batote a famous health resort.

Sanasar (129 km)

A lush green cup-shaped meadow surrounded on all sides by the thick bands of lofty conifers on the mountain slopes, the place is ideal for adventurous spirits who can indulge in paragliding.

Sukrala Devi Temple (132 km)

Picturesquely perched on a hillock, the shrine of Sukrala Devi is located at a height of 3500 ft amidst serene surroundings.

Places to visit in India .... Patnitop

Fast Fact

Temperature: Summer: 20 - 8 C
Winter: 10 -0 C
Best Season: Throughout the year

Clothing: Summer- Cottons,
Winter- Heavy woolens

Languages spoken :
Hindi, Urdu, Kashmiri
STD Code: 01992

Situated 112 km from Jammu is one of the greatest treasures of Jammu and Kashmir, Patnitop, a hill resort perched on a beautiful plateau at an altitude of 2024 meters offering breath taking views of the of the Chenab basin.

Though not as famous as other tourist places of the state, Patnitop, enveloped by thickly wooded forests, is known for its natural charm, climate, pine forests and lush green cover of the pine trees that make the place a far more appealing travel destination than other more famous destinations in the state.

A haven for outdoor pursuits, Patnitop is also a trail-head for numerous treks to the nearby mountains. The beauty of Patnitop means that a trip here should definitely be included in your Jammu’s itinerary.

Getting There
How would you like to travel?
AIR
The nearest airport is at Jammu that is connected by flights with different cities and places in India.

RAIL
Katra and Jammu Tawi are two nearest railway stations connected with different cities and places in India.

ROAD
Patnitop is connected by roads with different places and cites in India
Patnitop is: 112 km from Jammu
180 km from Pahalgam

Sights to See

Sudh Mahadev 

Situated at an altitude of 1225 meters near Patnitop, this sacred place is visited by pilgrims on the full moon night of "Saawan" (July-August) to worship the "Trishul" (trident) and a mace which according to tradition is said to belong to Lord Shiva.

Excursions

Sanasar (19 km) 

A lush green cup-shaped meadow surrounded on all sides by the thick bands of lofty conifers on the mountain slopes, the place is ideal for adventurous spirits who can indulge in paragliding. Located at an altitude of 2079 meter, Sanasar is known for its natural beauty and tranquility.

Akhnoor (32 km from Jammu) 

Situated on the banks of the mighty Chenab River, the picturesque and historic town of Akhnoor is associated with the legendary romance of Soni-Mahiwal. Hence romance is most definitely in the air in Akhnoor. Ruins of the Indus Valley Civilization along the riverbank are a real draw.

Jammu (112 km from Patnitop) 

Appropriately called the City of Temples because of the profusion of shrines dotting the landscape, Jammu is the leaping off point for the magnificent religious and natural attractions that lure the tourists and devotees to the other parts of the region. In Jammu you can visit beautiful temples, palaces and relics of the past and enjoy the city’s peaceful atmosphere with delightfully stunning tourist sights. The Dargah of Peer Budhan Ali Shah is the other shrine held sacred by the people.

Vaishnodevi (100 km) 

Nestled in the lap of the mighty Trikuta Mountains, the cave shrine of Trikuta Bhagvati, popularly known as Vaishnodevi, is one of the most visited pilgrimage centers in India – and indeed the world. Located at an altitude of 5,200 feet above sea level, the shrine attracts devotees from different parts of the country and the world.

Adventure

Trekking 

A range of trekking options is available here. Summer is the season when all trekking routes are open while some are open in winter too. There are excellent camping sites also en-route. The Sundarani- Jungal Gali-Jasarkote-Sanasar route in Jangal Gali area lets you choose any of three exciting treks. There are Trekking equipment hire shops of tourism Department at Jammu and Kud. They stock imported and local gear. These are available for fixed prices.

The equipment is issued against cash receipt or on Guarantee letter from Dy. Dir Tourism/Dy. Secy of State or central govt. For a foreign tourist Passport is held as security deposit. Some travel agencies in Jammu city also organize Trekking in the area.

Skiing 

Skiing courses are conducted at Patnitop in the months of January and Feburary. During winter months there are introductory courses for tourists/beginners at gentle gradient slopes of Patnitop. At Madhatop (5/6 Kms from Patni top on Sanasar Road) excellent possibilities for all kind of skiing exist. A ski-lift in the area is also proposed.

As for facilities 40 sets of equipment is available at Patnitop and Sanasar. Also available are wooden sledges locally. For beginners Instructors are also available. Restaurants and Dhabas serve tourists round the year.

Aero sports

Paragliding has been introduced at Sanasar and Jammu. Equipment is available on Hire from tourist office in Jammu city. May-June and September-October are best suited for paragliding. Other aero sports like Parasailing and Hot air ballooning are also becoming operational shortly.