System Thinking World Journal

I am hoping to see more of these articles around system thinking – such a simple method for analyzing complex problems. I would have named this article as “unleashing deeper understanding”. Refer Unleashing Understanding by Author: Gene Bellinger

Credit Card Parsing Algorithm for Unix

I was asked to parse 85 million records of varchar(255) character fields to find credit card numbers in it and hide them to achieve PCI DSS complaince . This is what I did to simplify the stuff !

1) Get a dump of database table (or important columns) to your unix box.
2) Write a "ccengine" parsing script based on Lugn's algorithm.
3) Dump the rows with credit card numbers.
4) Hide the CC# with regexp .
5) Upload back to the database.

Here is a credit card engine script in SED to help developers parse through credit card numbers in Unix which is needed prior to implementing Luhn's algorithm .

Create a file "ccengine.sed" with following content


s/[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]4[0-9]\{3\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{3\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*/g
s/[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]5[1-5][0-9]\{2\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{3\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]6011[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{3\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*/g
s/[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]4[0-9]\{3\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]5[1-5][0-9]\{2\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]6011[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]3[47][0-9]\{13\}/\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*/g
s/[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]30[0-5][0-9][./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{2\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]36[0-9]\{2\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{2\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]38[0-9]\{2\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{2\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]3[47][0-9]\{2\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}[./\-#$%^&@_*!\ ]*[0-9]\{4\}/\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*/g
s/4[0-9]\{3\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{3\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*/g
s/5[1-5][0-9]\{2\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{3\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*/g
s/6011[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{3\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*/g
s/4[0-9]\{3\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/5[1-5][0-9]\{2\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/6011[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/3[47][0-9]\{13\}/\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*/g
s/4[0-9]\{3\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{3\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*/g
s/5[1-5][0-9]\{2\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{3\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*/g
s/6011[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{3\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*/g
s/4[0-9]\{3\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/5[1-5][0-9]\{2\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/6011[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/3[47][0-9]\{13\}/\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*/g
s/30[0-5][0-9][- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{2\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/36[0-9]\{2\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{2\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/38[0-9]\{2\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{2\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/[^0-9]4[0-9]\{3\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/[#- ]4[0-9]\{3\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*/g
s/3[47][0-9]{2\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{4\}[- ]*[0-9]\{3\}/\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*\*-\*\*\*/g
Say CCENGINE=ccengine.sed
INFILE= is your initial load
OUTFILE = your output with CC numbers.

If you have the dump of database as a bcp or sqlload or just a file , just need to translate the file using following sed command

sed -f $CCENGINE $INFILE >$OUTFILE

bcp or sqlload back dependending on whether you are using Sybase or Oracle.Keep it Simple !

Choice Overload

Life is full of choices and a good life is all about making the right decision . An interesting talk from Sheena Iyengar in TED on decision making during such choice overload is quite intriguing. I am also quite influenced by Jonah Lehrer's Decisive Moment in the way it deciphers how we make decisions based on our past experience.

An attempt at visualizing the future ...

... I guess is called strategy .

Positioning Tele2 in Russia is an attempt to visualize what Tele2 should do in the Russian market. Great to have been corroborated with a grade A and some kind words and guidance from Prof. Cummings .

India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement-Opportunities and Challenges

New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser and Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma announced on 31 January 2010 that all approvals had been secured for Free Trade Agreement negotiations to commence between their two countries(source:- MFAT). This is good opportunity for New Zealand businesses but brings in several challenges too .

The presentation ,as part of individual study in International business course is based on India – New Zealand Joint Study for a Free Trade Agreement/Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and refers several international business resources and focuses specifically from a NZ business point of view.

TranzMetro -A Marketing Perspective

Tranz Metro provides passenger rail services for the greater Wellington region. Since 2005, Tranz Metro‟s customers have made over 11 million train trips per year on its five lines which lead to Wellington (Johnsonville, Paraparaumu, Melling, Hutt Valley, and Wairarapa) (Metlink, 2010b). This public transportation service is vital to the area‟s effective functioning and economic development; it also has the added benefit of reducing road congestion and pollution to create a „win-win‟ outcome for the population as a whole (GWRC, n.d.b). „More than 11,000 commuters take the train into and out of Wellington each day of the working week‟ (GWRC, n.d.b).

Unfortunately, numerous disruptions to services, caused by a major upgrade of the rail infrastructure, have sapped passenger confidence (KiwiRail, 2010a, p. 13). Given Tranz Metro‟s view that „the single most important part of our business is to get our passengers where they want to go on time,‟ it will need to carefully manage its marketing approach to win back the confidence and business of its customers (Tranz Metro, 2010b).

Despite the headline news of passenger frustrations over cancelled and delayed trains, there is light at the end of the tunnel with the rail network upgrades and new train cars which are coming.

This group project report done during Marketing management course by team members Souradeep Gupta,Jenet Mwanza ,Rodney Porto,Roshan Ramachandran, analyses Tranz Metro from a marketing perspective, including the product market, demand trends, buyer behaviour and promotional approaches. It will then provide marketing recommendations for Tranz Metro to deal with the issues which are raised by the initial analysis.

Effects of Increasing Mining on Crown Land Prepared for the New Zealand Government

New Zealand’s government is looking for ways to improve the country’s productivity and global competitiveness. One option is to open up some sections of Crown land to mining. However, both tourism and agricultural exports could be impacted by negative perceptions of such mining. This report is directed at the New Zealand government and will employ a systems thinking approach to address the question of:

‘What is the effect of increasing mining on Crown land?’

A variety of stakeholders have interests in the issue of mining on Crown land. These include various government organisations, the mining industry, environmental activists and the New Zealand residents who stand to either gain or lose from mining.

A Causal Loop Diagram is used to show how mining on Crown land might increase government revenue but also negatively impact Ecotourism and New Zealand’s green image. A Behaviour Over Time chart examines four of the variables and displays the likely dynamics of the system. Based on this analysis, we have concluded that increased mining cannot be allowed without some degree of risk mitigation. A number of leverage points are identified and used to frame an intervention strategy.

The primary policy suggestion is to create a Mining Rehabilitation Fund which would include funds for both environmental rehabilitation and public relations engagement. Ultimately, it would aim to mitigate the negative consequences of mining and allow New Zealand to benefit from its mineral resources in a responsible manner.

The complete Systems Thinking Study of the Effects of Increasing Mining on Crown Land Prepared for the New Zealand Government done by team members Souradeep Gupta,Jenet Mwanza ,Rodney Porto,Roshan Ramachandran,Carolyn Shivanandan for Problem Solving & Decision Making course can be found here .