Re: [ActiveDir] MMS 2003 and ADAM 2003

[Glenn Corbett]

Title: Message

Rick,   Agreed, VMware does has some advantages, however MS dont seem to be a big fan of it in production (funny that).  Suggested (jokingly) that we would deploy our MOM configuration on two VMware instances on a server, and that would be supported by them.....correct ?.  The looks on their faces were pricesles....Gotta love winding the MS guys up occasionally...its good for the soul :)  To a certain extent, limiting or banning the use of VMware is good for us, since we have requirements for setting up dev/test environments on "real" hardware, and there is only so much to go around.  Makes them think ahead a bit more.   In our current environment, we have a few things that do ease some of the usual problems with larger organisations (this is in no particular order).   1.    The developers are kept very busy on numerous projects, so "fiddling" around with things like AD is seen as non-productive, and better left to someone who's job it is (ie me). 2.    We have a very lean and mean (the good mean, not the bad one) support team, with a total of less than a dozen people looking after AD, servers, infrastructure, messaging, data managment, system monitoring, backup and security (I'm sure there are a few others as well).  Therefore we are able to impress on the organisation that an easily maintable system allows us to keep this lean and mean structure which ultimately benefits the organisation (less overall cost spent on IT support). 3.    We have the support of senior management, and the infrastructure support teams report directly to the CIO 4.    We have recently undergone MAJOR shifts in the IT support function (essentially being outsourced, and then insourcing).  This has given a major opportunity to "do it differently to the other guys".   Ultimately, yes, control does creep in, but as I said in a recent post we emphasise to the applicaiton owners and the dev teams that if they design something we can ultimately support and take the day-to-day goings-on off their hands, they can get back to playing with the new cool stuff.  This makes them happy, and its a win-win for everybody.   And no, its not smooth sailing with all the dev teams, but since some of them may be on the list too, I dont want to name names :P   I have certainly been in a similar situation as you (fairly recently actually), and it goes get the grey hairs going.  I used to have a tanty every week or so when some stupid request would come in from the dev teams, but I always wrote things down to use as BSD (Bacon Saving Devices), and when things went pear-shaped, just wheeled the documentation out basically exonorating me from the current crisis (still had to fix the damn things though).  After a few of these, things started to turn around, but its a never ending battle. *sigh*   Glenn     ----- Original Message ----- From: Rick Kingslan To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2003 2:05 PM Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] MMS 2003 and ADAM 2003 Yeah, I have to agree with you on the licensing costs on user basis, but it sure beats the hell out of the fights over the test lab, or the added costs that might be associated with hardware, etc. for test environments for everyone who THINKS they need it.   BTW, I'm impressed by the level of co-operation and (the word CONTROL keeps wanting to creep in, but I don't want to use that....) work ethic you seem to have with your dev folks.  Granted - you're 100% correct.  Having support from the top is hugely important, and one of the prime things that I'm suffering from right now - management with no backbone, which puts me into the position of being the bitch of each and every idiot client want and desire, however completely unrealistic, undesireable and undeliverable it might be.  But hey!  I'm not bitter!  ;-)   Rick Kingslan  MCSE, MCSA, MCT Microsoft MVP - Active Directory Associate Expert Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone