Covering your backside should always be an inherent part of any action plan, not just in IT. But we all have change control processes that we adhere to, don't we? Actually I've worked with a few people who don't, and they are the types that get IT workers a bad reputation by bringing services down in the middle of the working day because they fail to understand the possible impact of their remedial efforts.
On 23 September 2010 14:10, Andrew S. Baker <[email protected]> wrote: > I would add to that list: Establish Risk > > I can't tell you the number of times that someone has looked at two options > for mitigating (or attempting to isolate) a problem, and they're ready to > jump on the one which is harder to recover from. > > *Them*: Possibly corrupt install? Hey, I know! Let's re-image the >>> drive!! >> >> *Me*: Um... How about you put the drive in another system and see if it >>> works there? That way, no data loss if it's not a corrupt install... >> >> > Always have a plan for *"what if my assumption was wrong?"* that doesn't > involve magic, heroics or immunity from prosecution. > > *ASB* > * * > On Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 6:29 AM, Ken Schaefer <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Agreed. Making random changes to servers based on “gut feelings” what are >> bad, isn’t my idea of a desirable troubleshooting strategy. >> >> >> >> Gather facts >> >> Isolate Issue >> >> Identify Root Cause >> >> Implement Fix >> >> >> >> Cheers >> >> Ken >> >> >> >> *From:* Andrew S. Baker [mailto:[email protected]] >> *Sent:* Thursday, 23 September 2010 6:13 PM >> >> *To:* NT System Admin Issues >> *Subject:* Re: Kick Ass Sysadmin (was RE: It appears that the Symantec >> Virus has affected PGP already) >> >> >> >> Another aspect of troubleshooting is the ability to keep track of what are >> actual facts, and what are as-yet-untested-assumptions. >> >> >> >> This includes knowing how to classify information that has been given you >> by the end user. >> >> >> *ASB *(My XeeSM Profile) <http://XeeSM.com/AndrewBaker> >> *Exploiting Technology for Business Advantage...* >> * * >> >> On Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 2:42 AM, James Rankin <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >> It's not what you Google, it's how you Google it. Even when interviewing >> now I tend to try and look for people who can work problems out rather than >> people who can simply rhyme off lists of stuff - and I'm always keen on >> people who check the obvious things first. (Think "how would you >> troubleshoot a GPO that's failing to apply" rather than "name the FSMO >> roles".) There's an art to troubleshooting technical issues that's sometimes >> hard to define. It's probably the old "clean minds and scruffy minds" thing. >> Scruffy minds move in unexpected directions and try things that wouldn't >> necessarily make sense. I can remember fixing some random server hang just >> by stopping a service I didn't like the look of. It's only afterwards that >> we realised that particular app was opening loads of ports and generally >> monopolising the system. I didn't really know what I was looking for, until >> I found it. >> >> On 23 September 2010 00:31, Jonathan Link <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >> Sometimes I wonder if I'm just a good googler... Seems like 90% of my >> issues have been tackled (and documented!) by someone else. >> >> >> >> >> >> On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 7:17 PM, David Lum <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> The place with the ad you mean? I don't remember, but here's one in NY >> that is not completely different: >> >> http://www.linkedin.com/jobs?viewJob=&jobId=1007553 >> >> >> >> I do think I am generaly kick-ass, just don't call me an expert at >> anything. My specialty is the near-vertical leanning curve that is needed on >> an occcasional basis. I get stuff like this almost every month: >> >> Q. "Hey Dave, is this possible?" >> >> -or- >> >> "Hey this infrastructure piece is down and the guy who usually manages it >> is out and there's no documentation, can you make it work?" >> >> >> >> In both cases: >> >> A. "No clue..I mean in theory it is somehow possible" <run off> <back in >> 45 minutes> "yeah we can do it, here's a script/tool/some other clever >> capability". >> >> >> >> The answer of course sometimes comes from this list, or Exchange list, or >> Michael B. Smith. >> >> >> >> Ok I'm not kick ass at all, but I know how to contact a LOT of guys who >> are... >> >> >> >> Dave "my expertise is knowing experts and how to contact them" Lum >> ------------------------------ >> >> *From:* Steven M. Caesare [[email protected]] >> *Sent:* Wednesday, September 22, 2010 1:46 PM >> *To:* NT System Admin Issues >> *Subject:* RE: It appears that the Symantec Virus has affected PGP >> already >> >> Hehe.. type of org? >> >> >> >> -sc >> >> >> >> *From:* David Lum [mailto:[email protected]] >> *Sent:* Wednesday, September 22, 2010 2:26 PM >> *To:* NT System Admin Issues >> *Subject:* RE: It appears that the Symantec Virus has affected PGP >> already >> >> >> >> That reminds me, I was looking at job openings and once place had the job >> description on their website “looking for someone who is kick ass at finding >> technical solutions…”. Being an informalish kind of guy, I was tempted to >> apply just based on that kind of verbiage. >> >> >> >> Still like %dayjob% enough to not apply though… >> >> >> >> Dave >> >> >> >> *From:* Steven M. Caesare [mailto:[email protected]] >> *Sent:* Wednesday, September 22, 2010 10:16 AM >> *To:* NT System Admin Issues >> *Subject:* RE: It appears that the Symantec Virus has affected PGP >> already >> >> >> >> I’m using that on my next technical evaluation summary. >> >> >> >> -sc >> >> >> >> >> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > -- "On two occasions...I have been asked, 'Pray, Mr Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin
