Yeah, it's a pain no matter how you slice it. We used Word, Access, Excell, QuickBooks and paper files for much of what you are talking about.
That's why we're implementing FreeSide. It's going to help with some of the clutter. But not all of it. Takes about 45 minutes for us to add a new customer or take an old one out via the old system. We're hoping to get that under 15 minutes with Freeside. marlon ----- Original Message ----- From: Mark Nash To: WISPA General List Sent: Friday, November 05, 2010 1:34 PM Subject: [WISPA] Systems Management - Process This is lengthy, but worth discussion, I think... I just had a long meeting with our general manager about Systems Management (monitoring, documenting, updating, etc) Let me explain... We ALL have systems to 1. monitor our network 2. document our systems (IP addresses, equipment type, etc) 3. document our IP usage (subnets, routing, etc) We probably all have this information in different places. As our networks and number of devices grow these systems can get out-of-hand and OUT-OF SYNC with each other! Unless there is a good process in place to ensure that these systems get updated when components on our networks are added/removed/replaced/changed. For instance... A new customer is added to our network... Information about that new customer goes into: - billing (several things here...email address verified, pro-rate amount added for first month, valid billing address, name spelled correctly, correct price, contract signed & stored, etc) - nagios (to monitor) - IP documentation (so we don't duplicate IPs) - equipment documentation (so we know what we're dealing with if we have to go out there again) - name the association on the AP so it's easily identifiable Then if that customer cancels... - remove from billing - remove from Nagios (so we stop monitoring) - remove from IP documentation (so we can re-use that IP) - remove equipment documentation Or if that customer has to change towers on our network... - change monitored IP address - change IP documentation (so we can re-use the old IP) - change equipment documentation (if necessary) - name the association on the new AP so it's easily identifiable Now let's consider replacing a backhaul goes down... - change the routing to go to use a backup backhaul (we're using manual re-routing, not autmatic) - change the hierarchy in our monitoring system (we use Nagios "Parents" so that devices that are behind a "Down" device is not "Down" itself, just "Unreachable" - saves the inbox from getting blasted if a backhaul goes down - change the monitored IP address for the router at that site so we're monitoring an IP address that is going over the backup backhaul Then you get it back up and you have to change these things back. My point of all of this is that there are a TON of details to take care of, and if you try to grow fast you need systems and protocol in place to deal with all of this information. Things get forgotten about, and your system can be a mess before you know it. We have used the method of using checklists for client changes (new customer, repair order, disconnect). We're just now getting into cleaning up our systems & documentation on infrastructure components (routers & backhauls & APs - OH MY!!!). We have alot of information about the initial deployment of infrastructure equipment, but as changes have happened, we have not kept up with it. So we're looking at expanding upon our checklists for when infrastructure components are deployed/changed/removed. We think this will help the chaos. How about you? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! Join today! http://signup.wispa.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! Join today! http://signup.wispa.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
