May 16, 2006
What Old Wierd Ward Has Been Doing Recently
So now we're re-configuring our server room.
Here at the SFI (Small Financial Institution) deep in the wilds of South East Georgia this is a big deal.
Yes, we really do have a "server room". It's also the "printer room" and the "paper storage room"
For the technically-minded among you, here's what we're up to:
1. Our main application server, a dedicated VMS box, has reached the calculated end of it's service life. It's being replaced by a brand new one, also running the application under VMS. The old box is a tower. A big tower. The new box is a 2U rack-mount that runs at least 5 times faster, in terms of CPU speed, disk speed, and memory speed. Notice, I said "at least".
2. Our domain controller, and our two file servers have already been migrated to 1U rack-mount boxes, running either Win2K Server, or Win2003 Server.
3. Our old single rack (which is maxed out) is in the process of being replaced by two new racks. Routers, switches, firewall appliance, and UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) units are being migrated into the new racks, with enough space left over for future expansion.
4. That rat's nest of network cabling that has been growing like Topsy ("Here, There, and Everywhere!") is being ruthlessly rationalized to something approaching reason. I've even been given license to use brute force (wire cutters) where appropriate.
5. A real, live, honest-to-Murphy-proof backup solution is being fussed, fettled, tested, sworn at, revised, re-tested, and implemented.
6. The big line printers will be moved OUT of the server room. Probably into their very own room, with a semi-noise proof door. AND with sufficient space for the boxes of paper needed to feed those printers. That will trim the numbers of people with required access to the server room by 3/4.
There has been some muttering, here and there, that "those IT pukes are spending 'way too much money!"
Yeah. Right. Well, we're going to spend it now, in 2006, instead of later, in 2010. And, we'll be good to go at least until 2012, with only minor revisions/replacements until 2016 - and NO disruptions in service - I sincerely hope!
In other words, the network infrastructure at the SFI (Small Financial Institution) is being yanked, kicking and screaming, from the 1980's into the 21st Century.
And yes, OWW
Posted by ward at 09:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 13, 2006
Ding Dong, the Witch Is .... What?
Where I work now is a good place - everyone gets along, we laugh together, and the inevitable friction between people is minor.
BUT... I have been in places that have people for whom I have a certain amount of... distaste.
That being said, I would never, ever do THIS.
Well, maybe I wouldn't do that.
Aw, hell, yes I would! I have a little list, they'll never be missed!
Posted by ward at 08:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 25, 2006
Telecommuting is wonderful until...
Telecommuting is a wonderful thing, especially when you have a part of your job that has to be done after business hours, but you want to be at home with the family.
At the SFI (Small Financial Institution), our last branch (located inside a major nationally-known retailer) closes at 6PM, by which time OWW
Usually, at about 6:30 or 7:00, I'll be home at The Swamp. I'll fire up the remote control software, remote in to my desktop PC at work, and from there run what's called "the closing", in which all the day-end processing necessary for the banking business is done, and all the "start day" for the next business day gets set up.
Part of "the closing" is making a backup tape of the day's data. Usually the backup procedure works just fine, takes about ten minutes. Today, the brand-new, fresh-out-of-the-box DLT tape failed.
OWW
Um.
That would be me.
Sigh....
Life isn't easy when doing the right thing bites you right in the buns.
I think I'll indulge in another adult beverage...
Posted by ward at 09:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 24, 2006
Unions and Industrial Death
General Motors is on the very brink of bankruptcy. Ford is closing plants (14) and laying off their workforce (25,000 to 30,000). The "World is going to Hell in a hand-basket". "The sky is falling!"
Well, duh!
This (or THIS), from Neal Boortz (try lays it all out. The short version is: The UAW would rather kill the entire domestic automobile industry than face reality.
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Many years ago the UAW developed a game plan for bleeding the automakers dry. They would pick one of the big-three, either Ford, Chrysler or General Motors. They would then hit the target automaker with a demand for huge pay and benefit increases. That automaker would balk, and the UAW would go out on strike. Finally, after huge loses, the automaker would cave. A new contract would be signed, and the unions would then force that contract on the other automakers. Over the years these contracts created a burden on the automakers that could not be sustained. In some cases these automakers can't even lay off employees without having to continue their paychecks years into the future. |
Boortz's analysis is right on the money - and money is what this is all about.
Let's face it - cars and trucks built in UAW-union plants have a huge component in labor costs. For the American consumer, this labor cost is not paid back in quality and design.
There are exceptions - but they're almost always on the high end of the price scale.
And let's not forget the complicity of Management. They caved in to the union's demands. If Ford gave in, GM and Chrysler followed right along, just like cattle to the slaughter.
Hey, Ford/GM/Chrysler/UAW - the chickens HAVE come home to roost. The cost of those lucrative union contracts is your mutual mutilation and probable death.
DISCLAIMER: I, Old Wierd Ward, do not agree with everything that Mr. Boortz says. That being said, I agree with him 52.47% of the time, disagree with him 43.34% of the time, and don't care the rest of the time.
Ahh, c'mon, d'you really believe those numbers? The "margin of error" is +/- 55%, give-or-take depending on my coffee intake, my day-of-the-week Grouch Factor, and whether or not I got rained upon during my lunch break.
Posted by ward at 10:41 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
December 16, 2005
Great Job Search, Part XXI
I've made several posts about The Great Job Search. Back in August, my part-time gig went away (HERE)
Then, I got picked up for a full-time temp-to-perm gig.
"Perm" happens this coming Monday.
I'm assured that unless I whup it out and step on it, in public, with my golf shoes (and I do NOT golf), I'm going to be fully employed for quite a while.
As of 28 December, it's been four long years since I had a full-time, "permanent" job.
I'm a reasonably happy camper.
After all, this IS a pretty good Christmas present, don't you think?
Posted by ward at 11:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 03, 2005
Flood Recovery
It's Saturday morning, and boyoboy am I glad the work-week is over.
At the SFI (Small Financial Institution) we've been prepping a temporary branch office so's the customers in the town where our HQ is can do their business without going to one of our other branches, which are five and ten miles from HQ.
The reason we're doing a "temporary branch office" is that back in early October, SE Georgia had a series of days when extremely heavy rainfall would hit a small area. I live about fifteen miles from the head office, and on that Friday, at my house, it was dry. At HQ, there was between two and four inches of rain in 1/2 hour - and the customer service area flooded. The back end, containing the admin offices and IT department didn't flood, due to a raised floor. The flooded area is now down to the bare studs, and the Board of Directors is trying to decide what to do about the flooded area. This part of the building has flooded 4 times in the last 20 years, and I think the insurance company has dropped a little hint that Something Must Be Done.
So, as far as IT is concerned, since the computers are in, the networking is done (I just love pulling Cat5E wiring!), the router and switch are in, tested, and working, and all the networked printers now work, we're ready to roll on Monday.
Whew!
Posted by ward at 08:52 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 17, 2005
Working With Windows
It's been a while - about four years - since I had a chance to mess about with Windows Server. And 'way back when, it was Windows NT Server 4.0 SP6.
Now, it's Windows 2000 Server SP4. And Active Directory.
My, things flow so here!
But some things remain the same.
At my SFI (Small Financial Institution), there are fewer than 100 users, spread across 6 locations.
There are the usual suspects: Management, Accounting, Tellers, IT, and a few others.
So Old Wierd Ward looks around the domain, and guess what? There aren't ANY logon scripts.
OWW's first logon script works like a champ - point everyone at the Domain Controller to get their PC syncronized to the Domain Controller for time. Ahh... the secrets of NET TIME. Not to mention, persuading the DC to look to TIME.NIST.GOV for it's time.
Then, there's the mysteries of NET USE for assigning and deleting network drive letters. Which works just fine, unless one of my users has a hosed profile - which appears to have happened to the IT guy that I work with. That means I get to play with his network profile.
Can you tell?
Yes, I really AM having fun at work!
Gawd! I love this stuff!
But (he said, darkly), some of my users aren't going to like me at all. We are going to insist that everyone logon and logout.
And... when we go to Exchange instead of the clunky POS that's embedded into our main app, there are going to be some Very Unhappy Campers here in SFI (Small Financial Institution) - land!
Bwahahahhahahahha!
Posted by ward at 07:53 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 30, 2005
Full-time Jobs
This "full-time job" thing is a little strange...
Y'see, I got used to setting my own schedule, sipping coffee in the AM, being home when the kids climbed off the school bus, hunting up the odd home computer user who needed a little help and was willing to pay for it, and the sometimes part-time jobs.
Now, it's five days a week - and I've got to be there on time, and adhere to a dress code (shirts with collars and no rude sayings, slacks except Fridays which are OK for blue jeans), and many busy people looking to Yours Truly for an intelligent answer to a Right Now question/issue/problem.
Mind you, I like this.
But it is .... different.
Posted by ward at 10:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 15, 2005
New Job
Today I started my new job.
This is the first full-time job I've held since the end of 2001.
It's been a looonnnnnng four years.
I've been tapped by a SFO (Small Financial Organization) here in Camden County, Georgia.
And, until I'm a little more familiar with both the Official Blog Policy and the much more pertinent Un-Official Blog Policy, that's about all I'm going to comment on.
But....let me tell you, I am so glad to be working full-time again!
Posted by ward at 07:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 09, 2005
Job Hunting
I've been looking for a job since my part-time gig at the SGO (Small Governmental Organization) evaporated a couple of weeks ago when the SGO eliminated the position. They were kind enough to emphasize that I wasn't getting canned, the position was being eliminated. Still, it certainly didn't feel all that good.
On the good side of things, I interviewed on Wednesday this week for an IT job at a SFI (Small Financial Institution) for which I think I'm ideally suited.
The usual initial job interview runs 30-45 minutes. This one went 2 1/2 hours, and was very cordial. Today, my prospective boss and the CEO of the SFI took me out to lunch, where the emphasis wasn't so much on the technical end of things, but more on the intangibles. The CEO likes to run his eye over prospective IT people for one simple reason - IT people have "the keys to the kingdom" - and he's guy that takes the lumps if something gets screwed up.
So far, it's looking good. I've crossed my fingers so hard that my knuckles cracked.
Posted by ward at 03:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 27, 2005
Great Job Search, Part XIV
When I last noted my job situation, I was working part-time at the (Small Governmental Organization). I started that in January. Now, the dudes in charge of the (Small Governmental Organization) have decided to eliminate the part-time job, in order to save the (Small Governmental Organization) some money. I understand that three other positions, all full-time, were eliminated as well.
This wasn't handled at all well.
My supervisor (the IT Manager) and I were called into the conference room and we were informed of the decision, to take effect that day. That was the first clue that anything odd was going on for either the IT Manager or myself.
The IT Manager, a very nice lady (and quite bright, and fully qualified to be an IT Manager, unlike some other folks I've seen as IT Managers - and yes, you know who you are, and yes, I'm still peeved) was blind-sided by this - she had no idea that it was coming down the road.
That was Wednesday.
There's a couple of things that are "real definite maybes", one IT related, one not.
We'll see.
Posted by ward at 05:31 PM | Comments (1)