[NTLUG:Discuss] Is it just me, or has traffic in this listreduced to a trickle recently?

Sun Jun 29 21:04:38 CDT 2003

Howdy again,
I actually work with Fred James, and he turned me onto this list, and Linux. 
Currently we have around 70 locations in our division, which I will be 
responsible for. Most of these are small groups of people from 2 all the way 
up to 20 working in the client office, and providing them with direct 
support. There are also larger facilities like ours with 100 - 400 people. 
In our office I know of 4 Linux boxes, and I have at least 2 or 3 more 
coming on board in the next few months. Overall I would put the number of 
Linux boxes in use at around 20.

Most of these are Redhat boxes and they all seem to be hovering around 7.2. 
Some are simple proxies, web servers, some are application servers, and some 
are workstations that interface with those application servers. There seems 
to be no real list or accounting for exactly what’s out there, and so a 
discovery and inventory is going to be needed to get the real scope.

These solutions it seems were deployed in order to save cash, and at other 
times because the specific application required it. The one issue I see 
becoming a factor in the future is support. My bosses are support whores, 
and they want it on everything. Which in one hand it great, but on the other 
hand things like this don't really warrant support, but that makes them 
nervous.

As the new leaders of our company are getting a grip on things they are 
learning the same things, which I am learning as a new SysAdmin. The 
leaders, and tech people who were in place before me made decisions based on 
just a little research, and practically no experience. They went into tech 
based on need, and not real experience. Most of them had no formal training 
and were flying by the seat of their pants. Everything I have happened upon 
has been a band aid solution. The company in its infancy grew by leaps and 
bounds mostly unchecked. Everything done was reactionary, and rarely was 
anything done to be proactive.

Now that the money train has slowed with the rest of the economy we are 
having to rethink things, and deploy initiatives on an enterprise level 
rather than 1 facility and 1 solution at a time. As it stands now on any 
given day, I have to work with Veritas Netbackup, Veritas Backup Exec, 
Legato, FlashNet, Webnative, Retrospect, Toast, Easy CD creator, etc. Those 
are real backup software we have deployed and in place at different 
locations. This is just backup software, and doesn’t account for all the 
flavors of o/s I have to see, and the software that’s running on it. NT4, 
2000, .Net, Irix, Solaris, Linux, Mac os9, osX, etc. This is all getting 
changed, and we are turning things around the right way.

Linux I believe is going to be a strong part of our future, but how much of 
a role it will play has not been determined. I believe as it stands now Unix 
will be the backbone of our infrastructure with Linux playing support roles 
where it is best fit. Luckily most of the old hardware, and software is 
aging enough to allow us to make smart changes enterprise wide. We need to 
get our disparate systems all in line with a real standard of what we want 
to support. I think we are headed that way, and Linux will play a part. :)

I know that I have rambled, and I hope you can forgive me. I also tried to 
be generic and not give out too much information on my employer. I don't 
know they want me out there telling the world our faults, but then again I 
think most companies are facing the similar plights from the rapid growth of 
the 90's. If you have any more questions please feel free to ask. Have a 
great day, and take care.

Paul Drew

>From: Tom Adelstein <adelste at netscape.net>
>Reply-To: NTLUG Discussion List <discuss at ntlug.org>
>To: NTLUG Discussion List <discuss at ntlug.org>
>Subject: Re: [NTLUG:Discuss] Is it just me, or has traffic in this 
>listreduced to a trickle recently?
>Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2003 19:09:15 -0500
>
>Paul,
>
>I hope you can provide us with some idea of the company for whom you work 
>and how much Linux you use. I'm writing a series for Linux Journal on Linux 
>use in state and local governments.I wanting to do a study on enterprises 
>and small to medium size businesses using Linux. You might take a look at 
>the next article being published tomorrow on the LJ website.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Tom
>
>solarcurve at msn.com wrote:
>>Howdy,
>>For me, I usually try to refrain from posting unless I have exhausted most 
>>efforts of research to resolve something. I have actually been expanding 
>>quite a lot lately Linux, and Unix wise at work, and even at home. 
>>Currently I have been asked to take over management and procedures for all 
>>Linux workstations, and servers enterprise wide. I am pretty excited about 
>>it. I have been asked to put together a list of all services that should 
>>be running, things that shouldn't. Make them all use ssh, and get rid of 
>>all the rsh, telnet, and such which is being used at random around the 
>>company. First they have to get me a list of whats out there and give me 
>>login information for it. It should be exciting, and a real challenge. :) 
>>Any tips? Have a great day, and take care.
>>
>>Paul Drew
>>
>>>From: Tom Adelstein <adelste at netscape.net>
>>>Reply-To: NTLUG Discussion List <discuss at ntlug.org>
>>>To: NTLUG Discussion List <discuss at ntlug.org>
>>>Subject: Re: [NTLUG:Discuss]  Is it just me, or has traffic in this 
>>>listreduced to a trickle recently?
>>>Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2003 11:51:34 -0500
>>>
>>>Things have slowed, but some activity exists almost all the time.
>>>
>>>This is like the 4th of July Holiday. Could that have something to do 
>>>with it? Probably.
>>>
>>>jack+ntlug at mylinuxguy.net wrote:
>>>
>>>>I'm using the ntlug.org news server to see this list.
>>>>
>>>>Things have really slowed down over the last few days.
>>>>
>>>>Has anything changed?
>>>>
>>>>jack
>>>>
>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>https://ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>--
>>>
>>>Tom Adelstein
>>>adelste at netscape.net
>>>-------------------------------------
>>>The problems that exist in the world today
>>>  cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them.
>>>
>>>Insanity: doing the same thing over and
>>>over again and expecting different results.
>>>
>>>--Albert Einstein
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>https://ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>
>>
>>_________________________________________________________________
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>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>https://ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>
>
>--
>
>Tom Adelstein
>adelste at netscape.net
>-------------------------------------
>The problems that exist in the world today
>  cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them.
>
>Insanity: doing the same thing over and
>over again and expecting different results.
>
>--Albert Einstein
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>https://ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss

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