Backup IT Geek Question

[jfields 0]

Here is the scenario:

I am the lone IT guy for a small company. But I occasionally want to have a vacation too. So I arranged with a small local company to handle our IT needs on an emergency basis should something happen while I'm gone. We don't need someone onsite the whole time I'm out, just someone to come in and pick up the pieces if things go awry.

So...

I went to Perris and the networked printer repair guy hoses our network. He leaves and the damage isn't known immediately. Things begin falling apart, so my boss calls the company I had listed in our emergency planner on a Saturday. And he calls, and calls, and calls. They don't respond at all. So of course I start getting calls on my cell in California. Eventually, my boss gets in someone from the Yellow Pages to come in on a Sunday evening and again on Tuesday.

Things were not so pleasant when I got back. So I'm looking for suggestions about how to arrange contingency help that will be prompt and available should we have a problem in my absence. My boss (a lawyer) wants someone under a contract that specifies staffing levels and response times. While I understand that and think it is a good idea, I have a couple issues. First, the cost is likely to be astronomical. Second, despite the legal perspective, the contract still doesn't mean that the company will have someone here within the appropriate time. All it does is say we get such-and-such refund or discount if they don't.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Clearly, I need to have this issue resolved before Rantoul.

Thanks.

[PhillyKev 0]

Well, not a solution but a piece of advice. Do some research, find someone that's been around awhile, with good references, check their financials to make sure they're stable, get resumes of their employees.

And most important; always test your backup plan. Break something non-critical and call them as if it's an emergency to see how they perform before you have an actual emergency.

[jfields 0]

Kevin,

Yeah, I'm working on that. Your advice is good. It is just a frustrating situation. So far, we've needed help of that type once in four years. The company we had the arrangement with sent us an information packet after the incident. It basically said, "By the way, we've been bought out". I'd had e-mail contact with them about a week before I left. They seemed to pass the tests, but all of a sudden, they got bought/went to shit right as we needed them.

<>

Back to the yellow pages.

[PhillyKev 0]

I know, man. I'm THE IT dept. as well. Well, actually, I now have someone working for me and a part time intern. But I'm still ultimately responsible for everything. The people around here work 60-70 hours a week, meaning I have to make sure everything is up and running all that time (not to mention the over night batch jobs). And crap always seems to go wrong when I'm not around.

That could be a possible solution for you (but not in time for Rantoul). Contact local colleges and get an intern/co-op. That way there is someone there on site when you take a day off.

[CrazyIvan 0]

I don't know exactly what kind of BACKUP you're talking about, but if I were you, I'd IMAGE (Ghost) the server and MAIN workstation, that way if something goes poof, you can easily restore to its original state, some data loss will occur of course, but then again, I don't know how you have your system setup and the safety measures you have installed.

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[PhillyKev 0]

I'm thinking he means a backup person since he's the only IT guy and can't be there 24x7.

Oh yeah, and Ghost is not supported on RAID arrays, so not much good for servers. Unless you're not using RAID (gasp!!). Although it might work with hardware RAID if you have the DOS ASPI drivers, but I wouldn't depend on it as a recovery solution.

[CrazyIvan 0]

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I'm thinking he means a backup person since he's the only IT guy and can't be there 24x7.

If that's the case, GHOST the system, leave a set of INSTRUCTIONS AND GUIDELINES and you are set.

That what I use to do, and it worked.

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[jfields 0]

Ivan,

The problems with that plan are knowledge and money. Where I work, most users don't know what version of Windows they use, much less how to reinstall an OS, configure a server, or anything else someone in my role would do. Not to mention, downtime costs them thousands of dollars per hour, so they can't afford to take the time to mess with it.

I have a 600 page emergency manual, but it only helps another geek capable of doing general IT stuff. I'm not going to write how to do a basic install of Win2k server. I'm just say, "Once you have Win2k server installed, do this..." and the document is still hundreds of pages of code snippets, diagrams, explanations and charts.

Instead of cloning drives or systems, I need to clone ME, so one of me can be here while the other one goes skydiving.

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[Tonto 1]

Sounds like a simple SLA will solve the problem for all.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[CrazyIvan 0]

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Instead of cloning drives or systems, I need to clone ME, so one of me can be here while the other one goes skydiving.

I hear ya...PM sent.

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.