Just a little lite reading for the geeks out there - Parts 2 and 3

[Gnomercy]

Some of you will recall my previous thread (http://www.support-forums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=149) with this title (I recommend that you read the first installment prior to these if you haven't already), and afkamm asked if there was any more to the story. I happened upon the 2 most recent installments, for a total of three, so I'm putting them up here, in two posts to eliminate any confusion.

There are some figures you might want to view in the actual article and you can find these articles and others by the same author here (http://www.informit.com/isapi/authorid~{D04D2378-A19F-4E15-A779-6FB98005C088}/authors/author.asp). You'll have to register to read them, but it's free.

So, to all my fellow geeks out there... enjoy.
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[Gnomercy]

So I'm sticking my head into the drop ceiling, insulation is finding its magical way into my shirt, and I'm sweating like Richard Simmons in a pastry shop. As I swivel my flashlight around, I see two red dots just a few feet away from my face.

No, I've not been eating mushrooms. I'm starting a network upgrade project for my new client, and it all begins with planning. Of course, not all of planning is done on white boards, in Microsoft Project, and on the back of napkins. Planning, real planning, requires that you get familiar with all of the work the project entails so you can plan—and price—accordingly.

The first article in this series introduced you to my new client and all the excitement the staff is having with their network. As a reminder, they've got a bunch of NT 4.0 domains, servers that Noah had on the ark, printers by Gutenberg, lousy network cables, and workstations the Smithsonian has inquired about. As you can imagine, their network has more errors than the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

After my initial review of the network, it was time to create a project plan. A what? If you're like many network administrators (wait, it's not you, it's a friend) you may be tempted to just hop in get to work on any assignment. You can't just yell, "Release the hounds!" and then rush through IT projects. Why?

What starts out as a simple upgrade, or adding a new switch, or configuring some IP properties turns into nights and weekends of agony. Not to mention the time lost to complete the work—and the hours of production time that may be impacted. Production time? Sure. Consider the time lost by your company's employees if your "upgrade" puts them out of work for even 10 minutes. Consider 10 minutes or 10 hours of lost profit.

Welcome to IT Project Management
What needs to happen at the onset of any project is to create an effective yet flexible project plan. This is project management. Project management is the ability to envision the end result of a project, create a plan to reach that vision, and then implement the plan to arrive at the vision.

So what's vision? Vision is the ethereal substance that allows network administrators to see the invisible and to feel the intangible before either exist. I know, I know, after reading that sentence you're convinced I'm eating mushrooms. I promise you I'm not.

Simply put, vision is the ability to see the end result before you begin. Without vision, how can you adequately plan?

My client had a vision not of a Windows 2000 domain, with multiple domain controllers, file and print servers, roaming profiles, and policies, but of a network that just works. Their vision was a day of not suffering through slow transfers, printer spools hanging, and server crashes. They didn't care what technology got them there—just that they would indeed arrive.

My job (and yours)is to take the vision of clients offer and snap-in the realities of technologies to reach those goals. The only way, okay the best way, is through IT project management.

Research, Research, Research
Dad always said, "When it comes to real estate, it's location, location, location." Okay, he didn't always say that, but the point is, when it comes to projects, it is "research, research, research." Once you've got the vision for the end result of the project you need to begin your research, you can complete your research from a number of different sources:

Internet (such as InformIT.com)

Books and magazines (Speaking of books, here's a shameless book plug: Buy my new book...IT Project Management: On Track From Start to Finish. Osborne McGraw Hill, 2002. ISBN: 0072223499)

Personal experiences

Experiences of others

Live investigation and experimentation

Research has many different goals, including the following:

To learn as much as you can about the problem you'll be solving

To discover a solution (or solutions) to reach a project's vision

To learn how to implement the discovered solution

To discover an affordable investment versus a cheap fix

Research is like a first date: You wish it could go on forever, or you can't wait until it's over. On any project you're working on, big or small, you must allot a viable amount of time to research the project.

Back to billable hours.

This is where you joined me in my project. My client knew its network was a mess and had a vision for the deliverables. I then took the vision and applied technology to it. Now I was completing the research phase of this long, massive project.

As I was sayin', I was examining the physical structure of the network when I see two red dots and then it kicks in—those are eyeballs. And those eyeballs are attached to a rat! And then I can see its hairy, nasty body. Ewww! Fortunately, this rat's a few yards away and not breathing on me. Then it occurs to me, if there's one rat hanging out up here, how many more rats are there?

And then it occurs to me again: Guess who'll be moving all over this drop ceiling to pull out the old network cable and properly install the new? You guessed it! My talented cable installer, David. Well, he always makes me help.

In the research phase of this project, I had to check several different areas of the office. This, of course, required me to open several different panels and poke my head into the plenum. I thumped on each panel, quickly slid it out of the way, and then pushed my head into the abyss. All I could think of was that FOX-TV special: "When Rats Attack!"

Plan on Planning
Once my research was done, it was on to creating the project plan. Creating a project plan is not as stuffy as it sounds—at least not in the beginning. To begin creating a project plan, you create what's known as a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).

To create a WBS, you take the work at hand (in this case, upgrading the network) and you break it into large, chunky phases. This job had three fat phases:

Upgrade the network cable.

Install and create a Windows 2000 domain.

Install Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server.

Then, the work is broken down some more, adding detail and steps under each phase. The new information is technically called work units:

Upgrade the network cable.

Add rat poison and traps.
Add J-Hooks according to code.
Run plenum-grade cable throughout office.

Install and create a Windows 2000 domain.

Configure five new servers.
Configure AD.
Configure policies.

Install Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server.

Add Exchange services.
Add and configure SMTP.
Import user accounts.

You would continue to break down the work units in the list into tasks. When all of the work units have broken down into manageable and logical tasks, you've got your WBS. At first glance, your task list looks longer than Oprah's shopping list. Look again, though, and see that you've got a detailed checklist of the work to be completed.

Now You Know How Magellan Felt
To get your hands around the project, you need to arrange the tasks into a logical mapping of events. In this map, you identify the phases that can begin simultaneously, the work units within each phase, and the tasks within each work unit. You literally create a map of the work to be completed. This map is called a Project Network Diagram (PND). Depending on the number of people involved in the project, a PND can help you organize your work and visualize the dependent and independent tasks.

Figure 1 is a portion of a PND; it covers just the path of the tasks in the network cable upgrade part of the project. Note that some tasks may begin at the same time, while others are dependent on prior tasks to complete before they can start.

Figure 1 A PND maps out the work of the technical project.



On my assignment, I completed a PND—not only to give myself and staff a plan to follow, but to share with the client so they could visualize the work we'll be completing for them. You may be saying, "Hey, I don't have no stinkin' clients," but if you're a network admin, you do: your boss and your colleagues who use the network you administer.

Time Is Money
Project Network Diagrams also ensure that you've addressed all of the work to be completed, and created a feasible timeline. In practically any project—from creating a Web site to cleaning out your garage —there's going to be unexpected events (like rats in the plenum).

New project managers often bloat the time alloted for each individual task to...frankly...cover their asses. The problem with this ploy, however, is Parkinson's Law. This law states, "Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion." In English, if you allot a week to install a service pack, it will amazingly take a week to install the **** thing.

[Gnomercy]

So how do we account for all those glitches that eat into the project time? Management Reserve. Management Reserve is a percentage of the total predicted time to complete the tasks within the WBS. A network upgrade like the project I worked on would likely take 160 hours to complete. To account for any unforeseen problems, we'll add 10–15 percent of the total time allotted for the work at the end of the PND. So the 160 hours of actual work is now predicted to take 180 hours for the entire project. Keep in mind: This is all based on your research, experience, and the lunar phases.

As tasks take longer than expected, we apply the overrun in time to the Management Reserve. Of course, some tasks won't take nearly as much time as originally anticipated, so we can apply the extra time back to Management Reserve. Fascinating, huh?

At this point in my project, I completed the WBS and the PND, assigned tasks to team members, and kept the client in the loop regarding timing and anticipated hours. I also provided the client with a project acceptance agreement, which is like a contract, but without the attorneys. It's a checklist of the required deliverables of the project and a target completion date. At project completion, the client and I will revisit this agreement, and we'll go through each required deliverable to prove its existence and quality before the project is closed.

You'll be happy to hear that I did not see any more rats during this project—unless you want to count those Mac users in the design department.

[Gnomercy]

Have you seen any good bumper stickers lately? I like the ones with quips like "My kid beat up your honor student" or "My Other Car is a Porsche." And on and on these sticky bits of wisdom go.

As you may have guessed, I travel quite a bit. I teach seminars, consult, and implement technology throughout the country—and I like to drive. Driving lets me think, listen to CDs, and catch up with books on tape. Lately, for some reason, I've been paying attention to bumper stickers. One I've been seeing says, "Mean People Suck."

Maybe these "Mean People Suck" stickers have been around for years. Maybe they have been affixed next to "Nine Inch Nail" logos, Jerry Garcia's dancing teddy bears, and others. But I've not noticed until lately.

So what does this rant have to do with being a network administrator? Unfortunately, quite a bit. Here's the painful truth: Many of us ("us" being network administrators) are jerks.

There. I said it: Too many network admins are jerks.

Now sure, I'm certain there is a huge percentage of us who love our jobs, love the people we support, and love making life better for everyone. But there's another wide percentage of techs who think corporations, organizations, and technology itself wouldn't tick unless they showed up to work their magic.

Know anybody like this? I bet you do. If you're one of the good ones, read on and then slip this article onto some jerk's desk. You can continue to lead by example, but some people need a kick in the pants. Allow me.

God and the Network Administrator
Being a network administrator does not make you God. Being a network admin does mean you likely know more about networks, technology, and NOSs than anyone else within your organization. But chances are, your organization was around long before Ctrl+Alt+Del meant much.

The role of a network admin is a role of support. You exist to make the work of the employees better, more accurate, more productive. Basically, you're hired to help the company make money. Now this may come as a shock, but your organization most likely does not exist to give you something to do.

Too many network administrators have a "god complex." Some admins I've met act like they've just delivered three babies in a helicopter, discovered a method for cold fusion, and explained Notre Dame's "West Coast Offense" to a group of nuns. Please.

Now I admit there's nothing wrong with being confident, taking pride in perfection, and letting management know your projects are all successful, on track, and on budget. An occasional toot on one's own horn is dandy.

My message: If you're unprofessional, you lose respect, impact company morale, and are the proverbial wet blanket on the fire of productivity. Let your accomplishments, your superior network management, and flawless technical execution speak for you. How? Here are a few hints:

Ditch the Cocky Attitude
You may be brilliant, and many of you are, but brilliance is best seen through your work, not your mouth. Shut up, drop the John Wayne swagger, and get some work done.

Develop an Attitude of Servitude
Far too many IT gurus isolate themselves from the rest of the organization. In many companies I visit, there is open contempt for the IT department. Worse yet, the admins have no clue. Why? These admins treat every request as if Mom just asked them to take out the garbage in the middle of Baywatch. Here's sarcasm: You are at work to do this new thing called uh, oh yeah, work.

Quit Being a Demeaning Buffoon
I've witnessed more than one admin dismiss an employee's request with disgust, intended humiliation, and spite. Most professionals are not technical people—they can't do your job, but are dependent on you to do theirs. You might be needed today, but what goes around comes around.

Learn about Your Business
Many network admins are incredibly astute with technology. They can make Microsoft, NetWare, Linux, and more purr like a kitten or roar like a lion, but they can barely explain what their company actually does. Learn about your company: its business requirements and functional requirements. This knowledge, coupled with your technical brainpower, can make your company even more profitable.

Realize You Are Not Indispensable
In today's rocky economy, even the most obstinate admins know their jobs could be in peril. What about admins moving on to other opportunities? Or admins who win the lottery? Or worse? How well documented, organized, and clean are your network infrastructure, topology, file servers, and the rest of the server room? Prepare yourself and your organization for the worst or best that could happen: organize, document, and share the information.

Can You Trust Yourself?
Character is defined by what you do when you know no one would ever find out. As a network administrator, it is incredibly, undeniably easy to do whatever you'd like to anything you'd like, whenever you'd like—on the network, that is.

Want to know how much your boss makes? Click, click: no problem. Want to see the retirement plan of the CEO? Click, click: no problem. Want to read the email of that good-looking receptionist? Click, click: again, no problem.

I have had lengthy heated arguments with admins who feel they are entitled to Full Control permissions on every piece of data within their organization. These admins believe they are entitled to access anything they'd like. Wrong...that's called being above the law, a bit different than autonomy.

Like most things in life, just because you can doesn't mean you should. There is a certain level of trust that goes with being a network admin. I'd venture that management in most companies do not realize the level of power a network admin can wield.

Suggestions for Civility
So what's a mean nerd to do? How about a little restraint for starters? Next, bring it your level of power to management's attention. That's right—by sharing with management what you can do, there's a heightened sense of responsibility. This also spurs you to document your access, permissions, and admin duties to protect your career.

Next, create proper security. Admins should be able to set permissions, but not access resources. Yeah, yeah...you're the admin and can do whatever the hell you want, but try playing by some common rules.

Implement auditing. This can be done electronically to prove who's accessed what and when they accessed it. This not only creates a system of checks and balances, but also can protect the admin from being accused of accessing sensitive data.

If there's more than one network admin in your environment, are you both using the same account to administer the network? You are? Gasp! If all admins are using the same account to administer, how can auditing be effective? How can there be accountability?

Each admin should have their own administrative account to use only when it's time for admin duties. In other words, Susan's not logged on as an administrator while writing a report in Microsoft Word.

Network administrators should not, must not, know the password of users. If you know the password of users, you should be held accountable for the activities users do on your network.

Revenge of the Nerds
Let me share a hypothetical, fictional scenario with you. Let's say there's a company with a very strict Internet access policy: no porno, no job sites, no http://www.josephphillips.com, no chat, and on and on this list of rules go. The trouble is, however, this fictional company has no way of enforcing its policy.

Until now. Now the company has implemented a proxy server that effectively filters out all the unwanted sites: shuts down chat, games, MP3 downloads, and just about anything else they'd like to eliminate—an excellent plan.

But remember, its written Internet policy had not been effectively enforced since Atari was cool. The employees at this company have been using Internet access as their own personal pipe to anything and everything that's available on the Web.

Now these folks are blocked from doing any mischievous Web activities. The admin, however, has a new hobby with this proxy software: watching where people attempt to go on the Web. "Hmm..." this dork thinks, "there are lots of people trying to access porn, job sites, even MP3 sites. I better report this info to all of their bosses." So he does and "it" hits the fan.

You see, what this admin failed to tell management was that these users couldn't actually access the restricted sites—they just attempted to access them. My argument is why is he gunning for these people? They can't get there from here.

Put it this way: If I try to get into a house and the front door is locked, I may try a different door. If that door's locked, I may try a window...and on and on I'll try until I realize I can't get in. The same goes for the people at this company. While I don't agree with the users browsing the Web on company time, human resources should have intervened here, not the network administrator.

What this admin has done is create an "us-against-them" mentality between the employees, management, and the technology department. These employees are embarrassed, written up, and threatened with dismissal. Of course, the admin gets loads of complaints, ill will, and maybe even worse. So what does this fictional admin do? Ah, yes, revenge.

Imagine how easy it'd be for this admin to make it look like anyone is visiting any website in the world. A little password hacking, a little creative IP addressing, and it's "wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am"—you're fired. Don't me tell it hasn't happened.

[Gnomercy]

Oath of an Admin
I propose that companies require their network administrators take a technical oath based loosely on the Hippocratic Oath, to protect and serve the organization's best interest. Here's what I have in mind:

I swear to fulfill to the best of my abilities and judgment this covenant. I will respect the work of the technicians that have gone before me and share the knowledge that I have gained for those that come after me.

I will apply for the well-being, benefit, and good of my organization all measurements that are required to support, implement, and maintain these technologies.

I will remember that there is an art, as well as a science, to technology. I will remember that personality, warmth, sympathy, and empathy may outweigh any technical implementation my abilities allow.

I will not be ashamed to say, "I know not." I will not be ashamed to call for my colleagues when the skill of another is needed for a project's success.

I will respect the privacy of my clients, their work, their email, and their electronic records. My duties as a network administrator are to administer the network and technology without interfering, investigating, or intruding into the work of the clients I support.

I will remember that I do not actually care for a network, implement technology, or administer bits and bytes; but ultimately support a collection of individuals whose careers may be dependent on my abilities as a professional. My responsibilities are great, but I must not play God.

If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life. May I be respected while I serve and be remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act with the good of my organization and its employees in mind.

The Golden Rule
As a network administrator, you're vital to the success of your organization. Consider all of the people within your company who rely on the technology you support. Your attitude, aptitude, and level of professionalism impact those same people.

If you want to find success, admiration and respect from the people you serve, follow The Golden Rule: Treat others as you want to be treated.

Technical leaders are superior to mean nerds. Now that's a bumper sticker for my car.

[Afkamm]

:wavey: Thanks Gnomercy, was a good read that :D


Marc :-)