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Hello, I currently work for a small textile/finishing company with about 80 users. However, about 60 of these users only use there PC’s to access some simple DOS bespoke software.

We have 2 physical servers, one which is a backup and the other which is split into 6 virtual servers which run everything.

When i first started here, they didn’t have an IT department and relied heavily on an IT support company and the company accountant who knows the basics of how everything works. It’s been 3 months since then, and I’ve set up a maintenance routine to monitor the mill PC’s, as there CPU fans kept clogging up with dust. I’ve got a backup running of the Virtual which gets changed every day. I’ve set up VNC on all the internal machine’s. I’ve installed a couple of network printers. I look after the AD, exchange, file server etc.

But the problem is, its got to the point now were if I’m lucky I’ll get one problem a day, I’m sorry if I’m rambling on, but I’m kinda new to IT and I’m still learning, this is my first job and I’m employed as an apprentice.

But the days just seem to drag on forever and I’m trying really hard to think of work i can do, cheers

15 Spice ups
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Play League of Legends in the server room.

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Check to make sure any documentation is upto date incase someone else needs to come in and can carry on from where you left off.

There is always routine maintenance to plan and work on.

Check to see if there is any training you can do within work to help you progress further in the job

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Have a good long look on the community here, that’s what I tend to do when I lack things to do. Have a look at various best practices, general how-tos and any career advice people have been posting. Its all good stuff…

When all else fails, I read the latest news and occasionally play a game.

4 Spice ups
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Study online. There are tons of stuffs to learn. i am sort of in your shoes where i get maybe around 8 tickets a day also. I spend my time learning power shell, Server 2012, Cisco and SystemCenter and,how to troubleshoot Servers effectively . Trying to setup a virtual lab where i can install break and fix stuffs. You can subscribe to maybe train signal or CBTnugget

6 Spice ups
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look at upgrading the bespoke DOS software to a newer GUI based system that you can create and manage yourself.

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We do manage the DOS/texpro software it runs with a very basic but robust GUI, over the past few years it’s been changed around and been through loads of variations. We’ve just got a new online database which links setup with it, so we don’t have to print everything.

Setting up a virtual lab sounds like a good idea, there is still is a lot i want to learn about GPO’s and networking, and i don’t want to break whats already in place.

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What do you think of making an inventory of network equipment, and trace the connections?
If done right, will take you around for the firm to track each cable and to draw then a map of how things work.
It is getting your hands dirty, I know, but you can cover your ass and take you forward in the event of any failure (always possible in small firms).
You could manage it creatively, as it was a treasure map.
This will take a long time, both on stage and in field research.
Time will pass quickly, and the community and the SW program might help in carrying out this task.
You could put everything in planning a disaster recovery (you never know).

4 Spice ups
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I started doing that the other day actually, was using the Dude to create a network map, it’s so cool to see your network on a map on your screen. I found out we had quite a few IP’s assigned to devices i didn’t even know about, like some dot-matrix printers, which are plugged into routers which give them static IP’s and our print server makes them function like network printers.

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You could also take a random walk around the business, checking up on users on their machines and making sure everything is running smoothly for them.

Never know, someone may not know how to turn caps lock off :smiley:

3 Spice ups
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I’m in the same situation and sometimes days seems to drag on that’s true. What I do is trying to find out what could possibly help the users to work better or quicker so as to be more productive. Examples of what I’ve done to make the day go quicker:

  1. Using NTFS Permissions in shared folders to prevent loss of data or abuse. Creating dedicated folders for specific users etc.

  2. Using Group Policy Management to have a more secured and well organised environment.

  3. Searching for possible bottlenecks in the network and remove all hubs.

  4. Using Mac Filtering on WiFi.

  5. Documentary stuffs and procedures for users in case of absence.

  6. Making a complete backup plan and testing it.

  7. Installing a proxy server to prevent users from accessing unauthorized sites.

  8. Using Trend Micro Security Server to prevent users from downloading.

and so on…

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Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, it’s always super-busy here.

Have you considered trying Acer Revos PC’s in your milling area. Everything is solid state, so no fans to clog up.

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I did have a look into some PC’s for the mill, atm they are all old XP machines some over 10 years old, and damn they have taken some punishment. Last month there was a wasp nest above a machine, after the nest was cleared, I took apart the PC and there was a dead wasp lodged in the CPU fan, and another stuck to the heat-sink, bit of compressed air, bit of wiring and it works fine, but I’ll have a look at those Acer PC’s as no fans would be great for the mill.

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There are always things that could be done; some of these are hardware issues, such as tidying up cables, checking hardware status, regular proactive cleaning of printers, PCs etc. Some activities might relate to software issues, such as checking logs for abnormal events, performance, updates etc. These are the ones most people know about.

However, there are also management issues to be considered. Software licence audits, network maps, hardware audits etc. However about Business Continuity / Disaster Recovery planning; some things that often get forgotten. There are also a number of other governance issues that you might want to consider such as data protection and Information Security.

Then there is user interaction. Does your company perform workstation assessments? These are part of good H & S practices and usually something that people only ever do reluctantly. At the same time, you could be looking at what people are doing and create Business Process flowcharts; really useful to be used as training material. In addition, you could also look at providing users with guidance on how to work more effectively with the software tools that they have.

Then of course, there is training. I’d recommend that you allocate at least a couple of hours a week to learning about new technologies or ways of working; and it’s worth setting up a virtual landscape just for that.

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You guys are really helpful, loads of good ideas here. Also on a related note when it comes to training, is there a cheap way to pay for exams for certification, I’m studying for Network + atm. But i don’t earn much money being an apprentice, and since everything is running smoothly at work, I’m not sure if i can convince them that it would be a good investment for them to pay for it.

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A few things that come to mind as I was kind of in your shoes within a few months after starting my job:

  1. Document EVERYTHING, network diagrams, printers, servers, etc…

  2. Look for ways to monitor EVERYTHING, network traffic, help desk tickets (Spiceworks) Inventory (Spiceworks), Antivirus, updates (WSUS server, etc…), Server performance, etc…

  3. Look for ways to secure EVERYTHING, start poking around and looking at ways that you could potentially have your systems compromised, fix loose ends and clean up everything, remove old unnecessary software, clean up AD logins, patch systems, etc…

  4. Research, Learn, Research, and Learn. This one is good for multiple reasons. For one, you will come across new stuff every single day that you can apply to your network and systems that can help boost performance and reliability that you may never have realized. On the other more pessimistic end, if upper management realizes there isn’t much IT work to be done, you’ve learned a lot more than what you started with and have more skills and knowledge to offer next go around on job searching.

Main idea: Be creative.

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I know you said that your company uses some old software but if compatible with Win7/8 you got a whole project right there. XP will reach end of life on support soon so it might be time to start looking into upgrading, especially since you may have to do it in stages depending on the budget of the company. I like you am in a smaller company, a growing company but small none the less. We have about 30 users at our main site, 4 at our warehouse and then an additional 5 users at a remote warehouse. There are days that go by that I do not even have anyone with a single issue, so I spend a lot of time in Spiceworks, answering questions where I can and learning along the way. I look at any posts that pertain to something I could possibly run into. Spiceworks community is the best. You will not find a better group of IT individuals who are more than willing to assist you in any way they can. I have recently started documenting processes, starting with the most critical and working my way down. While I have no intention on ever leaving this company, the potential is there for it to grow quite large and so having solid documentation will assist anyone who gets hired, underneath me hopefully, to ensure all of our systems continue to run smoothly. I also try to stay involved in the company business as much as possible to see where I can introduce new systems or processes that help the company to be more efficient.

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I’m kind of in the same boat (only a bigger environment). But, I’ve been making projects for me to do that benefits the team while expanding my knowledge.

Do you have a DR plan? Have you tested it? How is your total documentation looking?

Online training? Even bringing in a book.

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Not sure if you can get the exams price cheaper than the price at pro-metric centres or pearsonVue. You might try searching on-line if you can get some vouchers. For training, Use technet and other resources like professor messer and buy some routers and switches off ebay if you intend to go further to CCNA.

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Slumb,

  1. Congratulations on successfully turning the situation around.

  2. I know this sounds crazy, but anytime you can put yourself out of a job speaks volumes about your skills. So with that said I’d see if you can retain them as a client and start to grow your own company.