At my last employer, I had a similar problem-all of my group knew HOW to use a computer, but not HOW to (a) keep 'em clean or (b) backed up.
I was given an NT4 server for an Oracle database. I had to learn how to install Oracle and transfer a Ingres database from a VAXcluster to an NT machine. So I told the PC guys I needed a backup app. They gave me Veritas.
Next, I set up a client on each user's machine and told them they had to leave the machine on every night so I could perform "maintenance'.
I did a full backup of each machine (10 total). 2 machines had a 4GB HD, the rest had 20GB HD's. Using Veritas, I backed up their systems to 4mm tapes.
And an incremental backup the rest of the week.
Then I set up a "data source" for all of the developer's source code and help files on the server. It was fairly easy to convince them that the data would be backed up daily should they accidently delete it.
Using 120m tapes it was fairly simple to back things up. The users' data was backed up in full one night, incrementally the rest of the time.
Last month I was laid-off. I had been (repeatedly) telling my boss that it was next to impossible to transfer data from a VAX database to Oracle, as I didn't have the propriatary data forms from the original database. After 4 weeks of (patiently) explaining why it couldn't be done, I viewed the evidence that my boss, whom I had never met in person, had little if any knowledge of programming or computer operations outside of their desktop PC. And this person is in charge of 25+ programmer-types nationwide!
I am always curious why a person with no knowledge of what we do and how we do it, can manage us -- AND ignore us when we say "NO, IT CAN'T BE DONE!"
After 30+ years in the field, I've only encountered these so-called managers twice in the last 10 years. In both cases, I was the one who got "laid-off".
Then again, maybe it's me. I have always expected my boss/manager to not only know what I do, but has had real experience doing it.
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At my last employer, I had a similar problem-all of my group knew HOW to use a computer, but not HOW to (a) keep 'em clean or (b) backed up.
I was given an NT4 server for an Oracle database. I had to learn how to install Oracle and transfer a Ingres database from a VAXcluster to an NT machine. So I told the PC guys I needed a backup app. They gave me Veritas.
Next, I set up a client on each user's machine and told them they had to leave the machine on every night so I could perform "maintenance'.
I did a full backup of each machine (10 total). 2 machines had a 4GB HD, the rest had 20GB HD's. Using Veritas, I backed up their systems to 4mm tapes.
And an incremental backup the rest of the week.
Then I set up a "data source" for all of the developer's source code and help files on the server. It was fairly easy to convince them that the data would be backed up daily should they accidently delete it.
Using 120m tapes it was fairly simple to back things up. The users' data was backed up in full one night, incrementally the rest of the time.
Hope this helps.
Last month I was laid-off. I had been (repeatedly) telling my boss that it was next to impossible to transfer data from a VAX database to Oracle, as I didn't have the propriatary data forms from the original database. After 4 weeks of (patiently) explaining why it couldn't be done, I viewed the evidence that my boss, whom I had never met in person, had little if any knowledge of programming or computer operations outside of their desktop PC. And this person is in charge of 25+ programmer-types nationwide!
I am always curious why a person with no knowledge of what we do and how we do it, can manage us -- AND ignore us when we say "NO, IT CAN'T BE DONE!"
After 30+ years in the field, I've only encountered these so-called managers twice in the last 10 years. In both cases, I was the one who got "laid-off".
Then again, maybe it's me. I have always expected my boss/manager to not only know what I do, but has had real experience doing it.
back to looking for work...