Affective Today my job has been outsourced!

Deathmage

Well I got a feel if I'm at my current employer another year I'd be amazed. Now that I've fixed all of the servers, networking, storage, virtualized everything and gotten backups squared away in a tiered 2/3 approach. I'm finding myself looking for way to optimize the network but I've literally got it humming along so well it's working fine. I've gone weeks without rebooting a single server even SQL.

Dare I say VMware made IT administration to easy to manage....

Now they want me to start doing things I literally have absolutely no interest in doing and that is learning programming for a proprietary ERP system. I was hired as a system administrator not as a programmer; I'm literally bored to tears with even learning it. I'd much rather suffer with a CCNP level book than learn programming... Like they want me to get a advanced level of SQL programming and I honestly said that could take years to master and they looked at me like I was a moron.

This company literally has no clue the level of complexity is it to program in Javascript and SQL to someone that has never done it before, it's not something you can learn overnight...I told them I could take a class of SQL and Javascrpt but it's not something you can just figure out in a short period of time. Plus I have no interest in advanced level SQL.

Anyone ever have this problem?

verbhertz

It sounds like your boss doesn't understand the complexity of the request. Try to explain to them that what they ask for is outside the scope of your job. You can learn if needed, but I would ask for compensation when you have a good grip on it. Or just take it as free training (if done on works time/dime) and use it as another tool. If you're expected to learn at home and then bring it to work - nope. Not if its not in your interests.

Deathmage

So to add more **** on my brain of things I'm doing like ICDN2 and Storage + weren't enough I spent most of the afternoon fiddling with SQL queries and learning commands.

I've figured out the following:

1) --- (comments)
2) select
3) as (for aliases)
4) from [database]
5) where [variable] =,>,<, etc
6) and
7) order by [name] desc (allows you to sort)
and * (to select all)

I've managed to write a about 15 queries on running data like looking up tracking numbers from UPS Worldship as an example. But I'm curious what other kinds of commands should I tinker with and start learning what they can do? Any Database guys feedback is appreciated.

One thing I dislike is our ERP doesn't have a data map or data dictionary so I'm having to do field lookup manually so a basic 'select * from bla' is what I've been using to learn the tables...

I figured I'd start with the lookups in the form of queries and work my way upward from them...going to give it my all, but I'm no DBA administrator.

kurosaki00

Bunch of stuff...
Order by XYZ ASC|DESC
Group by
DISTINCT - for unique results
You can use SELECT in a bunch of ways, like Select Top 5, Select from XYZ, etc

Also learn how to create tables and give privileges
CREATE TABLE Persons
(
ID int,
TechExamsUsername varchar(255),
);


I think the grants rights is something like GRANT EXEC DB USER (not sure).

SQL is fun. Never done Javascript but It does not look fun.

Deathmage

Yesterday I finally compromised with management on backup solution. We have a 12 bay Dell R510 with dual Xeons and 16 GB's of ram that I'm using now as a Tier 3 backup server. The server now has (12) WD RE 4 TB Enterprise-grade 7.2k 32 MB hard drives in a RAID 10 for a total of 24 TB's of space.

This will allow for 1 year of backup retention and a complete backup of every VM.

Very happy then now have a teired approach to backups with redundancy in a server with redundant power supplies and nics.

As a added layer of protection we have a RAID 6 filer for just SQL and a template of our two domain controllers and one template of a generic server with full windows updates on both templates.

Deathmage

Well I have some choices to make soon. My current employer wants me to start doing C++ and Mongoose programming and I know already I'm not a programmer and can't just be 'brought up to speed' as they say. I was hired in clear text as a system administrator not as a programmer. I have zero mindset of ever being a programming, Powershell and SQL script writing will probably be the extent of what I will do since that correlates to system administration.

Anyways I put out feelers the past few days and I got 6 job that sent me responces so far and one of them is offering me 96k a year and this is the role description, what do you guys think?

I really do think the days of focused singular specialization was something of the 90's and early 2000's but now more and more job application want a person to be a VMware, Cisco, and Microsoft certfied person with expereince in it all...

Job Description
•Direct and administrate infrastructure support, help desk and operators, and where necessary, conduct performance reviews and corrective action.
•Prepare RFPs, bid proposals, contracts, scope of work reports, and other documentation for infrastructure projects and associated efforts.
•Negotiate with vendors, outsourcers, and contractors to secure infrastructure-specific products and services.
•Maintains an ongoing partnership with the business to apply in-depth knowledge of the business operations, strategies, priorities and information requirements to establish the technical direction and an enterprise view.
•Defines enterprise level strategies and technical direction.
•Provides architectural vision to appropriately align IT to strategic business needs and goals.
•Ensure alignment of product roadmaps and releases across product categories
•Defines the system, technical, and application architectures.
•Architects solutions across multiple hardware/software computing environments and system components.
•Provide consulting support to projects during detailed design and delivery to insure adherence to established standards as well as best practices and industry trends
•Manages multi-project management accountabilities in developing solutions in a collaborative environment.
•Ensures the delivery process and technology strategies are coherent and optimized.
•Ensures appropriate technical standards and procedures are defined.
•Manages the development of centers of excellence around key technologies.
•Ensures best practices are adhered to in the adoption of new technologies.
•Researches, evaluates and selects from existing and emerging technologies that best fit business and IT strategic needs.
•Plans and implements process re-engineering or process improvement.
•Develops and manages plan for all design activities for integration into the overall project plan

Mandatory Experience:
•At least 10 years’ experience with working in systems integration and IT architecture planning, design, and development
•Extensive knowledge of data center architectures, cloud computing technologies, converged infrastructure consolidation, security, service orchestration
•In-depth knowledge of IT infrastructure technology, such as but not limited to, Cisco LAN/WAN/WLAN technology, CISCO ASA/Checkpoint Firewalls, VMware, Citrix, Linux, Apache, SQLserver, Windows Server 2012R2, Active Directory, and MS Infrastructure Services
•Understanding of industry best practice design concepts, and how to apply them to a data center migration & hosting project
•Experience collaborating with internal and external vendors and partners to ensure that technology solutions align with the overall Enterprise Architecture Framework.
•Translate business requirements using complex methods/models to determine appropriate architectural solutions
•The ability to perform capacity planning analysis, define requirements and assist in systems engineering activities
•Possession of excellent analytical, conceptual, and problem-solving skills
•Familiarity with Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Network Architecture

Desired Experience:
•Ability to effectively communicate and summarize for executive management
•Display a high level of written communication and documentation skills\
•Able to manage multiple projects and tasks, work effectively in a rapidly changing environment and meet overlapping deadlines
•Experience in data center operations hosting multiple clients.
•Must be legally eligible to work in the United States
•Proficient with Microsoft application suite
•Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or other technical field
•Experience in agile SDLC

Benefits include:· Highly competitive salary
· Paid time off
· Pension Plan
· 401(k)
· Medical, Dental and Vision insurance

bpenn

Hell, that looks good to me. Based on what I have seen in your threads you seem quite capable of that. Is 96K quite a bit more than you make now?

Deathmage

bpenn wrote: »

Hell, that looks good to me. Based on what I have seen in your threads you seem quite capable of that. Is 96K quite a bit more than you make now?

Yes, it would be 32k more than I make now, plus the commute is 10 minutes shorter.

Matt2

Ya, you should "gopher it". Crazy that they are truly pushing for you to take on programming responsibilities beyond something like Powershell or SQL basics.

Good luck!

bpenn

Deathmage wrote: »

Yes, it would be 32k more than I make now, plus the commute is 10 minutes shorter.

I would be on this opportunity like white on rice on a paper plate in a snowstorm.

JBrown

It is time for you to move higher and bigger projects.
Btw, which part of NYC do you work in ?

dmoore44

Deathmage wrote: »

Yes, it would be 32k more than I make now, plus the commute is 10 minutes shorter.

This sounds like a no-brainer! More money and a shorter commute - normally I've had to take the longer commute to make more money!

Dakinggamer87

Deathmage wrote: »

Yes, it would be 32k more than I make now, plus the commute is 10 minutes shorter.

Yea I would jump on that buddy

greg9891

Deathmage wrote: »

Yes, it would be 32k more than I make now, plus the commute is 10 minutes shorter.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR DEATHMAGE YOU AIN LEAVE THAT JOB YET!!!!!!!!!!!! congrats on the raise

Deathmage

I submitted my resume to the company at their request and I found three other positions, two are system administration positions, one at Marist College in Poughkeepsie and the other at Bard College. and lastly a Sr. System Administration postion as a large local Federal Credit Union that is looking for a Microsoft admin, one with a CCNA and VMware 5.1/5.5 expereince so basically a VCP. The credit union's main office would be literally 5 miles from the house but would a 6k increase but it has dental and a 401k, my current employer doesn't have a 401k or dental so that accounts for something....

This is why I've been pushing in my lab to get the CCNA all done, cause it's bad enough with a CCENT and VCP I get hounded daily on Linkedin, once I round out the R&S it might get even worst....f*ck when I get the MCSA I can really to picky as f*ck!...even then my knowledge is MCSE level but seriously 5 exams is just annoying...

my think is having the CCNA on paper and offically being certfied vs saying I'm working on it could yeild more income right off the bat, instead of them saying 'well once you pass you'll get a raise and that turns into 6 to 10 months of a wait', F that...

With this being said I'm actively looking, but 6 months from now I wouldn't be surprised if I'm no longer with this company. My biggest push for now is CCNA and VCP6-DCV and then work on MCSA with the 70-410 which I glazed the book and nothing is hard in that book for me I do it 24/7.

JBrown wrote: »

It is time for you to move higher and bigger projects.
Btw, which part of NYC do you work in ?

I work and live in Westchaster. I've been trying to avoid NYC just because the commute alone would kill me vs the insane pay. But at some point I think it will be unavoidable since I'll need large infrastructure to keep me entertained and busy as my skillsets grow...

Matt2 wrote: »

Ya, you should "gopher it". Crazy that they are truly pushing for you to take on programming responsibilities beyond something like Powershell or SQL basics.

Good luck!

They have the whole mentality I'm sure we've all heard, "your IT you can figure it out you get paid big buck" ... they don't pay me that much or understand the complexity that many specialization incur. Like my colluege at my current employer is by far the best developer of CSharp, C++, Java, SQL, and FoxPro I know... can he log into a DC and setup an account sure; can he plug a cable into a switch and hook a PC/Srver, sure anything beyond the complexities of system/network/VMware/Storage/Help-desk administration....there is a reason he forwards me all those tickets.... he doesn't have a clue..

..it's bad enough I'm adding SQL to my list of things I'm learning, as one point he'll just do programming and I'll do everything else. Like right now I taught myself inner/outer/left/right joins and how to setup cubes for data, as-well as insert into, nolock's, select, from, where, update, begin tran, return, ands, all of the <>=!= signs, .... I had no desire to learn these but it's amazing what google will do for you when you need to do queries... Powershell I'm finding handy and will just add it to my tricks.


**** here is a script I wrote the other day to do a re-index of tables, took me 4 or 5 hours to write it but I figured it out on the test server.... piece mealed it from all over the internet until it worked to my desire....

===========================================

This one queries the tables for fragmentation:

USE [Insert Database Name here]
SELECT OBJECT_NAME(ind.OBJECT_ID) AS TableName
,ind.name AS IndexName
,indexstats.index_type_desc AS IndexType
,indexstats.avg_fragmentation_in_percent
,page_count AS page_count
FROM sys.dm_db_index_physical_stats(DB_ID() ,NULL ,NULL ,NULL ,NULL) indexstats
INNER JOIN sys.indexes ind
ON ind.object_id = indexstats.object_id
AND ind.index_id = indexstats.index_id
WHERE indexstats.avg_fragmentation_in_percent > 20
AND page_count > 50
AND indexstats.index_type_desc <> ‘Heap’
ORDER BY indexstats.avg_fragmentation_in_percent DESC

This one fixes the fragmentations:

–FIND DB ID
–SELECT DB_ID()
IF OBJECT_ID(‘tempdb..#work_to_do’) IS NOT NULL
DROP TABLE tempdb..#work_to_do
BEGIN TRY
–BEGIN TRAN
use [Insert Database Name]
— Ensure a USE statement has been executed first.
SET NOCOUNT ON;
DECLARE @objectid INT;
DECLARE @indexid INT;
DECLARE @partitioncount BIGINT;
DECLARE @schemaname NVARCHAR(130);
DECLARE @objectname NVARCHAR(130);
DECLARE @indexname NVARCHAR(130);
DECLARE @partitionnum BIGINT;
DECLARE @partitions BIGINT;
DECLARE @frag FLOAT;
DECLARE @pagecount INT;
DECLARE @command NVARCHAR(4000);
DECLARE @page_count_minimum SMALLINT
SET @page_count_minimum = 20
DECLARE @fragmentation_minimum FLOAT
SET @fragmentation_minimum = 5.0
— Conditionally select tables and indexes from the sys.dm_db_index_physical_stats function
— and convert object and index IDs to names.
SELECT object_id AS objectid ,
index_id AS indexid ,
partition_number AS partitionnum ,
avg_fragmentation_in_percent AS frag ,
page_count AS page_count
INTO #work_to_do
FROM sys.dm_db_index_physical_stats(DB_ID(), NULL, NULL, NULL,’LIMITED’)
–sys.dm_db_index_physical_stats(37, NULL, NULL, NULL,’LIMITED’)
WHERE avg_fragmentation_in_percent > @fragmentation_minimum
AND index_id > 0
AND page_count > @page_count_minimum;
IF CURSOR_STATUS(‘global’, ‘partitions’) >= -1
BEGIN
PRINT ‘partitions CURSOR DELETED’ ;
CLOSE partitions
DEALLOCATE partitions
END
— Declare the cursor for the list of partitions to be processed.
DECLARE partitions CURSOR LOCAL
FOR
SELECT *
FROM #work_to_do;
— Open the cursor.
OPEN partitions;
— Loop through the partitions.
WHILE ( 1 = 1 )
BEGIN;
FETCH NEXT
FROM partitions
INTO @objectid, @indexid, @partitionnum, @frag, @pagecount;
@FETCH_STATUS < 0
BREAK;
SELECT @objectname = QUOTENAME(o.name) ,
@schemaname = QUOTENAME(s.name)
FROM sys.objects AS o
JOIN sys.schemas AS s ON s.schema_id = o.schema_id
WHERE o.object_id = @objectid;
SELECT @indexname = QUOTENAME(name)
FROM sys.indexes
WHERE object_id = @objectid
AND index_id = @indexid;
SELECT @partitioncount = COUNT(*)
FROM sys.partitions
WHERE object_id = @objectid
AND index_id = @indexid;
SET @command = N’ALTER INDEX ‘ + @indexname + N’ ON ‘
+ @schemaname + N’.’ + @objectname + N’ REBUILD’;
IF @partitioncount > 1
SET @command = @command + N’ PARTITION=’
+ CAST(@partitionnum AS NVARCHAR(10));
EXEC (@command);
–print (@command); //uncomment for testing
PRINT N’Rebuilding index ‘ + @indexname + ‘ on table ‘
+ @objectname;
PRINT N’ Fragmentation: ‘ + CAST(@frag AS VARCHAR(15));
PRINT N’ Page Count: ‘ + CAST(@pagecount AS VARCHAR(15));
PRINT N’ ‘;
END;
— Close and deallocate the cursor.
CLOSE partitions;
DEALLOCATE partitions;
— Drop the temporary table.
DROP TABLE #work_to_do;
–COMMIT TRAN
END TRY
BEGIN CATCH
–ROLLBACK TRAN
PRINT ‘ERROR ENCOUNTERED:’ + ERROR_MESSAGE()
END CATCH

====================================================


I know I tell you all I want to be a CCNA, VCP, and MCSE but gosh darn it once I achieve it it will be really interesting using this stuff all the time. Really helps troubleshooting though casue I know how **** flows and works now...

I mean lately we finally got a test server for our ERP, and he now plugging away at RFE's becaause he can break the test server and not production. So he's be able to optimize the snot out of SQL now safetly, also thanks to me implementing Veeam we can recover the entire Production VM (<3) - which is good casue the VMware, Microsoft, Network, Storage optimization and proper design I've done has made the network so efficeint the SQL was the bottleneck....in regards to scripting....and that was on him.

Needless to say HR just think's your IT...you can figure it out...they have no idea.... How many of you know exactly what I mean...

sj4088

Deathmage wrote: »

Yes, it would be 32k more than I make now, plus the commute is 10 minutes shorter.

Wow. They are only paying you 64k now and expect you to know all that. Come one...You seem to have a very good skillset. Not sure how long you been in IT. But with what your skillset seem to be no reason you should be making less than 90K.

You should jump on that 96k job asap.

Dakinggamer87

sj4088 wrote: »

Wow. They are only paying you 64k now and expect you to know all that. Come one...You seem to have a very good skillset. Not sure how long you been in IT. But with what your skillset seem to be no reason you should be making less than 90K.

You should jump on that 96k job asap.

I second that

Deathmage

Today I got offered a job as CSC again in East Hartford, CT making 82k a year with benefits and 80/20, remote/on-site.

The drive would be 1 hour and 30 minutes.

It's a wintel/VMware engineer.

Thoughts?