Ideas to keep an admin busy

paintb4707

Well lately I've been having more downtime than ever. Even though its the nature of the job to simply wait for something to break, I hate feeling like I'm not being productive. Of course there's plenty non job-related ways to keep myself occupied (like reading this forum for example) but I would prefer if there was something more I could do to improve the infrastructure around here. Not to say it's in bad shape but I wish I could think of more things to do around here. In my position, I don't necessarily have a supervisor or boss. The General Manager might give me projects here and there but for the majority of my work week I need to find my own work.

Let me start by saying I work in an environment with 8 servers and about 50 end-users and a few smartphones. We have 2 DC, 1 standard server (for payroll), 1 Exchange, 2 SQL, and 1 backup server. Also have a standby server for Double-Take replication of Exchange and a SQL server.

I have all 8 servers running as stable as a brick wall, not a single error recorded in any of the logs.

Since I'm not required to do any monitoring such as incoming/outgoing calls, emails, web traffic, or any of the sort I don't have much to keep me productive. If I don't have any projects going on I usually spend some brief time throughout the day running through the event logs of all 8 servers, Exchange queue, suspected spam emails for false-positives, ensure KVM over IP connectivity for each server, server temperatures, and resource load.

I think maybe it would be good for me to start testing backups as well.

So give me suggestions guys. How do you admins keep yourselves productive?

astorrs

paintb4707 wrote:

...I usually spend some brief time throughout the day running through the event logs of all 8 servers...

Are all the event logs pristine? If not, why not?

Yes definitely perform test restores of the servers, individual mailboxes/databases, etc.

How about implementing a monitoring tool that will alert you (or others) when there is a potential problem with something, without you having to go out and find it.

Mishra

Then require yourself to do monitoring and keep up with that. It's quite important to have proper monitoring in an environment.

Complete documentation and start process and procedures. Act like you are setting yourself up to grow to 1000 users and you want to have everything streamlined for that.

Make a procedure to test backups every 5 months. Make a procedure to do fail-over testing every 5 months.

Clean up like cable management and dusting is very important because thats what upper management sees. Make sure your stuff is clean.

Research new products and test out things that may be useful for the business now or the future.

Setup meetings with your co-workers/bosses to try and keep them informed on things that may change now or in the future.

Learn new options like Linux. You can setup things like a Linux-Nagios server for your company's monitoring.

Take initiative, it will be very good for the business, your references, your learning, and possible management positions in the future.

dynamik

Where's that MCSE? Are you able to study?

Those studies might expose you to new material and give you ideas for improving things.

Maybe set up one of the packages suggested here to monitor your systems/devices.

Do you ever run MBSA?

How do you do updates? Have you setup WSUS?

paintb4707

astorrs wrote:

paintb4707 wrote:

...I usually spend some brief time throughout the day running through the event logs of all 8 servers...

How about implementing a monitoring tool that will alert you (or others) when there is a potential problem with something, without you having to go out and find it.

I do have alerts set up for practically everything. UPS, virus, backups, and double-take. I could probably add an IP monitor into the mix as well.

paintb4707

Mishra wrote:

Then require yourself to do monitoring and keep up with that. It's quite important to have proper monitoring in an environment.

I think maybe I used the wrong choice of words. I was asked not to monitor that kind of stuff. I work for a family owned company so it's a laid back environment. Management doesn't really care about what emails come in and out. Funny thing is, the owner actually had me help him create a hotmail account because his buddies always send him pictures of n u d e women and he doesn't want those on his Iphone where his kids could get a hold of it.

paintb4707

dynamik wrote:

How do you do updates? Have you setup WSUS?

We have just standard internet updates. With only 50 workstations I figured WSUS would not be necessary.

undomiel

We only have 30 here but I set up WSUS none-the-less. It's well worth it even for a small business I think. It's also good experience for you. I would also recommend setting up a testing lab for those updates.

blargoe

WSUS is definitely worth the effort in your case, if only for the reporting that it provides on installed updates per computer and any problems.

Not that I have downtime, ever, but tne thing that is stressed where I work is getting to know the business and its processes better in an effort to suggest ideas for the business to be more productive and efficient. Are there any processes that have a lot of redundant steps, unnecessary cost, rework, or manual intervention? Propose a solution!

tiersten

paintb4707 wrote:

dynamik wrote:

How do you do updates? Have you setup WSUS?

We have just standard internet updates. With only 50 workstations I figured WSUS would not be necessary.

50 workstations all trying to download a patch will make your internet connection pretty slow. Use WSUS and its all internal to your network apart from the initial download. Also if you ever need to rebuild a PC and want to do updates then its quick.

sthomas

So there is your first project, setup WSUS. Do you have an imaging server setup to image desktops. Even with only 50 end users it would be nice to have in my opinion. You could look into WDS which is free from Microsoft.

paintb4707

sthomas wrote:

So there is your first project, setup WSUS. Do you have an imaging server setup to image desktops. Even with only 50 end users it would be nice to have in my opinion. You could look into WDS which is free from Microsoft.

Yes we have Acronis for backups and workstation images.

paintb4707

blargoe wrote:

Not that I have downtime, ever, but tne thing that is stressed where I work is getting to know the business and its processes better in an effort to suggest ideas for the business to be more productive and efficient. Are there any processes that have a lot of redundant steps, unnecessary cost, rework, or manual intervention? Propose a solution!

As per one of my recent posts, I would love more than anything to know more about the industry so that I could provide more solutions. However I have not had any formal training on the industry so I am just learning as I go. Perhaps I should request some training in that regard.

blargoe

I wouldn't say that's a requirement. Just watch people, watch the process. Talk to your co-workers. Find out what is working and what could use improvement. Ask to sit with a department for an hour or so and learn more about their day to day.

gojericho0

paintb4707 wrote:

dynamik wrote:

How do you do updates? Have you setup WSUS?

We have just standard internet updates. With only 50 workstations I figured WSUS would not be necessary.

I'd highly recommend as well. You can also test your patches that way before pushing them out incase there is some kind of "uh-oh" you didn't see coming. You can also prevent the install of any patches your users just don't need

marco71

bandwidth management

HeroPsycho

Start auditing your workstations and servers with MBSA. WSUS can sometimes be inaccurate, and MBSA will more than likely reveal that if a server reports to a WSUS server it's patched when it actually isn't.

There's even a Visio plugin to help make professional looking reports. I agree you should use WSUS instead of having machines go out to the net to get updates.

Have you run the Exchange and SQL Best Practice Analyzers?

Cleanup your wiring? I've found that every server rack has some not so prestine wires. Got cable management for your switches? All your cables labeled?

Is your DR plan documented?

d4nmf

Maybe download MS's free edition of sharepoint and create a intranet....

Sie

I would go with the updating / checking / documenting of the DR plan or creation of one if there isnt one currently.

You'll be glad you spent the time doing it should something happen!
(Which inevitably always does )

paintb4707

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I think I will begin documenting the DR plan.

Sie wrote:

I would go with the updating / checking / documenting of the DR plan or creation of one if there isnt one currently.

You'll be glad you spent the time doing it should something happen!
(Which inevitably always does )

Do you happen to have any good links to articles for documenting DRP? I don't even know where to begin.

paintb4707

Just as an update... sorry for reviving an old thread but thought it could still be useful to others.

I've implemented WSUS, documented our DRP, and found a really cool and free web-based network monitor called PRTG.

http://www.paessler.com/prtg7

I'm going to check out MBSA as well.

Keep the ideas flowing!

undomiel

Set up a IDS/IPS if you don't have one set up already.

darkerosxx

I noticed you are using PRTG. Are you using the version that limits you to 10 interfaces?

Something that is free, incredibly time-consuming(staying with the idea of the thread), and can cover all your interfaces on a single server: MRTG.

MRTG is great for trending and even for security usage. It also stays out of people's packets, which is important, imo.

Just an idea, but it's a fun thing you could work with and it's definitely something lots of companies like to see on a resume. Most managers/directors for systems/network departments know or have heard of MRTG at this point, so it's marketable.

snadam

study?

when I can thats what I do.

I am downloading the PRTG monitor as we speak to check it out though