Posts made by Carnival Boy

I've more or less given up with trying to use my iPad productively at work. After my intial excitement, this will probably go the same way. I don't think you can beat a Windows 8 Ultrabook (I currently use an Acer S3 which I love) - every other device seems too compromised in one way or the other. It's just the cost of ultrabooks that are the stumbling block (both hardware and management costs).

What are you all talking about?

Ipads in the toilet cubicle maybe?

Sorry, yes, I mean break room, not rest room!

Workers need access to our corporate intranet. Things like our ERP system, whilst browser based, are not available outside of the LAN. Ultimately, we should/could host everything in the cloud.

Just got an HP Chromebook 14 yesterday. Really, really lovely bit of kit. I got it for employees to use in the rest room for personal internet use, as we're banning about half our staff from using the internet for personal use during work time, and I liked the fact that it's hard for them to break with dodgy software installs or viruses, and cheap to replace if they do break it.

But I love it so much it got me wondering if I can use it elsewhere. I think it only works in a business setting if you commit completely to using Google Apps. I reckon around half our staff could work with PCs - but then you end up with a mixed environment of 50% Windows and 50% Chrome, which could mean double the management. It would be nice is everyone could use one and we could ditch the Windows domain, but we're several years away from that being a realistic possibility, I guess.

Also, Pertino won't run on Chromebooks I believe, which is a real shame? And LogMeIn doesn't work without a rather crude hack which I understand is unsupported by them. And I'm sure I'll quickly find there are loads of other things that won't work and will end up being a hassle. But in theory (!) I really like the concept of them in an SMB.

Anyone using them for work?

Ideally, degree plus one year's experience or the equivalent without a degree.

@scottalanmiller said:
OSTs will fix what issue? An OST is just the main mail store for Outlook.

The sync issue. OSTs will sync with all the devices you're running Outlook on (eg home and work). So no need to sync the pst file via dropbox as ambarishrh mentioned in his opening post.

@scottalanmiller said:

Exchange won't change those issues though. PSTs will act the same.

Yeah, but OSTs will fix the issue and work really well. I assume Macs use OSTs the same as Windows? I still prefer the Outlook client to OWA - though the difference are getting pretty small now in Exchange.

I guess that IE is rendering in Quirks Mode. Try adding font-size:0; to your style. That hack should tell IE not to resize the height of the DIV to whatever it wants.

@Dominica said:

@Carnival-Boy If you were referring to how long does maple syrup stay edible, pretty much indefinitely in the fridge.

No, I was referring to how long it takes Scott to demolish a bottle
Made pancakes for breakfast this morning, as it's my daughter's birthday. 200g plain flour, 200ml buttermilk, 2 tsp baking soda, 2 eggs. I found myself wishing we had some maple syrup to go with them!

Yeah, it is a bit long. Part of my thinking was that it's a test to see how much research the candidate is prepared to do before the interview. For example, I wouldn't expect them to know what Meraki MDM is before the interview, but would discount them if they had done so little preparation and research that they couldn't tell me what it is during the interview.

@Katie said:

@Carnival-Boy Make sure you have a clearly written job description that clearly delineates the skill set you are looking for. I remember when I was first getting started in IT that job postings for entry level positions weren't always as entry level as the listing described.

That's the tricky thing. I'm looking for someone who is comfortable developing lots of different skill sets (a jack of all trades, master of none, if you like). That's the beauty of working for an SMB, but isn't too everyone's taste. The job ad is very long, but I'm hoping it gives candidates a taste of what's involved. I'd be grateful to know what you think. I'm not sure of what the job title should be - IT Systems Administrator maybe?

The role:

You will be involved in all functions of the IT department. This includes day to day administration and troubleshooting, user support and training, software and hardware installation, and systems development. Systems include ESXi, Windows Server, Exchange, Sharepoint, ERP, MS Office, CRM, HP hardware, PBX, iOS, SQL Server, and VPN. You will help to maintain and support around 70 users and 10 servers, including a number of remote workers. This is a very varied role with lots of scope to develop new skill sets.

Your profile:

• Experience of, or a keen interest in the technologies listed above.
• A degree and at least one year’s experience, or the equivalent work experience
• A self-starter who requires little supervision.
• An ability to work well in cross-functional teams.
• An interest in manufacturing, particularly Lean Manufacturing.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Good programming and scripting skills.

Typical duties and responsibilities:

• Automate administrative tasks on remote Windows systems with Powershell.
• Configure, manage and maintain users and computers in Active Directory.
• Configure, manage, maintain and test system backups, including writing scripts to automate tasks.
• Create, modify and maintain ERP system user and management reports.
• Provide telephone, remote and on-site support to users for all the company’s primary business systems, including Office, Windows 7, ERP, printers, office phones and mobiles.
• Help support CAD users and liaise with external providers of technical support to resolve issues.
• Install, configure and upgrade new hardware, including Windows PCs, printers and office phones.
• Configure, manage and maintain Apple mobile devices (tablets and phones) using Meraki MDM.
• Provide general maintenance on PC and server OS, including log analysis, temporary file deletion, defragging and general servicing to ensure OS is running optimally.
• Configure, manage and maintain wired and wireless LAN.
• Liaise with Vodafone and BT on all aspects of the company’s telecoms infrastructure and work with external support agents to resolve issues.
• Work with departmental managers and power users to develop and maintain Sharepoint team sites.
• Configure, manage and maintain IT security, including liaising with external security providers.
• Test and document backups and disaster recovery policies.
• Monitor system health of servers and workstations using various software management tools including vShpere Client, LogMeIn, Spiceworks and Veeam One.
• Upgrade and patch software using various software management tools such PDQ, WSUS and LogMeIn.
• Configure, manage and maintain the company VPN and support remote workers.
• Configure, manage and maintain the company’s cloud-based applications, including Livedrive, Google Apps, Office365, Meraki and GFI.
• Suggest and trial other potential low cost cloud-based applications that would add value.
• Provide remote support to the company’s satellite Manchester office.
• Perform occasional weekend and evening work to upgrade, maintain and service company servers and systems.
• Work with the Marketing Department to develop and co-ordinate website and social media strategies and other IT based marketing campaigns.
• Provide one on one and group training to end users on various systems, including running webinars for remote staff.

A gallon of maple syrup! Wow! How much did that set you back? How long will it last? It's about eight bucks for a very small bottle here in the UK - generally Canadian. Is Canadian better than American? It's generally too expensive for me to justify, so we stick with the classic, and considerably inferior, Lyle's Golden Syrup instead.

I'm looking to employ a junior IT person. What's the best approach? I don't want to go through an agency. Forums (eg Spiceworks, MangoLassi - any others?), job sites, LinkedIn, something else?

Any other tips? It's been 12 years since I employed anyone!

@scottalanmiller said:

It is not that a gateway is insecure, it is that it lacks the lock down, visibility and control features that only a full mesh can provide.

So what's the difference between Pertino's mesh and Hamachi in mesh mode?

The biggest problem I had trying to implement DA in Server 2008 was that I wasn't running Forefront UAG, and Microsoft made it very complicated to implement without it. Is that still the case with 2012?

@Bob-Beatty said:

@Carnival-Boy said:

Can't comment on Pertino. Of course, there are loads of cloud storage offerings but my only experience is with Trend Micro SafeSync, which I hated, and Livedrive.com which I quite like. So our remote workers now use Livedrive.com

Does livedrive allow local copies for offline, then sync? version control? easy folder/shared folder setup?

Yes, all of these things. I don't personally use these features, but I believe some of my users are using it and I've had no complaints.

Can't comment on Pertino. Of course, there are loads of cloud storage offerings but my only experience is with Trend Micro SafeSync, which I hated, and Livedrive.com which I quite like. So our remote workers now use Livedrive.com

Well, I guess you don't want to make sitting down tooo comfortable.

That sounds good. I'll have to learn Spanish and check my bosses are ok with me remoting in to work, but otherwise I hope to see you there in a few years time. We can meet up for a few beers after work.

The point is, if you do ever want to have a sit down, it makes sense to move up to the desk height, not have the desk move down to the chair height. I often stand at the local bar. If I'm tired I'll grab a stool - I don't grab a chair and ask for the entire bar to be lowered.