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Audience: All
Last Updated: 12/16/2005 8:38:34 PM
Original Creation Date: 12/16/2005 8:38:34 PM
**All times are EST**
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Do's and Don'ts of IT Professionals
By Erik Rodriguez
This article provides some information on the do's and don'ts of I.T. professionals. Everyone involved in the I.T. field should be aware of these issues.
Introduction
Short but sweet and, I'm not going to sugar coat it. There are do's, and there are don'ts. So let's get started.
Do's
Following these Do's will ensure you shine in the eyes of your employer.
- Keep track of the hours you work.
- Keep a log of all projects completed.
- Make sure your servers/workstations are "up2date" on their patches.
- Archive all system logs.
- Check the health of your servers.
- Monitor your network, server, and router traffic (MRTG).
- Use an IDS or carefully review your system logs for attempted intrusion.
- Keep your server room locked.
- Use strong passwords.
- Backup often. Verify the backups!
- Always have spare equipment: routers, switches, servers, etc.
All the things mentioned above are MUSTS. If you are not doing any of these things on a regular basis, you better start SOON. Other things that may be to your advantage as a system administrator are:
- A trouble ticket system.
- I.T. Oraganization software (track-it).
- web-proxy (squid).
- Off-site backup.
- Off-site web/email server.
- Second ISP connection.
Don'ts
Pay close attention to the don'ts. If you are not careful, some of these can end up biting you in the ass!
- Never accept salary (always sign up as hourly w/ overtime).
- Establish a clear understanding of "comp time."
- I.T. staff (especially system administrators) should not work in cubicles. Get an office!
- Never leave a password list out.
- Do not accept tasks not specified in your job description.*
- Never install equipment in a room that is physically too small.
- Never leave patch panels/punchdown blocks visible.
* There is nothing worse than signing on as a system administrator only be to moving files, desks and other office equipment. Just because your "the I.T. guy" doesn't mean you should be in charge of generating reports in excel for the entire management staff.
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