What do you do for a living?

[357]

Originally Posted by OLS

I make people buy stuff they don't need.

Reminds me of my favorite scene on arguably the best show on TV. Paraphrased of course:

Hippie: You're in advertising? You sell people the lie that is the American Dream...How do you sleep at night?

Don Draper: On a bed made of money.

I am a Windows Server geek, although I get to wear a lot of hats given the size of my employer. I also work on some network switches, firewalls, SAN management, and VMware hosts/VMs.

[timj219]

Originally Posted by 357

I am a Windows Server geek, although I get to wear a lot of hats given the size of my employer. I also work on some network switches, firewalls, SAN management, and VMware hosts/VMs.

Server geek here too. or should I say "Systems Administrator". Unfortunately my employer has become part of a large national organization so while I used to also work with routers/switches, Linux, NetWare, VMWare, Citrix, I'm now being forced to focus only on one narrow area. Windows server/Active Directrory. That's the model we're being squeezed in to. Instead of knowing a bit about everything and handling it all at my local office, I now have to do one thing over and over for many offices while people at other locations manage the things that I used to at my location. The bigshots at headquarters can't stop patting themselves on the back over how clever they've been to force this model on us because they believe it means they will soon be able to start cutting staff. But it sucks for anyone who enjoys being challenged.

[IBQTEE1]

Office/HR Manager exciting stuff let me tell ya!

[357]

Originally Posted by timj219

Server geek here too. or should I say "Systems Administrator". Unfortunately my employer has become part of a large national organization so while I used to also work with routers/switches, Linux, NetWare, VMWare, Citrix, I'm now being forced to focus only on one narrow area. Windows server/Active Directrory. That's the model we're being squeezed in to. Instead of knowing a bit about everything and handling it all at my local office, I now have to do one thing over and over for many offices while people at other locations manage the things that I used to at my location. The bigshots at headquarters can't stop patting themselves on the back over how clever they've been to force this model on us because they believe it means they will soon be able to start cutting staff. But it sucks for anyone who enjoys being challenged.

Funny my title is actually Senior Systems Administrator. I didn't figure many would know what that means. It doesn't make much sense on its own.

I completely understand your situation. My last gig was a big company 25,000 employees with 1,000 Windows servers and I was pigeon-holed into doing the same repetitive tasks. My new place is more like 150-200 employees, 45 physical servers, 65 virtual servers, a couple flavors of SAN/NAS, 10 switches, and 3 firewalls. I have been with my current employer for 2 years now and I love the opportunity I have here to learn. I have also picked up SQL maintenance and permissions. Next we're going to launch an AD 2008 R2 / Exchange 2010 upgrade project. So, I will be standing up new DCs, raising the functional level of the domain/forest, replacing our exchange servers with newer models, and converting all of our mailboxes. It will make for a busy summer.

[timj219]

Originally Posted by 357

Next we're going to launch an AD 2008 R2 / Exchange 2010 upgrade project. So, I will be standing up new DCs, raising the functional level of the domain/forest, replacing our exchange servers with newer models, and converting all of our mailboxes. It will make for a busy summer.

I'm betting you'll like the server 2008R2. It's microsoft's best OS yet. I know that's not saying much. Each new windows seems a little more linux like and that's true here too. It's even possible to install a limited version of the OS (serve core) that imitates the linux ability to install a smaller footprint supporting only the features you need without the GUI and the ability to run other apps. I'm starting to use it for DHCP AD and DNS services. Smaller footprint, less attack surface, better efficiency.

[Old Sailor]

Soon to be retired Bosun with The Canadian Coast Guard after 32 yrs.

[OLS]

Originally Posted by 357

Reminds me of my favorite scene on arguably the best show on TV. Paraphrased of course:

That's EXACTLY how it is, Mike, except my bed is made of bills....nah, not really. I get by.
Tried to get NeoFlex to call me and get me to come to work for him. Two people working
from home is more powerful than one.

[357]

Originally Posted by OLS

That's EXACTLY how it is, Mike, except my bed is made of bills....nah, not really. I get by.
Tried to get NeoFlex to call me and get me to come to work for him. Two people working
from home is more powerful than one.

Strange, I had you pegged as a guy who uses $100 bills to light his cigars rather than cedar splints.

[neoflex]

Originally Posted by OLS

That's EXACTLY how it is, Mike, except my bed is made of bills....nah, not really. I get by.
Tried to get NeoFlex to call me and get me to come to work for him. Two people working
from home is more powerful than one.

???? Shoot me a PM. If you put something in a post there's a good chance I missed it.