Workload. What it used to be and what we do now.

[Dos_Box]

OK. I entered the wonderful world of educational IT support just over 5 and a half years ago, and it seesm to me that in the interveining years our workload has more than doubled. I shall demonstrate by describing my job back then then and my job now.

 

2000 -

 

Manage 1 NT 4.0 server with a single 20 GB SCSI hard drive. On here lived all of the file shares, an Exchange 5.5 setup, M$ Proxy and 800 user accounts.

 

Manage 50 desktop PCs running Windows 98.

 

Ensure that the 8 networked printers were OK.

 

*NOTE. There were no laptops, projectors, wireless or whiteboards then.

 

2005 -

 

Manage 7 Windows 2003 active directory servers running 2 domains. One running Exchange 2003, one running SQL Server 2000, One print server with 15 networked printers. One is a file server. The remainder are domain controllers.

 

Manage a mobile classroom consisting of 25 laptops contained in boxes of 5 laptops and see them once every blue moon when they have died completely.

 

Maintain numerous projectors and whiteboards.

 

Help staff with video capture and editing.

 

Look after many staff laptops.

 

Run a wireless setup over 2 LANS.

 

Install much software at a moments notice network wide.

 

Have I missed something out I wonder? And what will the future bring!?

[Ric_]

Hmmm... not been 'in the game' as long as you (only 2 and a half years).

 

In the begining...

* 2x NT4 Servers and almost 100 9x workstations (RM Connect 2.4)

* Maybe half a dozen networked printers

* A couple of projectors

* No laptops, scanners, IWBs...

 

Now...

* 12 Servers (2000 and 2003) - inc. SQL, Exchange, ISA, Citrix

* Lovely SAN and tape autoloader

* Approx. 200 desktop clients

* Over 60 laptops

* 2x IWB setups (got away with that one nicely )

* Approx. 9 projectors

* 12x network printers and a shed load of local printers (lasers in offices)

* Scanners and other peripherals galore

 

The workload has certainly increased in a short time and there's still just me. I'm just glad that they haven't decided that they must have IWBs in every room - a bug bear of mine since (as all techs know) there's only one person that can check that the USB cable is plugged in and the power switch is in the ON position!

[webman]

If a teacher's workload increased as much as what ours do they'd be paid 2, maybe 3 times as much as well 8O

[GrumbleDook]

6 1/2 years ago - Joined a team as the junior / mouse cleaner (1 network manager, one asst NM, 1 techie and me as asst IT Techie)

 

We looked after 1 NT4 server for the admin network with 15 machines, 2 unix servers (1 as the web/mail/proxy server the other as the file and authentication server), 2 macs running server stuff (appleshare IP and MacAdmin), 40 classroom PCs running W95 and approx 140 macs.

 

When I left there 18 months ago it was 1 Unix box (running Mail and the Website), 8 Windows Servers (mainly W2K Server), 1 Mac Server, 100ish Macs, 200+ PCs (mainly W2K Pro) and around 70 staff laptops.

 

At present establishment we have 11 Windows Servers, 1 Mac Server (ok .. it's a Mac Mini, but it'll do the job), 23 macs, and 648 desktops/laptops. Also looking after all the projectors (around 25 now) and starting to look after TVs and videos too.

 

And this doesn't include the printers, scanners, cameras, DV cameras, IWBs ...

[Furan]

Dos are you doing my job when Im not there!

Sounds very similar but shorter time span.

 

Originally 3 NT 4 server

5 Windowbox p2p networks.

 

Now.....

 

7 Win2k/2003 Server based network

 

Too many laptops to count (honest!)

 

IWBs all over the place

 

Cameras Videos Multimedia setups etc

 

Managed Library systems

 

Correcting LEA bodges

Really would love time to do a full inventory

 

Oh and still havnt had the revue I asked for last April (04)!!!!!

[webman]

Oh and still havnt had the revue I asked for last April (04)!!!!!

 

They did that with me. They'll take an extra year to look at it to figure out what else they can squeeze in under the "any other tasks" clause, but in the meantime, keeping you as cheap as possible. It's all wrong.

[tosca925]

Then

 

Started 3 and 1/2 years ago.

One tech (pushing 50, already here with 104 win 98 PC's, 3 NT 4.0 servers and 60 non networked laptops. No IWB's

 

Now

 

12 2003 servers, consisting of Exchange 2003, an ISA, One SIMS, One CMIS and eportal, a Print server, Several back up servers and 3 file servers.

540 workstations and 190 networked laptops (all XP Pro)

40 IWB's + Projectoers(mixture of Smart and Promethean)

8 Wireles Access Points for network use in mobiles.

46 Networked Printers

21 Standalone printers,

6 Pool Bookable Projecters (fro use on normal whiteboards)

Supporting the new Media Studies Lessons

Supporting Specialist Sports Software (We are a Sports College)

 

All spread accross 4 buildings....!

 

Coming Soon

 

A new bulid to replace the mobiles which will hold 200 worksations,

Dual status to Maths & Computing College

Most importantly anotherTechnician startting after xmas.

 

 

 

Refering to another post (Thank God for MSI deployment and RIS)

[Dos_Box]

I forgot at add PDA's.

[Diello]

Started in '99 as an assistant to the IT Technician, the Head of IT was de facto Network Manager. We had one NT3.51 server, 2 classrooms of 30 PCs, and about another 30 scattered around the school running '95. Only Internet access was by a 33.6 in the main IT room.

 

Now I manage 2 (& 1/2) technicians supporting 3 W2k3 servers, an Exchange server, web server, proxy server, SIMS server, 400 workstations running XP, 50 laptops, 10 IWBs, projectors, broadband, SIMS, wireless, printers both network & local, specialist Music technology, scanners, digital microscopes, a couple of Macs, organising X-ciricular ICT, community links... just what I can think of off the top of my head!

[indie]

I started working in IT in 98, the school I was at had 2 rooms full of Acorns, no network and all we had to look out for was broken monitors and dodgy viruses on the machines.

 

We made the big jump to Windows 2000 and I was looking after 30 PC's, 1 Win 2k Server and 3 Networked printers. We also had 128k 24/7 ISDN internet, for 2000 we we're the dogs bollocks in the area for computing

 

The network slowly grew, we added 3 new rooms and networked the library. Now the school is just like any other, every department has PC's, IWB's, Projectors etc.

 

The place i'm at now has around 150 PC's, mostly XP x64, 20 Wireless tablet PC's, 12 roaming iBook's, a Mac suite, language lab and auditorium, we're open 8-9 and guess who provides support out of hours

 

I look after 5 Servers for the LAN (W2k3, OS X and Linux) that support over 1800 users, Blackboard which is going to be rolled out across the LEA soon (and I'll get to admin that) and W2k3, Linux and OS X servers for Web/Media hosting that we do.

 

I designed and implemented the Network, have recently overhauled it and upgraded to Gigabit Ethernet.

 

I'm MS certified, just about to sit my CCNA and struggled for 9 months to get a payrise, yet if i'm not in one day and something breaks, the place grinds to a halt. I'm the only tech on site.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love my job, i just wish people were a little bit more appreciative for what we actually do!

[witch]

Interestingly, for me (4 years in one job, two in the other) nothing much has changed except a few wireless laptops,teachers laptops and whiteboards - which is v sad as it means not much investment in computing and IT at either of the schools I work in.

Currently have one NT4 server, 40 network machines, 2 standalones,15 whiteboards, 17 teachers laptops, in one job (that I have to maintain in 10 hours a week).

The other is a Win2000 server with 60 network machines, 10 whiteboards (different sort to the other lot!), 36 wireless laptops, 20 teachers laptops, etc etc (which I have to maintain in 8, yes, 8 hours a week! )

 

The computers in both schools are predominantly running Win98 and they are all anything between 3 and 7 years old. I cannot get anyone to see that very soon things are going to go horribly wrong - both my servers are too small and too old, and I spend a lot of time trying to nurse old computers back to life, or ghosting or anything just short of the kiss of life.

As a local school governor, I do realise the constraints of the budgets and can see that it is very hard to spend the amount of money I need - but this is getting really silly now.

I am just waiting for the motherboards to start failing in a big way - I wish they would because then something might be done.

[Dos_Box]

The sad thing is that if schools such as yours allocated even a half decent budget for maintenance and rolling upgrades they would spend less than half the cost of a new network every few years.

[Furan]

What gets me about all of this and its probably stated in several other threads is that there is a huge discrepancy between investment in hardware and investment in support costs.

I think everyone on her agrees that we could do with more money for the job we do but its like flogging a dead horse when schools are used to being served by people with a bit of pride in their work and irrespective of the package they are on - they constantly deliver for the benefit of the kids.

What amazed me in all of this though is that with LEA approval (in my case certainly) the schools are prepared to pay socking great sums for appalling service and support from the likes of RM and providers of the LFT scheme. And who are the poor sods that have to sit on the end of the phone trying to interpret what the nonty head on the other end of the phone is proposing as a fix?????

[GrumbleDook]

Without sounding defensive of the LEAs ... with things like the LfT scheme and connectivity, they get £X for it ... and then have to make the best use of it.

 

Some places take the money and try and get the best/most kit with it, knowing that if they get good kit it will cost them less to look after it, and save them money in the long run.

 

Unfortunately not all LEAs are like this ... and some do take the attitude of "We know best" and the decisions are made politically ... but that is changing ...

 

We are left in a strange position in Northants now ... the Local Authority have decided they they only want to do the strategy and organising of things, they do not want to be responsible for services.

 

This has meant that .ICT (thats dot eye see tea) are being made a company and are not part of the council, just a service provider for the council. This means that there are all sorts of politics going on in the background, smack bang in the middle of when all the schools are trying to work out whether to stick with the RBC or not, or to band together with another ISP or go our own ways ... and hope we can get on the NEN later.

 

Fun ?

[Furan]

Tony do you find that your in the position of being left to pick up the pieces though.

The 'Advisors' and 'Consultants' who are supposed to disseminate all of what you described in your post at the least communicative people on the payroll. I dont mean that vindictively = but if you were an ex-head or something similar would you really want to speak to pond life like us?

There is a culture issue here and I make no bones about it.

Until the doors of discussion are open to all the likes of you and I will still spend each day sifting the grains to find the substance.

 

Sorry been a heavy heavy term for me so far and frankly very down with it all.

[GrumbleDook]

I think one of the differences is that I am not viewed as pond scum (no disrespect intended)

 

I am in the strange place of being Manglement, but still with an idea about beinga techie / NM (and I constantly have to remember to let the team get on with it ... thank heavens that Spot is understanding)

 

It does mean that I am able to speak with people at County or SST or Becta and get a human response. This is one of the reasons why Russ and I are so happy to have a chance to do stuff with SST, to actually put across the point of view of the poor sod that has to make things work.

 

But yes, I do know what you mean about being left to pick up the pieces ... I was never happy about that, but I was lucky enough to find the right people to speak to and get them to do most of the talking for me to other people.

[browolf]

years ago when had 3 nt servers, 1 ms proxy & 1 exchange, 300 95/2k workstations maybe 20 laptops I had time to tweak the network, install software, think up innovative ways of doing things, make webstuff.

 

Nowadays got 3 win2k server, 2 print servers, the same exchange server lol, 1 isa server, 1 ghost server, 1 backupserver, 1 linux intranet/squid server

about 650 workstations, 160 laptops and i can not keep ontop of the stuff only I know how to do(been there longest) never mind making new stuff. Got 4 techs, me, 1 that does mostly primary school support and general stuff and 2 that do imaging most of the time. mostly windows breaking/going wrong for no apparent reason.

 

dunno where we've gone wrong. slowly but surely things are working less and less well and

perhaps its the consequence of having to repeatedly hire kids from uni with barely any relevant experience and then have them leave when they know stuff. The network is vastly more complicated than it used to be but we're like reinventing the wheel every 1-2 years.

[alexknight]

I am very fortunate at my school.

 

Having started in Jan 2003 as a part time technician working in the corner of a library I have grdaually seeen my hours/salary/environment improve in line with the added increase in the IT infrastructure.

 

I am a one man band here and currently have one 2003 PDC server, one 2003 SQL server, one 2003 ISA server, and a Espresso server.

 

160 network machines, 10 standalones, 7 whiteboards, 30 teachers laptops, 9 projectors, digtial cameras and other odds and ends such as data logging and control equipment.

 

I am also in control of the ICT/Curriculum budget, the infrastructure budget and the ELearning budget. (I have the power )

 

I thoroughly enjoy my work and don't get paid what I am worth, BUT I do get paid a decent wage and can claim over time when needed.

 

I can also attend conferences, eh um, roll on Manchester 2006.

 

I am now at a point where I am getting snowed under and we have reviewed my workload and getting 1/2 a technician. This will happen if any bolt ons are added this or next year

 

My school is famtastic and the kids are lovely, and no you can't have my job.

[Ric_]

@alexknight:

I am now at a point where I am getting snowed under and we have reviewed my workload and getting 1/2 a technician. This will happen if any bolt ons are added this or next year

 

Would this be the top or bottom half and will the bolt-ons be done in a Frankenstein sort of way?

[alexknight]

1/2 technicians come in very handy when we have to carry out network cabling through the low ceiling voids.

 

We have bolt ons at our school as you have to be nuts to work here ''

[MarcLister]

I started at my current school in 2010 as the ICT Technician working under the ICT & Premises manager. There were about 125 students then for us to look after. As my boss had premises to look after as well it wasn't really a team of two but 1.5. This gives us a ratio of 83.3 students if you divide 125 into 1.5. My boss left in 2013 and I took over as ICT Manager. Since then the school has increased in size to about 165 students but it is just me now so the number of students I have to be responsible for ICT wise has gone up.

 

Gradually we've made changes to make things easier to support. We used to have two servers, one for the admin network and one for the curriculum. We replaced these last summer with a single combined server which is a lot easier to look after, we now have about 5 VMs and it is much quicker to log in to each and make changes than it was when we had two servers and only our filtering server as a VM, and also has loads more space for file storage.