What does your day involve as network manager

[Liam]

Just curious, what does a day in the life of network manager involve. I'm a network manager myself, but I wondered how my day compared to others.

 

Thanks.

[6Foot2]

Days are unpredictable. The day typically starts at or before 6:00. I am usually first in.

 

1. Unlock the areas I need access to and check that all is well with servers with servers/network etc.

2. Check E-Mails and check Edugeek.

3. Deal with stuff waiting since yesterday/late calls.

4. Deal with early arrivals if they have any new issues.

5. Wait for the chaos to start...

[psycho98]

Days are unpredictable. The day typically starts at or before 6:00. I am usually first in.

 

1. Unlock the areas I need access to and check that all is well with servers with servers/network etc.

2. Check E-Mails and check Edugeek.

3. Deal with stuff waiting since yesterday/late calls.

4. Deal with early arrivals if they have any new issues.

5. Wait for the chaos to start...

 

Pretty much nailed my day there as well

[john]

Fine not in a school but day starts reading my emails on the good-old blueberry, head desk moments can insue, take a Rollercoaster to work, arrive at desk, find coffee and continue to head desk if required and start fixing the world's problems.

[localzuk]

Get in, check emails, check helpdesk.

Action anything that needs doing before assembly etc...

Start working on anything that needs doing that day.

Catch up with anything not done in previous days.

Argue with the site manager.

Argue with my technician.

Have a cup of tea.

Print any dinner cards that need replacing.

Do some work on any long term projects.

Argue with the site manager

Argue with my technician

Complain that I don't have any budget

Lunch

 

Kinda like that really!

[tmcd35]

I'm not sure there is a normal routine any more.

 

Maybe...

 

BEGIN
  Check E-mail
  Drive To Work
  Make Coffee

  IF crisis THEN check Internet AND check SIMS ELSE check EDUGEEK

  FOR hour=1 TO 8
     BEGIN
         IF meeting THEN attend ELSE
         BEGIN
             IF coffee = 0 THEN refill
             IF staff = 0 THEN cover
             IF crisis THEN check Internet AND check SIMS
             IF money>0 THEN place orders
             IF money<0 THEN plan budget
             IF time = free THEN do project AND check EDUGEEK
         END
     END

  Drive home
END

[win]

Arrive in the office, sit down and do nothing.

 

This is probably what the world thinks of us - the reality of course is quite different!

[midweek]

As I live a 10 minute stroll from work my day usually begins with being woken up by someone phoning at 7am with some "emergency" (forgot password, blocked website they simply must have that instant, etc).

 

I am NOT a morning person.

 

In all seriousness though as the solitary IT Support person my day is usually:

 

- field any emails/calls as and when they are received

- deal with any long term or ongoing problems as time permits

- squeeze in any preparation for upgrades or future goals (Office 365 migration, up-scaling of iPad deployment and MDM, hardware replacement plans etc)

 

Every day brings its own challenges!

[sippo]

This 100%

 

https://youtu.be/aKNqojGjT_Q

[DCUK6]

So far today.

 

Arrive,

Speak to finance,

Moan about my budget

Get grabbed because her computer isnt working

Press power button on computer

check emails

shout at Linux

Give up on linux

Moan about my budget some more

Start linux again

Get so far and then linux breaks

shout at linux with out of the windows threats

get asked for a new computer

check computer tree, dam they arnt ripe yet,

moan about budget

 

get called because a computer is taking ages to start

find out they pulled the power cord out last night because they were in a rush and didnt want to shut down.

moan about how doing things properly actually saves time.

 

check out edugeek

check more stuff in edugeek

 

find someone has stollen the power adapter for the staff room laptop.

ask finance to purchase a new one.

get moaned at about budgets being over.

moan about budget

 

find the backup drive for my mac because im getting fed up with it warning me.

 

get a call saying they identified a problem with the audio on all of our machines and looking for a way to sort (30 machines)

 

Update Impero Cant moan about this one. Chrome support finally added.

Edited March 18, 2015 by DCUK6

[Liam]

Hm, very interesting.

 

Apart from the coffee, as I don't drink it.

 

So today, work on impero update..

Educated staff on email encryption.

Work on development plan

More impero stuff.. Wish they would give us the ability to select a few machines in thumbnail view.

Read some emails

Look at those nightmare devices known as ipads

Asset management with parago

 

Oh and do some digging into why our most recent gcse pod / classpod saga.

 

Lovely..

 

Now chill with a few beers

[maniac]

Meetings.

 

Yes, mainly meetings.

 

I don't get involved much in day-to-day issues, my job is much more strategy based so writing policies, managing budgets, planning strategies, appointing new suppliers for services, working with senior leadership on things like the use of our sharepoint platform, iPads and management of them etc. I have two technicians who manage the day-to-day issues for me and I only get involved in those if there's a problem they can't solve.

[Liam]

So ma

 

 

 

 

 

So maniac, you say waiting policies and planning strategies. Surely this can't be a daily thing. Correct me if Im Wrong.

[maniac]

So ma

 

 

 

 

 

So maniac, you say waiting policies and planning strategies. Surely this can't be a daily thing. Correct me if Im Wrong.

 

Well maybe not daily, but I spend quite a lot of my time on strategies/planning because they move the goal posts so often here. Another batch of office moves over the coming holidays, that's more planning for me. I don't have a daily routine, that's for my senior technician to follow and report any issues to me. I didn't really read your first post I must admit.

[Liam]

Ha ha, I wish i had the luxury of a senior tech. Just me and two Web / Vle developers

[gaz350b]

Get in 8.30

Quick look at email for any urget emails.

Remind myself of my tasks for the day

Check help desk and make sure any remaining helpdesk tickets are assigned to appropriate team members.

 

Within the 1st hour of the day I like to check in with the library helpdesk make sure there are no obvious issues around site that haven't been reported. im a great believer of getting out around site.

 

2hrs in coffee! And another check in on emails and start on my project work. I like to get any further meetings I need doing in the morning before lunch.

 

Afternoons tend to be a bit more Productive again projects are my priority but I still manage to get through a lot of support tickets from my desk to help techs.

 

3.30pm I tend to do my site maintenace (we all have assigned areas of the building to maintain)

 

4.20pm spend 10 minutes organising tomorrow in asana.

 

4.30pm home!

 

We use asana as our project management tool to manage the teams workload we transfer any large support tickets from our helpdesk and schedule the job in a asana project. some of my day to day tasks evolve scheduling of work. Especially as we have so many large projects on the go that we are trying to complete in term time.

 

All electronic communication regarding projects stay with the project in asana. Only when we need to communicate to staff outside of the team do we use email/helpdesk for communication purposes. (Project sensitive info is also transferred from emails so we can find the right info)

 

Projects tend to be documentation based between September and Xmas updating our 1 and 3 year plans, annual reviews, quotes for budgeting purpose and initial schedule of work for the next 4 terms oh and reviewing internal documentation ensuring its up to date.

 

Term 3 tends to be quieter meetings with suppliers and organising competitive quotes. Place any orders.

 

Term 4 we always aim to start the deployment of our transformation plan. So this term we started to build our new virtual server(hosts), and start the deployment of our 130 machines.

 

Term 5 more of the above with another large project (new 6th form) starting to ramp up as contractor should be onboard.

 

Term 6 - we always build and test new disk images for summer deployment as we like to live test in a few areas before the holidays. Hoping to migrate any non-critical services to new platform and build any new servers.

 

Summer hols - year end processes (yawn but I'm the only person who can do this properly!), have some time off with my kids. Server/desktop maintenace, Deadline day for our maintenace is exam download day and try to ensure no downtime after that.

Edited March 18, 2015 by gaz350b

[nickbro]

Get in 8.00

Load SIMS up to do the day's cover

Get messages and feed into Cover system

Phone supply agencies if needed

relay cover info to on staff HLTA's

relay cover info to LT

 

8.30

Check in with Technician, plan for the day in IT

 

9.00

Check in with general office

Check cover staff are ok (only if the assistant head isn't in who takes over this part)

Check in with sports centre

 

I then spend the rest of the day operating the network, checking/responding to emails, dealing with IT issues/staff, and at the moment timetabling (mostly corrections to the whitsun timetable at the moment for roleout)

 

10.05

Quick check on the attendance status in Go4Schools, report any missing registers to LT, if I'm not busy

 

11.05

If not out at a Primary School, or import meeting, supporting technician in operating open access in the main IT suites

 

11.30

bit of quite time, check in with technician and other staff (on Fridays I go 10 minutes down the road in the car for a subway for the hour)

 

12.30

lunch break is meant to begin (never does)

 

1.00

go for lunch (most of the time, except Friday see above)

 

1.30

If not out at a Primary School, important meeting, or major issue, support technician in operating open access in the main IT suites

 

2.30

check in with office staff/line manager (HT) if she's available/sports centre staff

 

4.00

phone cover agencies to book planned cover in, attempt to do advanced cover arrangements

check in with technician before he goes to catch his bus home

 

4.30

meant to be home time, I think I've gone home at this time 5 times since Christmas

 

5.00

meet with LT if they are still on site

 

6.30

usually when I get home, except when I have a Governor meeting

 

 

Kinda makes me sound like I don't do a lot, it sometimes feels that way.

[Liam]

You do cover... Wowzers. I wiped my hands of sims apart from its maintenance and some system manager stuff.

[jmcdermott]

6:00 get up

6:15 dial into VPN and check servers, then check for emails.

7:30 arrive at work after 45 min drive.

Run round school fixing as many issues as possible before anyone else arrives.

8:30 quick check on all laptops, the check laptop bookings for the day.

9:00 coffee and wait for chaos to start.

Try to manage checking 2 sets of laptops in and out while logging and responding to calls.

10:50 check backups from previous night.

Try to manage checking 2 sets of laptops in and out while logging and responding to calls.

 

13:00 put all laptops on charge and check condition.

13:10 try and eat lunch before phone rings/door opens.

13:12 get called out to fix something some where.

13:30 another mouth full of food before being called to fix something for assembly. (shocking how many people can nit turn a projector on.)

13:50 give up one the now cold food and continue you the ever increasing work load.

Try to manage checking 2 sets of laptops in and out while logging and responding to calls.

 

15:30 leave school

1900 dial back in via VPN and try to cix any issues that can be done remotely.

22:00 give up for the day, glad that I am lucky enough to do a job I love for the most parts.

[Liam]

Wow, I thought I did too much of the our of hours stuff but logging in first thing in a morning.. Can't you set up email alerts to tell you if there is something wrong which should free up some time in a morning

[nickbro]

You do cover... Wowzers. I wiped my hands of sims apart from its maintenance and some system manager stuff.

It's a shared thing with the assistant head, I just plan the things and take over when he's not in

[MrPstv]

7:00 am Arrive

Put tha kettle on

Check emails

Check job log

Have a nose at the backup

Add ground coffee to slightly cooled water and let that sit and brew as good coffee is not burnt!

Start jobs from previous month/day

Wait for the passers by who pop in to greet or to complain/report an issue/request.

Pour coffee into mug add 3 lumps of sugar..ohh yeah

Check Edugeek

Check emails from previous days/weeks

Continue jobs in office.

What ever else pops up during the course of the day..

Answering phone calls

Getting a call to go to other sites

Eating

blah blah

Edited March 19, 2015 by witch

[tmcd35]

6:15 dial into VPN and check servers, then check for emails.

 

Technically I *could* do this, I've set VPN up for fits and giggles but...

 

...The only reason I check e-mails before living for work is it forewarns me of what I need to ignore between the front door and the kettle, that and the smartphone is constantly checking e-mails so it's no biggy.

[witch]

7.30am start

Chat to head teacher to find out if anything going on I should know about

Change tapes and check backup which has been a pita lately

Quick walk around IT suite to check nothing obvious broken

Check emails (have always checked last thing the night before in case of emergencies)

Deal with anything immediate incl things I couldn't do yesterday as teachers were using laptops etc

Check edugeek

As mod, deal with anything immediate

At this time of year - look at budgetary needs for next year (and I am only a lowly tech - not even a senior one)

Do some work on current projects - refresh of most of IT within school, upgrade to Server 2012 etc

Make cup of tea in order to be in staff room when some of the people who actually speak to me as a friend arrive

Go back to office

Keep doing whatever - and if nothing to do, try and learn something!

Edited March 19, 2015 by witch

[Edu-IT]

6:00 get up

6:15 dial into VPN and check servers, then check for emails.

7:30 arrive at work after 45 min drive.

Run round school fixing as many issues as possible before anyone else arrives.

8:30 quick check on all laptops, the check laptop bookings for the day.

9:00 coffee and wait for chaos to start.

Try to manage checking 2 sets of laptops in and out while logging and responding to calls.

10:50 check backups from previous night.

Try to manage checking 2 sets of laptops in and out while logging and responding to calls.

 

13:00 put all laptops on charge and check condition.

13:10 try and eat lunch before phone rings/door opens.

13:12 get called out to fix something some where.

13:30 another mouth full of food before being called to fix something for assembly. (shocking how many people can nit turn a projector on.)

13:50 give up one the now cold food and continue you the ever increasing work load.

Try to manage checking 2 sets of laptops in and out while logging and responding to calls.

 

15:30 leave school

1900 dial back in via VPN and try to cix any issues that can be done remotely.

22:00 give up for the day, glad that I am lucky enough to do a job I love for the most parts.

Out of interest, how many hours do they pay you for?