How do you get away with it?

[uk101man]

lol, look what I was met with when I asked a new client to take a photo of the server and switches.

 

Guess the company we took over from never heard of a comms cabinet.

[gl3nnym]

What's wrong with that? You can see the floor! Who needs a tidy server room anyway.

[p858snake]

Or moving stuff {off/around} a shelf to at least do it nicely...

[Little-Miss]

Wow, its pictures like that that make me feel good about my network.

[witch]

Wow, its pictures like that that make me feel good about my network.

 

Yeah, me too!

[Jawloms]

Nice to see the obligatory Christmas tree box making an appearance! All seems up to scratch to me

[tommej]

Nice to see the obligatory Christmas tree box making an appearance! All seems up to scratch to me

 

Christmas Tree in the server room all year round crew represent!

[uk101man]

Yes a chisrtmas tree one if the stranger items in the "server room" we have seen.

[pete]

I especially like the "a service / driver failed on startup" message - s' a nice touch.

[laserblazer]

Pic saved for the next time someone says ours is the worst the've seen

[tech_guy]

I once found a NT4 server coughing under a pile of bin bags and other supplies in a cleaning cupboard. It had long been forgotten and had never been updated. I rescued it and used it for awhile.

[Rydra]

That room is truly awesome.

 

The only way to improve it would be to add a fridge, a cushion, and maybe a crafty TV + Xbox tucked out of sight.

 

Oh, and of course a can of drink sitting on top of the pile of computers/switches/routers. Must be at least half full and 2-4 weeks old. Preferably Something like Diet Coke with Lime, which no ordinary people drink.

[Daleus]

Currently not having a home for my servers (and having them dotted around the site) is doing my fruit. Our PDC is IN the ICT Suite, where fingers can touch it. Fingers that are not attached to *my* hands...It's gutting.

[SteveBentley]

I presume you've pointed out that you can't be held responsible for any DPA breaches that happen due to the fact that fingers can touch the PDC?

[Rydra]

I presume you've pointed out that you can't be held responsible for any DPA breaches that happen due to the fact that fingers can touch the PDC?

 

DPA = Dirty Pinky Accidents?

[SteveBentley]

I was thinking more Data Protection Act, but that could work

[sted]

ive heard of one organization losing an nt4 server (still worked) and eventually finding it in a bricked up cubby hole.

[gedster]

Who said the ICT dept couldn't work out of a stationery cupboard? I've been doing it for years - and with two other people in there!

[sidewinder]

ive heard of one organization losing an nt4 server (still worked) and eventually finding it in a bricked up cubby hole.

 

lol ive heard almost the exact same story, either an urban legend or its just spread throughout the IT world!

[TronXP]

lol ive heard almost the exact same story, either an urban legend or its just spread throughout the IT world!

 

About 5 years ago the story was it was edinburgh university found a Novell server bricked up in an old cupboard still working that had been missing for 8 years! From what I can remember it was in a computer magazine.

[Rydra]

My google-f00 is strong

 

http://www.ucs.ed.ac.uk/bits/2001/may_2001/bits.pdf

 

bottom of page 4

[Sirbendy]

*chuckle*

 

Jems workplace had similar...we were asked to look at it, as it was "a bit slow".

1 old Poweredge SC, sat on the floor, no UPS etc, surrounded by mess with a CRT on top.

8 port router/switch by this providing internet to entire company

wires coming off this like spaghetti, taped to carpets, run round floorboards etc to office PCs

one wire pushed through a hole drilled in the wall to the office next door (studio)

This wire ran to another 8 port switch, supplying more PCs in the studio..then it joined to ANOTHER 8 port (not sure why). More wires taped to the floor etc.

One wire was worn down to the twisted pairs.

 

We ripped it all out. there were loopbacks, "dead" cables, we even discovered a headless XP box sat under/between 2 desks, acting as a print server to a LAN enabled Printer/Fax/Scanner.

 

The funniest bit? The whole place was structured cabling enabled, even down to a wallmount rack! They've just ignored it.

 

All got recabled, switches consolidated, excess removed, wifi point added, server stripped down to find hard disks just held in with 1 screw, lots of dust etc. All sorted.

 

Then we asked about backups..."erm..maybe, at some point.."..so we sent the boss out to buy 2x500gb USB disks. 1 batch backup script later on a schedule, and both disks contain the server data..one taken off site, 1 in place at all times.

 

Still no UPS or surge protection mind you, and it's iffy power down there...