What sort of task do you usually do when you got nothing to do in the office ?

[albertwt]

Hi All,

 

As a sysadmin in the company, what sort of things do you usually do when you got nothing to do in the office (or at least not that big deal) ?

 

Because if you just sitting down browsing the internet wouldn't be a good report to your supervisor or boss

 

These are some of the following task that i usually do:

 

1. Test Backup and Recovery strategy

2. Check antivirus status and windows update

3. Windows Server and VM maintenance

4. Hardware and Software Inventory tracking

5. researching for better software / hardware to invest and implement in the company.

[elsiegee40]

Nothing to do... * dreams wistfully *

 

It rarely happens; I've got a list and more ends up on the bottom than gets crossed off the top. Slacker periods are usually spent plannning the holiday task list or tackling the niggly intermittent problems that sit on the bottom of the list or doing the documentation that I've been doing my best to ignore.

 

AV, WSUS and backups get checked routinely every week. Inventory tracking has to happen at the same time as we buy it or chuck it out, otherwise I'd never do it.

Edited September 20, 2010 by elsiegee40

[albertwt]

wow, thanks for the quick reply :-)

[gl3nnym]

Play around with Group Policy to see if it can be tidied up/improved.

Look at ways to improve current systems and processes.

AV/Backups/WSUS

 

Slow periods... huh would be great!

[gshaw]

Nothing to do... those were the days

 

Now I've got the VLE as well so I'm either doing development \ theme design or training tutors in Moodle, which is basically a job by itself! We've also got a test network where we evaluate new software or updates to what we already have e.g. testing our SMS to SCCM upgrade before it went live.

 

As above tweaking your policies, looking at better proactive monitoring tools, fully documenting services ITIL style, writing reports for managers for future strategy \ projects all fill up the time!

[GrumbleDook]

hmm ...

 

Nothing to do ...

 

No changes coming up to plan for?

Inventory to check over?

Log files to examine?

Online training materials to use (technet, etc)

 

It might be easier to list your routine maintenance work and see if there is anything we can spot which is missing.

[witch]

Trying to get my head around Moodle

Checking backups updates, and antivirus

Browsing edugeek for answers to niggly problems (that's my story and I am sticking to it)

[mattx]

I tend to break wind and burp.

Nothing to do............................Which planet are you from ?

[Moby]

I haven't had a quiet period in any school in the last .... 6 years maybe? Every other 6 week holiday used to have a week or two with nothing to do when no major upgrades where happening but many schools I work with are opening through the summer period, most of easter and half terms. This even includes the primary school's. Downtime? Yesterday's news mate.

[albertwt]

ok, here are some few updates from what i got during the shower time:

 

reviewing event logs for error

documenting config and setup for CMDB ( ITIL style :-o) )

 

or even restarting server to see who's still using it (if some one complaints then it is still used).

[K.C.Leblanc]

I'm working on a script to I can remotely change our PFY's wallpaper, and then I'm going to bombard him with images of ZZ Top.

 

I am however doing it for a good reason, he's experimenting with facial hair.

[3s-gtech]

I build PCs from broken old machines in quiet periods, and look through any updates I can do such as VMWare, FOG etc etc.

[albertwt]

LOL... that was fun :-o

using the GPO or manually visit after hours ?

[Disease]

During my quiet periods I ponder things like:

 

Should I change the battery on the UPS that keeps causing it to beep for 1 min every half hour

 

or

 

Are black holes really apperatures and exits to seperate universes and just how big is infinity.

 

Typically anyway.

[Butuz]

The only quiet periods I have is when I am asleep! And then I usually dream strange and terrible dreams.

 

Since they got rid of my techie I have zero time for any kind of fiddling / testing / researching

 

Butuz

[3s-gtech]

Are black holes really apperatures and exits to seperate universes

 

I can solve this one for you! The answer is....no. They're just stars.

[rad]

you all missed the obvious.....

 

 

Look on Edugeek! Now if you are all too busy why are you on here????

[kernewek-sam]

Usually learning by reading a technicial book, MS Technet or Edugeek (very knowledgeable people here to learn from), or as of now an Open Uni course.

[sparkeh]

"Nothing to do?...Nothing to do!?"

 

There's always more to do *twitch*

[tom_newton]

Hack some perl. Or sometimes i'll go through any requests for licencing tweaks on our database and fix those.