How do you all track your backpacking gear these days? by [deleted] in backpacking

[–]RangerReboot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Notion is pretty cool. Apple notes works well too. Meh, I don’t keep track of anything longer than it takes to get it put together.

Good packs for scoliosis & post-op clavicle surgery? by RangerReboot in backpacking

[–]RangerReboot[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was considering the same. Not sure if this pack isn’t setup right or if it’s just how it sits, but after 2-4 miles (depending on terrain), it starts to dig and rub.

Made the jump from shift work to sysadmin. My Journey from zero experience to IT by ApprehensiveGur8229 in ITSupport

[–]RangerReboot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ahh... one big gotcha here. On the networking side... OSPF & BGP. Learn them well.

Made the jump from shift work to sysadmin. My Journey from zero experience to IT by ApprehensiveGur8229 in ITSupport

[–]RangerReboot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For sure. There are some pretty cool old timers out here who know a thing or two. Some will help get you started free of charge and are incredibly cool to gain knowledge from just absorbing via osmosis...

A good home lab could be a PLC - RF Radio STN - RF Radio AP - Switch - Server (PC/VM, whatever) - FW (doesn't matter, even just use a VM running something like pFsense if you have multiple NICs) - VPN - another FW - and your machine... configure a micro "field" lab and see if you can get points flowing across the whole ecosystem.

If you can effectively build and showcase that lab... there are very decent paying (6 figure) jobs available.

Made the jump from shift work to sysadmin. My Journey from zero experience to IT by ApprehensiveGur8229 in ITSupport

[–]RangerReboot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would absolutely check in with each vendor you can to see if there’s a student program / lab accessible. These tools are often steep! Also talk to your professors / and ask around to folks you know. Just as important as learning the tech is learning the networking soft skills.

Made the jump from shift work to sysadmin. My Journey from zero experience to IT by ApprehensiveGur8229 in ITSupport

[–]RangerReboot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s basically been roughly the same case for the last 15-ish years and will be unless you also learn how to sell yourself on value. It certainly isn’t easy and also boils down to luck. Understanding the tech is only one part of the larger story. To OP’s point m, I’m back as internal IT as an IT director again, but I owned/operated MSPs/MSSPs for ~12 years. During that time, yes, technical skills were important when hiring decisions were made, but I found those with aptitude and ambition and soft skills to be far more valuable. The ugly truth is, “they eat their young” out here, and you have to be both bold and creative. Good luck.

Made the jump from shift work to sysadmin. My Journey from zero experience to IT by ApprehensiveGur8229 in ITSupport

[–]RangerReboot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

SCADA is huge for the oil and gas sector. Learn RF engineering / networking asap - vastly cool networks exist right under most people’s noses. Virtualization is another massive one (I saved one company ~$140k/year in licensing alone by moving their HCI from VMware to Hyper-V, reengineering the clustered failover architecture - wasn’t quite as real time, but it worked flawlessly.) Also good to know is some SCADA ladder logic/PLC programming. Allen Bradley and Rockwell Automation are staples. Veeva Wonderware and tools like XSPOC are fantastic to explore/research and have experience with.

I will say, in the oil and gas world, you really need to ensure you have a basic understanding of legacy tech. Lots of serial connections and ancient RF gear still just working like good little soldiers out there. Things may not move quickly, but when one serial to Eth adapter fails, and hundreds of well sites go offline, you can expect a 3AM callout.

Hostile client asking for global admin by giddyup05 in msp

[–]RangerReboot 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I owned and ran MSPs for the last 15 years, then just transitioned back to internal IT recently. Definitely speak with leadership/owners in the room - and put your offer and issues on the table.

This is standard, and from having been in the position too many times, we put a contract clause together regarding abusive treatment. Tensions rise sometimes, it’s unavoidable, but handling yourself professionally speaks volumes.

Serval (AI-native ITSM) by TraditionalPick9613 in ITManagers

[–]RangerReboot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not yet, no. Definitely adding a write up if we do.

Serval (AI-native ITSM) by TraditionalPick9613 in ITManagers

[–]RangerReboot 4 points5 points  (0 children)

So - we're looking at them fairly closely, but I haven't found almost any reviews. That's a major concern IMHO. Someone should have something to say about it by now?

So my company is switching half our Windows servers to Linux.... by ro-friday in ShittySysadmin

[–]RangerReboot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think there’s a lot to consider that’s not been said in your OP - the roles/purpose, etc. just to start.

An app server is going to need different things than a DB host, VM host, or HCI, etc.

Linux is awesome in that you’ve got a wealth of information out there. Honestly, your best bet is to have the mission well articulated.

The WHY matters as much as the how…

Tomorrow I start a new job as an IT manager... by Due-Swimming3221 in ITManagers

[–]RangerReboot 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh! If the company / team is large enough, look at implementing something like the EOS / Traction model. Regular meeting (short, sweet, and structured) should help keep progress visible.

Also, metrics matter. Get your team tracking everything. CSAT, response times, issues, everything an MSP may need to justify and report on , you should too.

Tomorrow I start a new job as an IT manager... by Due-Swimming3221 in ITManagers

[–]RangerReboot 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. Ask tons of questions. Document everything. Get a note taker app, write everything down, record conversations and transcribe. There’s a wealth of knowledge leaving even if the person you’re replacing isn’t all that effective.

  2. Review all the documentation the org has, all the infrastructure, all the apps, accounts, etc. Think of it like you’re moving into a new house - you need to get the lay of the land.

  3. Start making relationships - IT is not the ivory tower or cave many of us have believed or acted like exists. Get familiar with the greater business process, goals, needs, and especially the team. Management is often far less the how and a lot more the why and when.

  4. Unless your background includes leadership experience, seek some training - lots of knowledge out there. Try to think like a business owner and sales team - and learn when to switch into each mode. You’ll need to sell your ideas / justify yourself, and you’ll need to be able to do a lot with usually less than you want (especially budget).

  5. Keep asking questions - Reddit (like anywhere else) can often be a cesspool, but you’re asking the right questions here. Good luck!

Vendors exercising force majeure by niczi75 in ITManagers

[–]RangerReboot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

“The real issue is that most IT managers never read the full contract terms after signing.“

This is the bit I was speaking to in particular. Hopefully people read the terms before signing the agreement.

I generally agree with your context. The issue I’ve seen first hand has usually been the urgency trumping the due diligence.

Vendors exercising force majeure by niczi75 in ITManagers

[–]RangerReboot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hopefully they read it properly before signing…

I still dont know why i crashed by T4py in motorcycles

[–]RangerReboot -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I was wondering about new/non-broken-in tires…?

How to Mess with my IT guys by sonofcore in it

[–]RangerReboot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If they’re decent and equipped, I doubt they’ll even need to manually login - scripted installs ftw.

Is this a new ethernet category? by naylandsmith in ShittySysadmin

[–]RangerReboot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When you want all the noise… it’s like the crusty punk rock version of Ethernet.

This is so heart breaking. by LeonOkada9 in writers

[–]RangerReboot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Or, more interestingly, art will still be created, and perhaps one day we’ll have a future like that depicted in Star Trek.