Stunts, Idiocy, and Hero Hacks 208
snydeq writes "InfoWorld's Paul Venezia serves up six real-world tales of IT stunts and solutions that required a touch of inspired insanity to pull off, proving once again that knowing when to throw out the manual and do something borderline irresponsible is essential to day-to-day IT work. 'It could be server on the brink of shutting down all operations, a hard drive that won't power up vital data, or a disgruntled ex-employee who's hidden vital system passwords on the network. Just when all seems lost, it's time to get creative and don your IT daredevil cap, then fire up the oven, shove the end of a pencil into the motherboard, or route the whole city network through your laptop to get the job done,' Venezia writes."
Rubber Band (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Alas no recognition. (Score:5, Funny)
"How did this happen?"
"We were running without a spare router because you turned down the request I made to purchase one. I can forward you and your boss all the documentation on my request, including the cost analysis for suffering an outage like this because we didn't buy the router, if you like."
Re:Alas no recognition. (Score:5, Funny)
That'd be a nice story to tell to the other people in line at the unemployment office. You can even show them the printouts of the email you made before you were walked out.
Fire Axe (Score:5, Funny)
Back in my days as an engineer at Boeing, I supported some automated test equipment on the factory floor. One day, one of the ATE failed to download the required s//w update, so I was called out to investigate. It turned out that the network drop adjacent to the equipment had been disconnected in the nearby network closet. (locked, of course). So I, with the factory manager in two, called the IT department to get it plugged back in.
Me: "I'm in the Renton plant, at column XYZ and we need this network drop reconnected. Production has been halted."
IT Operator: "OK. We'll start a ticket on that. But standard turn-around is 24 hours".
Me: "We can't wait 24 hours. We need to get this equipment updated to get the line up and running. Is there any way to escalate this?"
IT Operator: "Sorry. That drop is was identified as being inactive and was unplugged."
Of course it was inactive. The ATE is only powered up when needed. At other times, the little light on the switch in the closet would be off.
At this point, the factory manager asked for the phone. Very calmly, he spoke to the IT operator.
Manager: "You can cancel that ticket. My engineer assures me that he can reconnect the drop once he gains access to the network closet. The plant fire department is just downstairs and we'll have them bring up a fire axe to open the door."
The IT department dispatched a tech who arrived within 15 minutes.
Re:Floppy disk in the wash (Score:4, Funny)
Hell, with that kind of IT heroics, who's to say he didn't? He might just be doing the gentlemanly thing and not talking about it.
I mean, really, "I saved her thesis from being lost forever and then banged her brains out with her leaning against a blade server" is a tad bit uncouth, wouldn't you say?
Re:Car Battery (Score:5, Funny)
*SIGH*
Jumper cables are designed for short bursts of high draw. "High draw" being around 30-40 amps. Most starter motors in cars draw between 30 and 60 amps max, some diesels will draw up to 120 amps.
However, they are not designed for a constant draw of 30-60 amps. The cables will get hot from just trying to jumpstart a car. Having a rack with a server, a disk array, a network switch and a backup appliance draws a considerable amount of power. Even if each of them were all running at the typical 15 amp draw like you see from a 120V circuit, that's still 60 amps of draw (reality was more like 90 amps and 15A on 120VAC doesn't really equate to 15A on 12VDC). Twice as much as what a standard starter motor draws on jumper cables. Add to that the fact that it's a constant draw over a half hour or so and the thermal properties of jumper cable insulation becomes a factor. If you had more than a passing knowledge of automotive charging and starting systems, you'd know that.
The fan was already there and running to move air across the ailing UPS. Obviously in place to handle the heat problem caused by the failed fan. Whether the cables and battery getting hot would have been an issue or not wasn't a concern because the fan was moving air and dissipating heat. Even just the calming effect that a perceived reduction in risk due to the operation of the fan on the cables and battery does wonders for performance of the tech trying to fix the problem quickly.
A box fan, whether it's effective or not, is a small cost of insurance to eliminate a condition that is easily avoidable. Even if you are flying by the seat of your pants and operating on a UPS system with unregulated power coursing through the output rails. Why that is a point of contention, I'm not sure, but in true Slashdot commenter fashion, you've managed to nitpick an insignificant part of a story with incomplete information just to discredit and insult a poster over something of no consequence to you. Good job!
Slashdot takes the "fun" out of dysfunctional.
Re:Stubborn Hard Drives (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Floppy disk in the wash (Score:2, Funny)
Uncouth? Yes. But it's *really* hot. Tell us more about the blade server.