Wednesday, October 25, 2006

IT Paralysis

Today at work the server was down. This doesn't happen often so this isn't a rant about how IT is suck and nothing ever works. But, it did show me how much we rely on the data that is stored on some distant entity we call, "The Group Drive."

The Group Drive is wonderful. It holds almost all our data for us, allowing team members kilometers away to share the information and share the work. It holds almost all our applications for us, allowing us to use slightly less powered PC's at our desk with slightly less "local" storage, (and with many of our apps becoming "web based", pretty soon all our desktops will need to run is a browser.) Then, on days like today, the Group Drive holds us hostage.

It was frustrating to say the least. Here is a typical conversation from today:

Kef: This is suck!
Kinch: What's going on?
Kef: I can't work on this rec because I can't get to my database.
Kinch: Can you get to Infopac?
Kef: Yeah...
Kinch: Print the report from there.
Kef: And compare it to...
Kinch: The data you pulled from your database yesterday.
Kef: Oh right, the data that I put into the excel file...
Kinch: Yeah!
Kef: The excel file that is saved on The Group Drive...
Kinch: Yeah! Oh...this is suck!

See how exciting the world of Corporate Finance can be? No? Look again...see it?

Ok, so my job may not be thrilling to all of you, but I like it. And, I work with great people so that makes it fun and the weeks go by quick.

Anyway, squash tonight so that'll be fun. (By that I mean I am playing squash tonight, not that I am going to try and compact under my foot the time between now and midnight, you know, in case you were confused.)

Good thing I don't store my squash racquet on the group drive.

All for now,
Kef...