Re: [OT] - Office IT support

["Andy Whitfield" <andywhitfield2002@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Just one UPS for all those employees?=20=20=20=20
Do individual PCs have UPSs?
Andy the UPS Man
--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Ho Yin Ng" <architect.hoyin@...>=20
wrote:
>
> We have one already thanks.
>=20
> 2008/8/9 Andy Whitfield <andywhitfield2002@...>:
> > Have you considered Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPSs)?
> > If you need any give me a shout.
> > Regards
> > Andy the UPS Man
> >
> > --- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Ho Yin Ng"
<architect.hoyin@>
> > wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> My office is expanding, currently at around 30 and need to be
> > around
> >> 45 by the end of the year.
> >>
> >> We've out grown our current space and will move and hence
this
> > gives
> >> us an opportunity to revamp and redo our IT system.
> >>
> >> Currently our IT support / supplier is crap, we've been
wanting=20
to
> > get
> >> rid of them for years we've had countless problems with
our=20
system
> > and
> >> had problems we just cannot resolve. We are already their
second
> >> largest client! Their largest client does not seem to care
about
> > data
> >> backup though!
> >>
> >> Currently we run a linux system with outlook (but no
exchange)
> > with a
> >> 1TB NAS server with 12 x 300GB SAS drives which we are now
at=20
94%
> >> capacity.
> >>
> >> We need a stop gap solution for the next 3 months, but
then=20
when we
> >> move I want to reuse the new stuff, but put it into a new
more
> >> efficient system.
> >>
> >> In addition we have a problem with software and licensing.
Not
> >> everyone has the same version of software and this is causing
> > problems
> >> as people without adobe CS3 cannot open the files.
> >>
> >> We have a tape backup system, but it takes so long to back up
we
> >> effectively could lose 2 days worth of information should
there=20
be
> > a
> >> fire.
> >>
> >> The IT solution company at the moment proposing we get
another=20
1TB
> > NAS
> >> with a gigabit switch (though we are currently on 100mbit)
-=20
which
> >> will cost us another =A314k roughly. I don't understand the
real
> >> advantage of the SAS drives.
> >>
> >> So my questions are as follows:
> >>
> >> 1. Can anyone recommend an IT company in central London?=20
Preferably
> >> with experience with dealing with Architects? Or knowledge of
> > Autocad?
> >> 2. How do you guys deal with backing up? The tape solution
for=20
us
> > is
> >> too slow, I don't want to go the incremental tape route for
> > backing up
> >> as this is prone to human error and will result in an
explosion=20
of
> >> tapes. I am looking at doing an online backup system, but
for=20
only
> > 1TB
> >> of information I am being quoted =A31,700 per month, plus I
will
> > need an
> >> additional ADSL line.
> >> 3. I will want to upgrade to Exchange server, and run windows
> > server
> >> (which would also allow for immediate file recovery). At the
> > moment we
> >> have no shared calendars due to linux - we must have this.
I=20
would
> >> prefer to run a separate email server and storage server.
> >> 4. I don't see the advantage of SAS drives, I'd rather go
to=20
SATA
> >> drives in a RAID 5 which will give us much more storage. I
don't
> > see
> >> the performance gains of SAS being relevant to us we are not
> > editing
> >> video etc all we do is read and write cad files. If we run
a=20
render
> >> farm as well I don't think it will affect us either. But
we=20
cannot
> >> afford downtime.
> >> 5. Software licensing - is there a way of improving how
licenses
> > are
> >> distributed. At the moment they are tied to computers
rather=20
than
> >> users. When a computer is upgraded the machine with the
software
> > gets
> >> passed down, or if a new person joins they just get when is
on=20
the
> >> computer. I want specific people to get specific software=20
depending
> >> what they are working on. Can we get the software tied to
a=20
user?
> >> Perhaps using Virtual Machines? What are the requirements
of=20
doing
> >> this? Is it feasible? OR too expensive?
> >> 6. I will want full access to the network - email and files
> > remotely.
> >> At the moment we only have access to webmail
> >> 7. Everytime a computer is attached to our network it needs
to=20
be
> >> automatically distributed with the relevant templates and=20
settings
> >> from the server.
> >>
> >> Is there anything else I need to consider?
> >>
> >> Really appreciate anyones help.
> >>
> >> Thanks
> >>
> >> Ho Yin
> >>
> >
> >
>



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