Nutter helps a user maintain servers on a tight budget
I got my first job as a network administrator at a small local college. My position makes me responsible for several servers running e-mail, file and print, etc. With a reduced budget, I don’t have a lot of money to spent on tools to make the job go easier. What can I do to keep things running smoothly without spending a lot of money?
– Via the Internet
The first thing is to use the Windows Update site from Microsoft to make sure you stay up to date on security fixes and service packs. Go to the Microsoft Security Web site and download the Baseline Security Analyzer. I have found from experience that this tool will identify patches to be applied that don’t show up under Windows Update. If you can spare a little money, consider the purchase of a TechNet subscription. The main things you will benefit from are the Windows resource kits for the various Microsoft OSes and some training CDs that you might not normally have access to.
Watch the Microsoft TechNet site to see what travelling roadshows are coming to your area or somewhere within a reasonable driving range. Although you will see a little sales pitch going on, this is another avenue to get some additional information/training without spending a lot of money. Another resource are the usenet news groups on the Internet. There are several available from the TechNet Web site, as well as others on the Internet. While not as quick as paid technical support from Microsoft or one of its partners, you may find that you can resolve some issues going through what has been posted to a newsgroup or by posting a message of your own.
