BlueWolf's Howl

« MT Upgrade | Bluewolf's Howl | Trickle Down Training »

August 05, 2002

Training

As RedEagle pointed out...I'll be in training this week. I'll be in class from around 8am to 8pm all week long. Oh, Friday we get out early...at 4:30.

I'm taking training for Sidewinder Firewall (Basic and Advanced) during regular duty hours and the HP Openview class in the evening. Yes, this is while still working towards my MCSE2000. It's going to be a grueling week, but it will someday be worthwhile.

I say "someday" for a reason. HP Openview is network management software. It discovers what devices are on your network and monitors them (along with other capabilities). It uses a protocol called SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). About a month ago we got an alarming directive from our higher headquarters. Apparently someone read an article about the dangers of SNMP. We were ordered to immediately (if not sooner) disable SNMP on all the devices on the network.

Okay, do you see anything funny about that? I'm sure that even the non-techies can figure out that if you have software that depends on a protocol that you're not running, the software is taking up space.

But, I am taking this class for my own benefit. At the end of this course, I'll get a certificate of training. It may mean something to a future employer. Oooops. Did I say that out loud?

So while we're discussing this and that, the subject of "future plans" arises. No, not my future plans, but the plans of the higher headquarters of the client. They eventually intend for this software to be used to manage all the network equipment from their remote office.

Before I could put a hand over my mouth, I blurted out, "well, then they won't really need us, will they? All they'll need are Workgroup Managers." (These are people who help users with minor problems on the desktop.) My supervisor and his boss are in this class. Ooooops. Did I say that out loud?

The site manager panics. Of course we'll need you. He knows that we're already advising our "Help Desk" because they don't know half of what we know. He knows it's a mistake. He knows that no matter what happens, it won't work out the way they're planning and they *will* need us.

By that time we'll already be in new jobs.

I'm going to pay close attention in class and do well on the test. I already know how to install and configure an IBM eNetworks Firewall and a Cisco PIX firewall. Now I'll know how to install and configure a Sidewinder Firewall. And I will know how to install and configure HP Openview. These skills might be useful someday.

Posted by BlueWolf on August 5, 2002 09:59 PM