Tuesday, July 29, 2008

It's my job... and I love it!

I popped into the school this morning to get a couple of small jobs done before going away this weekend - yes, I know I'm on holiday for 6 weeks, but I love my job so much, I just can't keep away.

While sat at my desk, I thought I'd take some pictures of my office so that I can show you a virtual tour of my work environment (as it looks at this precise moment in time), and to give you an idea of what I have to deal with being a Network Manager in a typical secondary school in the UK!!

Be warned.... it's messy!


1 - UPS x2
2 - Server 1 - Domain Controller / IBM XSeries 235 / Sits under the desk and does nothing! It will shortly be made redundant.
3 - Server 2 - Domain Controller / HP Proliant ML350 / Student and staff user areas / Profiles / Shared areas
4 - Server 3 - HP Proliant ML350 / Backup server / Print Server / Also used to store network programmes. I also use this server when VB programming
5 - Test workstation / Great for Unreal Tournament!
6 - Sound system / Needed to blast out 80's tunes on stressful days
7 - My PDA - used as a wireless testing device, and for playing Tomb Raider on the go!
8 - Pictures of Kieran
9 - My "To Do" tray - as you can see, I've got lots to do!
10 - Backup tapes (Ultrium 1,2 and 4 data tapes)
11 - A Collection of certificates that I've had since working at the school
12 - Some pictures that Kieran did for me to display in my office.

1 - UPS
2 - Server 4 - SIMS Server / HP Proliant ML350 - SIMS is our school administration software, and not some crap game about controlling the lives of little virtual people called Sims!!!!
3 - Server 5 - Administration File Server / Dell PowerEdge 2600 - Shortly will be made redundant.

1. - Server 6 - HP Proliant DL180 Rack Server - New Evesham High School web server (Not yet configured)
2. - Server 7 - HP Proliant DL180 Rack Server - Microsoft Exchange 2007 Server (Not yet configured)
3. - XServe - Mac Server for the new iMac suite in the school.
4. - Big kick-arse cabinet for all of these new servers!
5. - Big kick-arse rack mount UPS for all of these servers!!!

Computers from hell - The dreaded iMacs!!!! Sitting, waiting to be configured and installed in to the new iMac suite

1. - Our main comms cabinet, with fibre optic links to various other cabinets located in the different buildings around the school. This cabinet includes a variety of switches - HP Procurve 5406zl (with gigabit ports), HP Procurve 2650, HP Procurve 1400-24G and a couple of Netgear ProSafe WFS709TP wireless switches that we use to control and manage 35 wireless access points dotted around the school.

2. - All schools located in Evesham and the surrounding villages get their internet access from us - essentially Evesham High School is the central hub for internet access. This cabinet belongs to BT and includes all the fibre links to the other schools.

3. - Server 9 - Dell PowerEdge 840 - This is our proxy server, and gateway to the internet!

Our new state-of-the-art server (actually, an old BBC Master - kept for posperity!!


A collection of some of my certificates, and my infamous "I could rule the world with my Commodore 64" poster


The most important machine in my office - the air-con unit!


Anyone who enters my office is greeted by this poster - and reminded that no matter how bad it is, "Don't Panic"

1 comment:

  1. That's a neat looking Cab Stu, what school do you work at?

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