A customer expresses their take on my writings: “it usually sounds like gobbledy gook to me” … *sigh*
I have started calling myself “Computer Engineer” … I figured that best described what I do with these beasts … I can take a bunch of parts and assemble them to make a running PC … So, at the hardware level, I am capable of taking a bunch of separately purchased pieces and constructing a working machine. From this point, I then decide what Operating System is going to go on the machine, whether it be a workstation or a server, and whether or not it will be Windows, FreeBSD or some flavor of Linux (usually Mandrake or SuSE) … For the most part the machines have been FreeBSD lately, but I am approaching the rebuild of the Windows end of my network … I went Active Directory Native a while back as this seemed the thing to do at the time … Now, I’m not so happy with that decision being I am diversifying the responsibility delegation in my network. While some may seem to see me as some sort of Open Source Unix Evangelist, I’m not. I have simply decided to use the best tool for the job. You wouldn’t use a Phillips screwdriver on a flat-head screw. FreeBSD Servers are best suited for the Internet and serving its requirements. The benefit that everything is Open Source and FREE to the end user is an added benefit. Besides the fact that to replicate what I have running on FreeBSD Servers on Windows Servers it would hold a huge price tag in software, but the reliability wouldn’t be there. I have based my decision on #1.) Personal Experience; I have run these applications for years now and I have seen the results that they have provided. #2.) I have read, read and read all over the Internet via web pages and messaging about the results others have had in this area. I have read press releases describing the solutions of major corporations and their results … It just makes perfect sense that if you want to have reliability for the Internet, you don’t put it in Windows’ hands … This is not to say that I don’t think Windows has its place in this Internet network … I obviously have old web applications that I have running on the Windows servers as well as the new people who need the ASP.NET stuff … It’s a shame I really don’t understand that as well as I should, but from what I have heard described, it is much like the modular PHP. That’s about all I have been writing in lately due to the fact that I can write web applications as well as system applications using PHP …
So, we have the hardware, the Operating System and then we get down to the nitty gritty of making the machines do what I want them to do. What service they will provide. and how it will be provided … So, configuring the software applications that are running on those boxes is another part of the Computer Engineer’s job … This involves getting this new machine on the network and access to the Internet … We provide that by either using a pre-made cable or crimping up a new cable … Plugging that into a Cisco Switch that I have configured through HyperTerminal and the switch’s console cable … All the Switches go to the Cisco Router which I also configured … All network activity is monitored through use of MRTG and recently RRDtool have been making its appearance polling SNMP data from all the machines, switches and router. So that handles the internal network, but what about outside? Well, I have resources that I refer to when concerned about my connection status … My current provider is excellent in the way of connectivity where they have actually called me before I knew there was a connection problem … Fast.Net was horrendous and I always called them and brought it to their attention … At one point, their connection was so bad that I used all of the resources available to me to prove to them their network latency. I wrote custom scripts and did manual traceroutes via locations all around the world … Even one of their T3 customers showed latency … After they decided that they couldn’t fix it, I went to another provider, but I gave them over 8 months to fix it along with my diagnostic help … Shortly after leaving, Fast.Net went into Chapter 11 … Shortly after that, Asset Sale and now Fast.Net is run by another company. They lost all local support as well just like I told them they would … They had The Philadelphia Eagles web site. That showed the latency as well …
Anyway, so there are many hats worn providing these services, and I have had to dabble into them all … While at times it can be hectic, it can also be very rewarding when everything comes together and you see the results that you can provide. When things are configured correctly and with all issues covered, it is a beautiful thing … Regarding my Class C network? I’m not done yet … but when I am complete the tasks that I wish to complete, it will be awesome … Then all I need to do is grow … I don’t need it to be a rapid growth .. I am quite happy with the word of mouth growth that has been happening, and those that are educated or “in the know” enough to realize the idea of my goals, we are benefitting together … Sometimes the term “You get what you pay for” really does apply … I really should update my web page … It is so outdated considering the services now provided … Especially since per user SPAM learning is now working …
Bah, sometimes I vent here … I hope it makes sense … but then again, I am a struggling artist …