Network News
November 1997

 Except for power outages, our network has been running without problems. I continue to do regular back-ups but plan to upgrade the backup program during the semester break and move some equipment so backups are easier to service and maintain from my workstation. Once that upgrade has occurred expect a campaign from me insisting on more usage of your home drive ("H") for storing sensitive, important documents. The network is reliable and secure. Unless you are backing your hard drive frequently or scanning your floppies for viruses, the likelihood of a crash and loss of your important data is high.

When you are experiencing problems with your computer, please record what exactly is happening so when you call me you can relate everything to me. The problem may be one that I can just walk through with you over the phone.

See if you can answer these questions:

  1. Were there any error messages? If so, record them exactly and relay the information in your call to me.
  2. When did the problem occur - have you made any changes in your workstation (loaded new software or added something to your startup)?
  3. Are you able to log on to the network? If not, have you checked your connections? Cables have an annoying tendency to work loose from their connectors, so check to be sure your connection is secure.
  4. How critical is the error? Assign a priority to your problem as follows:
    • emergency: This is a major problem, and needs immediate action
    • high priority: There is no workaround for the problem and you cannot work until the problem is solved.
    • medium priority: The problem is affecting your work, but there is a workaround to use until the problem is solved.
    • low priority: The problem is annoying and should be fixed, but is not time-critical.

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