1

First of all, I apologize if this questions seems too generic. I searched this site and a few others and really did not get the answers I was looking for.

Since migrating to a new virtual environment, we have been plagued with issues. It seems every day it's something else. From corporate firewall blocks to tmp disk filling up and shutting down services. It seems as if there is a new problem each and every day, which means I get screamed out every day.

I told my boss I cannot predict the future, and know what this firewall will do or who will have us black listed, etc. I told him I would do the best I can to prepare for these kind of issues, however every time something comes out of left field, most of the time I have no way of fixing it until the problem presents itself.

My boss is a "big picture" kind of guy. If One thing is broken, then the whole thing is broken. I did my best to explain to him I don't always see problems coming, however I do my best to monitor our server and take care of the things I know about.

Here is a list of things I have done to ensure the operation of our server:

  • Checked sending mail IP against blacklist
  • Moved TMP disk for MySQL to larger disk (we were having problems with it filling up tmp dir)
  • Monitor CPU, Memory and Loads
  • Removed firewall blocks from all known corporate firewalls such as McAfee
  • Set up backups
  • Made sure all DNS records were set up properly
  • Set up rDNS and PTR record
  • Check the reputation of our dedicated IP's on a regular basis
  • Monitor disk usage
  • Keep software updated
  • Do my best to make sure our server is spam free by monitoring mail volume changes
  • Have SPF and DKIM records set up

Is there anything else I can do to preemptively prevent down time and other problems?

Dan
  • 19
  • 4
  • 3
    Honestly, the best thing I can think of for your situation would be to find a new job. It sounds like you're doing well on the job itself - even taking some (IMHO) unwarranted risks to keep him happy - but if your boss is that trigger-happy and excitable, you won't ever be able to make him happy. – John Aug 22 '14 at 13:52
  • 1
    Worst part about it is, I was hired to be a web developer. I had absolutely zero experience as a system administrator prior to taking on this job. When I called the owner out on it, he said they promoted me. However I had no pay raise and I am literally learning as I go with the expectation of perfection. My college degree has nothing to do with that field either, so I doubt when I apply for a new job I can put it on a resume. – Dan Aug 22 '14 at 13:58
  • 3
    Definitely look for another job. It's obvious that they're just trying to place blame on you and you'll never please them. – Nathan C Aug 22 '14 at 13:59
  • 3
    You're, unfortunately, asking how to be a whole new profession in such a way that you'll be perfect. Good luck; those of us who've been doing it for years aren't perfect either. Give your boss a stuffed unicorn (because it's the only one he'll ever have) and leave. – mfinni Aug 22 '14 at 14:17
  • 1
    You have two options: leave, or become the worst BOFH ever and take sick pleasure in making things randomly not work. – Joe Sniderman Aug 22 '14 at 14:57
  • 2
    No, you don't have to look for another job, your job is fine. You don't have to predict the future, but you have to be prepared when things go wrong. I manage close to 300 Linuxes, and things go wrong all the time. But with the right mindset, you can solve the problems before your boss notices. You must keep log of everything that went wrong, how you detected the problem and how you solved it. This MUST be the most important thing you do. I keep a 'captain journal' on Evernote with all this info. – ThoriumBR Aug 22 '14 at 14:59

0 Answers0