Bloody Exchange Server

[iain187]

i guess it is getting a hold of something i am allowed to break i have a spare pc sat downstairs, i wonder what is going to end up on that soon...

 

[Longy]

i guess it is getting a hold of something i am allowed to break i have a spare pc sat downstairs, i wonder what is going to end up on that soon...

Use virtual servers m8 - build whole networks right there on your PC - if you screw it up u just don't save the changes.

 

[Scottydog]

this might be a bit of a thread hijack but i'll ask anyway.

for those of you that have made careers out of IT with no quals, how have you made the step up from messing about with home /desktop PC's onto servers, networking and a domains. I am confindent on any desktop PC and most software but we have a pretty basic terminal services server and another server (domain controller, I think, I'm not even sure! where do I learn this kind of thing!!)at work and I'm not really sure what it can do.

it might be a case of you don't know what you don't know but I'd kind of like to utilise it to it's maximum capabilities and I obviously have to be careful as the company runs off the thing but how does one go about making that step up and learning on my own?

I started a job in Reprographics at my current workplace a year ago just to tie me over as I had some experience in Repro, until I found a job I was more interested in.

The IT Manager who also oversees Reprographics spotted my IT capability and ambition in my interview and on the job so took me on a few months later as an IT Technician, I have gained no end of knowledge since then and I will carry on learning from him and my IT colleague who has a bit more experience. I'm also starting MCSE training etc which is just to back up my experience really.

Now I get involved in both Repro and IT, Marketing etc.. including managing during sickness (I have some management experience from a previous job) I love it!

I was just lucky really, but it shows that getting your foot in the door does pay off sometimes!

 

[Michael172]

this might be a bit of a thread hijack but i'll ask anyway.

for those of you that have made careers out of IT with no quals, how have you made the step up from messing about with home /desktop PC's onto servers, networking and a domains. I am confindent on any desktop PC and most software but we have a pretty basic terminal services server and another server (domain controller, I think, I'm not even sure! where do I learn this kind of thing!!)at work and I'm not really sure what it can do.

it might be a case of you don't know what you don't know but I'd kind of like to utilise it to it's maximum capabilities and I obviously have to be careful as the company runs off the thing but how does one go about making that step up and learning on my own?

Same. Ive been pissing about with computers since i was about 15. Was always screwing mine up, and as a result always had to get my dad's mate in to sort it out, but over time i gradually learned to do everything myself.



When you mean building your own server, how could you go about it? ive used Vmware before, but would it be possible to go and get an old banger of a PC, add a few Hard drives and Nic cards and call it a server?

 

[Mike_182]

When you mean building your own server, how could you go about it? ive used Vmware before, but would it be possible to go and get an old banger of a PC, add a few Hard drives and Nic cards and call it a server?

Just stick storage in it for virtual machines, and there you go

 

[PinkoCommie]

this might be a bit of a thread hijack but i'll ask anyway.

for those of you that have made careers out of IT with no quals, how have you made the step up from messing about with home /desktop PC's onto servers, networking and a domains.

You have to start right at the bottom.

For me it was a temporary 6 week summer contract with the local college to help install their new PC's. They got something like 150 new PC's in and they all needed setting up from scratch (this is back in the day of Windows 3.11 and Novel servers). That 6 week contract ended up being 6 months as they noticed I had computer skills, and picked up the other stuff I didn't know really quickly (I installed my first Novell server 4 weeks in).

Then it was just a case of stepping up the ladder to better jobs.

2nd job was on a helpdesk in a local NHS trust doing desktop support for about 3000 people.

Then I blagged my way into building and then maintaining a companies first network. First day of the job I turned up and there was a stack of switches, a server and a whole bunch of network cards for me to be getting on with.

Then most of my career came from my next company. I was fairly lucky. It was a decent tech based company and I got to run the network on my own, and build all the servers (physically build them that is) and workstations. Probably built about 60 workstations and 30 servers while I was there. then the company got taken over by a much bigger company who swallowed me up into their IT dept and they gave me the choice of which team to join, so I went to the network team, and started to specialise there. Stayed for a total of eight years until they made me redundant last year

Then I decided to move into IT security and specialise mainly in firewalls, and thats where I am now.

Expect to spend several years running around doing the thankless task of user support, but once you have this out of the way, all's good

It really helps if you fully into computers. A few people I know who are only in IT for the money hate the industry. One of my best mates used to say "if I could get the same money carrying bricks, stacking shelves, or emptying bins I would quit IT in a heartbeat", but if you're like me and have been into computers since you were a kid, and enjoy messign around with them all the time, the the IT world is your oyster.

When you mean building your own server, how could you go about it? ive used Vmware before, but would it be possible to go and get an old banger of a PC, add a few Hard drives and Nic cards and call it a server?

Indeed you can, a server is just something that provides services to other computers. A web server won't nesecarily be any more powerful or have any more disk space than you home PC. While a databbase server is usually a huge beast stuffed full of storage and processors and memory.

If you're just messing around and they're not soing any real work, it doesn't matter how powerfull they are, as you're only in it to learn what goes on behind the scenes and how to set it up.

 

[MickM]

Expect to spend several years running around doing the thankless task of user support, but once you have this out of the way, all's good .

Knowsit, Users FTL.

Can not wait to be qualified enough to be just server side. Had enough off Users and Outlook Work offline setting!!

Just got to decide which Microsoft Quali to go for first...

 

[ChrisR]

I'd also say don't get too hung up on getting certs, I've known people with MCSEs I wouldn't let touch a thing as they were so stupid

Bar an ITIL thing I don't have an IT certification to my name, never done me any harm in getting a decent job Keep meaning to go and get a couple done one day but it's a pain in the ass getting to the prometric place nearest me so haven't bothered.

 

[DMS]

Yep. No matter what path you go down in IT, if you want a technical job you're no doubt going to have to start off doing a first line user support type job. Some kind of call centre / helpdesk / Tech Guys type job.
I had to, and so did everyone else I know.
I too chose to go down the Information Security route - mainly because it interests me more than joining the Advanced Support Unit team. I hated doing tech support, and made sure I got out of it as soon as I could.
I'm confident I made the right career move. Instead of spending all day trying to fix problems I get to do a healthy mix of implementations, penetration testing and security auditing as well.

 

[DMS]

Certifications are great. I'm all for them. It makes potential employers notice you.
However, it won't get you the job.
Experience counts more than anything, no matter how qualified you are. For example, I applied for a job with Integralis. I've got my MCSE with Security specialization, Network+, Security+, CCNA and CCSP accreditations and I've been working in IT for nearly 9 years. They wouldn't even invite me to an interview because I'm not experienced enough!

 

[iain187]

i am pretty much doing the bottom job now, and have done for the last 3 years, I think the problem is the company is so small but I'm looking for the step up to something bigger (Which isn't available where I am) ho hum

 

[MickM]

Ive got a year and half's experience currently, started at the bottom - no experience, no qualifications at all. Discussing training route next weekend be looking at a boot camp scenario to get the MCSE route i hope.

 

[Scottydog]

Ive got a year and half's experience currently, started at the bottom - no experience, no qualifications at all. Discussing training route next weekend be looking at a boot camp scenario to get the MCSE route i hope.

Those fast track "boot camps" don't work.

They teach you how to pass the exam, not the content in detail.

 

[MickM]

To be honest, im not going to learn as much from the certificates as i am from working with the people i do and the experience i am getting which ever way i do it.

The company are offering to send me on the course and im not going to turn that down as letters after my name + experience = more ££

 

[DMS]

Even Microsoft admit that their certifications aren't much use unless you've got experience with the products. It's OK learning the stuff you need to know to pass the exam, but what you really need to know is how to put everything you learn together and actually make a network work. Only experience can teach you that.
That's why it's best to fiddle about with servers and server OS'. Set up a lab environment on VM's. Create some clusters, install Exchange 2007 with different roles on different servers, get Windows clients authenticating against Linux servers and vice versa. If you read that something might be physically possible, try and implement it in a test environment. Google anything you don't understand. You learn loads that way.

 

[ChrisR]

Those fast track "boot camps" don't work.

They teach you how to pass the exam, not the content in detail.

As a learning tool they aren't great, but for someone with experience who just wants the cert they do what they say on the tin