LAN checklist: 12 tough questions to ask a LAN administrator.12 TOUGH QUESTIONS TO ASK A LAN ADMINISTRATOR See network administrator. (job) LAN administrator - A person who installs and maintains LAN hardware and software. A LAN administrator troubleshoots network usage and computer peripherals. While accountants can benefit enormously when their office computers are linked by a local area network (LAN (Local Area Network) A communications network that serves users within a confined geographical area. The "clients" are the user's workstations typically running Windows, although Mac and Linux clients are also used. ), such a setup demands skillful skill·ful adj. 1. Possessing or exercising skill; expert. See Synonyms at proficient. 2. Characterized by, exhibiting, or requiring skill. and attentive administration. Handled incorrectly, a network can become an expensive nightmare. The responsibility for ensuring that a network runs smoothly falls to the LAN administrator. The most immediate danger networks face is loss of data. Losses can occur for several reasons: a computer "crash," which occurs when the hard disk drive that stores data malfunctions; the office is hit by an electrical blackout, corrupting data stored on the hard disk; an employee purposely or accidentally erases data; a fire or other disaster destroys the office; or a computer virus obliterates all the data files. Following are 12 tough questions to ask a LAN administrator to be sure that data vital to the office is safely backed up on a regular basis. The checklist, which appeared first in the American Institute of CPAs newsletter, InfoTech Update, was compiled by Donald Hunt, CPA (Computer Press Association, Landing, NJ) An earlier membership organization founded in 1983 that promoted excellence in computer journalism. Its annual awards honored outstanding examples in print, broadcast and electronic media. The CPA disbanded in 2000. , a network specialist and partner of Anderson Hunt Anderson Hunt (born in Detroit, Michigan) is a retired American basketball player, perhaps best known as the UNLV Runnin' Rebels shooting guard when the Rebels won the 1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship and appeared in the Final Four in 1991. & Co., Atlanta. 1. Do you have a written comprehensive backup and restore plan for all your applications and data files? 2. Have you tested your backup plan by restoring all data and applications to a backup server A computer in a network used to store copies of files from client machines or other servers. Such servers typically have their disks set up in a RAID configuration to provide fault tolerance. See backup program, RAID, SAN and LAN free backup. computer? 3. Do you create regular director maps of the server? 4. Do you have a hardware and wiring diagram of the network and an inventory of all equipment and accessories? 5. What provisions have been made for swift replacement of hard disk(s) on the server? 6. Who is responsible for overseeing daily or regular backups? 7. Are your backup methods state-of-the-art and complete? 8. What provisions have you made for safeguarding backup media? 9. Who is the assistant LAN administrator? Do you regularly confer with Verb 1. confer with - get or ask advice from; "Consult your local broker"; "They had to consult before arriving at a decision" consult ask, enquire, inquire - inquire about; "I asked about their special today"; "He had to ask directions several times" him or her on procedures? 10. How often do you require network users to change their passwords? 11. Have you installed a virus-detection application on the network? 12. Do you have a policy against installing public domain software or applications of questionable origin to protect against virus infection from those sources? |
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