Server Management – Part 2 (sort of)

Posted on | May 19, 2009 | No Comments

So the discussion on the LinkedIn forum continues on this topic and I was compelled to write a follow-up to the post I included in my brief article I posted here.   Naturally I felt inclined to add the meat of that discussion here by way of another article.

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It is hard to provide a “package” that addresses a customer’s needs without first engaging with the client to properly ascertain what they want to do and what are their limitations and expectations.

As I said, if you allow the customer to select from a range of packages, unless they know preciously what they need and what each service entails etc. they will most likely expect more than you offer or get more than they need. In either case neither is good business. In my opinion managing someone’s server is not as easy to define (or sell) as a t-shirt where all that matters is colour & size.

This is were, I believe, virtualisation can make the client experience and the provider service a better match. This is especially true if a client isn’t sure of their needs and more so to the benefit of the provider if they use the right virtualisation solution. While it can simply be a virtual environment (VE) on a single server there is no reason it can’t a VE on a grid or cluster, thereby eliminating many single points of failure. This would give the provider an easier platform in which to control access, drag and drop OSes and near instantly provide resources as required. It is also a standard platform which is the same for each of the provider’s clients and therefore much easier to support.

Thankfully many virtualisation systems are already on the market that can cost effectively do this and are mature enough to be seriously considered for most customers.

Ultimately it comes back to what the clients expects to achieve from the server, what business services it will preform or provide and what fault tolerances are appropriate… in this case one size certainly does not fit all and there are many additional service to consider.  Such as back-ups.

I question whether this can be done effectively if the server being managed is not local, to the managed server provider, unless that server is virtual and is not on a single physical server.  It is far easier to resolve problems when you can simply mount the server in another grid or stop it add resources and then restart it. Patching becomes easier if the managed service provider maintains a test environment (again virtual) where updates can be evaluated before going onto production systems.

While this kind of redundancy maybe overkill for most requirements it is vital to an enterprise operation and if it can be provided at a price point that is both reasonable for the client and profitable for the provider then there is every reason to consider it. Doing so is the very definition of ‘proactive’ and I would add it is what the client would do as only they know what their business truly means to them.  Business continuity is always the paramount concern of any business.  Such safe guarding becomes more important when the client chooses to outsource their support.

Server Management and outsourcing IT Support in General

Posted on | May 18, 2009 | No Comments

Recently a company asked, on a LinkedIn discussion forum, what services should be included in server management.  Such questions leave me concerned for the IT industry and its professional status.  One doesn’t go to accountant and them tell them how to do their job.  This is because we lack their specialist knowledge and are expecting, in fact have the responsible expectation that they know what they are doing and more importantly know what we  can not anticipate as being required to know.  In short we aren’t accountants.

For many of the clients I have worked with my perspective as both a consumer and a provider of IT services has served me and them well.  I am always looking for ways to do a better job and making sure the best job is done for my clients when I am not the one providing the service.  To me it is why I am hired and brought on board to deal with whatever is required.  I am able to anticipate what the client may not and also determine if the provider is assuming too much in their offerings.

If I were to suggest to my clients that for this rate, or this package of services, you only get a portion of my abilities I wouldn’t last long nor would I be a professional.  So too when this firm asked what services it should include in its managed services offering did I question the professionalism and the abilities of the firm.  I responded with the statement below, which doesn’t take them to task.  I am hopeful my words will be instructive and perhaps they will use them to decide if they are qualified to provide said service.  It would seem they don’t know what it entails, not if they want to do it properly that is.

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I don’t think you can properly manage a server without monitoring it.  At a minimum you must have some alert system that you respond to within a given time frame based on the nature and/or severity of the issue.

Naturally one could argue that a properly managed server would never have any issues but in the real world where one must provide a cost effective and profitable solution to one’s clients the best choice is proactive monitoring.

No client should ever have to call you up and tell you there is something wrong with their server that a monitoring system could have (and should have) caught.  Client’s invariable go for the least expensive option when they know little of what is required and strangely enough for the most expensive, if they can afford it, as they assume it will cover them for everything.

I know it was a sample list but if you are responsible for managing their server and it gets hacked – recovery from that would be your responsibility.  Granted the client could have done something that caused it to happen.  But you would need proof and in my opinion the best way to get said this proof is with monitoring and access logs.  The server’s use may make it more or less prone to hack attempts and if the server is remote to you then there are other factors you can’t control… such as: network, power, DDOS etc.

When providing managed services of any form we must remember the client is looking to us for expertise.  We can not feign ignorance or say: “well you didn’t pay for our most expensive package which would have covered this” etc.  We must provide services that don’t have loop holes that cover for our mistakes.  We must provide service within a clearly defined scope of actions, activities and client expectations and responsibilities that are well documented.  You don’t go to lawyer and then tell how to win your case; you are hiring her for her expertise and wouldn’t accept any excuse for not getting her best.

So too with IT services and specifically server management… Client’s could argue that you should have identified areas in which the client’s access could create problems and therefore establish a very clear demarcation line between your services and the client’s responsibilities.  Server management isn’t about a list of offerings.  It is about applying the appropriate administrative and monitoring methodology to ensure the server performs as expected for the client’s needs.

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I would add that it is the specific knowledge which gives your service value.  Too often companies try to do more than they are capable of because they need to make money or want to make money.  There are many approaches to a successful business but no one ever failed for finding out what they do best and doing it consistently for their clients.   When looking for IT support you shouldn’t have to ask “what am I not getting that I may need?”  Though it would seem you should definitely get several quotes and ask lots of questions before selecting the right IT service provider for you.  You can also contact me to assist in the search.

How do you start a web-based business? Part 3

Posted on | February 19, 2009 | 1 Comment

Continuing from the earlier article “How do you start a web-based business? Part2 “  you will need to further consider the following…

1. Payment method (PayPal, merchant account, etc)

   To get the full advantage of a eCommerce website you need to be able to process payments in real-time. This means using PayPal (or similar) or accepting credit cards directly through your website; using a payment gateway. While you can accept cheques or money orders there is no way to process these until they arrive usually by mail then they have to clear your bank account before you actually have the money. Most people start off with PayPal and then get their merchant accounts and start accepting credit cards directly once they have been established for awhile. If you already have a merchant bank account for your business it might be less expensive to take payments that way than using PayPal, which takes a percentage of every transaction.

   Products like OSCommerce, CubeCart or Zencart have many payment gateway provider modules so you are able to choose the best one that suits you without having to get a module written for you.

2. Online presence

   Your online presence is more than just your website it is more closely your websites ability to represent your company. A website can be more than just a collection of information about what you do, where you are located and how long you have been in business. With an eCommerce component it can become an integral part of how your company makes money and controls costs. The effective use of your “online presence” will separate you from your competition and set you apart as the leader in the field. Likewise not having an excellent online presence (poor website design, cumbersome to use, unhelpful etc.) can result in failure. The key parts of this are:

   1. hosting account – BCwebnet business website hosting we will meet your needs for now and well into the future. Additional space and traffic, advanced servers such as virtualization and dedicated servers are easy to upgrade without downtime.

   2. domain name – what’s in a name? Well everything… it should be short, easy to spell and remember, plus if possible have some relevant, to SEO, term in it.

   3. website/cart software – One of the products I recommend is ZenCart but phpCOIN might also server your needs.  Either product is good and there are many others and they each have their advantages.  I plan on writing a review of them shortly so what for that.

How do you start a web-based business? Part 2

Posted on | February 18, 2009 | No Comments

Continuing from the earlier article “How to Start your online business“  you will need to consider the following…

1) Business plan
A business plan is more than a mission statement or a description of your business.   Even if you put this down on one piece of paper a business plan outlines all the potential issues and concerns of your new venture and helps determine its feasibility. What do you want the business to accomplish? Who are your target customers and how do you reach them? What do you need? Along with the risks it details the operations and costs associated with running the business.  Just like any business the success of your eCommerce business will be determined by how well you plan it and how well those plans help you to fulfill your goals.  Remember your business plan isn’t just the idea it is how to execute the idea and make it a reality.

2) Capital
A very simple rule is this – for every dollar you expect to make off your website at least 10% of that should be paid on the website.  So even if you only plan to make $500 per month you should be spending $50 per month on the website itself.  This doesn’t include marketing costs, other operational costs and the like. Like most business you should be able to run for at least 6 months or as much as year without making a profit.   While the upfront costs may seem low no one got a website business off the ground and making money without spending either a lot of their own time and/or paying someone.  So a reasonable budget is $1000 to $5000 with $1000 meaning doing most of the work yourself.  Not all of this has to spent right away so don’t panic if you have less than $1000 but its necessary that you are willing to work hard to get started.

3) Suppliers/products/services
If you don’t already have a business you will need to determine what it is you plan to sell.  Most everything can be bought and sold over the Internet including perishable items such as fresh fruits and veggies – this is often for local deliver only mind you.  But this kind of sale highlights the power of eCommerce.  Using the Internet to conduct business even in the same town makes sense as it is easier to plan deliveries, co-ordinate purchasing and deal with repeat orders, process payments and handle returns etc.  It also helps promote your business and keeps you focused on running your business.  In choosing what to sell you need to find something that your passionate about and love to do.  Whether its selling your own knitted sweaters, camera batteries or lawn care… sell it because you want to and are willing to work hard to make a successful business.

…more to come in Part 3

How do you start a web-based business?

Posted on | February 18, 2009 | No Comments

Creating an online store can be a difficult and confusing. There are no tricks and like any business it requires planning to be successful. If you want to enter this market smoothly you must find out what you need to do before you have to do it.

Lets start with the basic requirements. You will need a domain name and website hosting account. Using a product like OSCommerce, CubeCart or ZenCart means you don’t necessarily need a website designed for you as these offer a complete website in of themselves. BUT customization of their interface is required and most of them have a templating system to allow you to your eCommerce business unique and attractive to your customers. So once you have a domain name and website you will need some form of payment processing. PayPal is the most common and it has its advantages and competitors but for more details on payment gateways please check out this article. It also has information about dealing with payments and the various options.

There are some technical requirements as well such as a dedicated IP address for your website and an SSL certificate. Right now is not the time to bore you with what these items are but they allow your website to securely transmit and encrypt payment information over the Internet. Simply put a dedicate IP is a fixed address on the Internet and an SSL certificate makes the secure transaction possible. The added bonus is that these are provided by a third party so you customers have some assurances you are a legitimate company. There is more about this in SSL Certificates Explained.

So a domain name, hosting plan, eCommerce application, payment processing system, dedicated IP and SSL certificate. You will also need a name for your business and some idea of what it is you will sell.

eCommerce 101

Posted on | February 9, 2009 | 1 Comment

I am often asked what is eCommerce, how do I make money off my website and similar questions.  It happens so often that I have decided to write a series of articles about it.  If you need more in-depth help I am available to consult on all manner of IT related projects and services.

What is eCommerce?

eCommerce, or Electronic Commerce, is the exchange of goods and services over the Internet. It is one of the most important business process improvements since the invention of the telephone. eCommerce allows people to buy and sell to one another anywhere on the planet at any time of the day or night. eCommerce is the usage of, and exploitation of, the interconnectivity of various business and information systems plus an application that provides a catalog and a shopping cart. We go into more detail on these components in the next few sections. There are few barriers to entry so armed with only a computer and an Internet connection you can start selling almost anything you want.

Why eCommerce?

How would you like a salesperson who could answer all your customers and potential customer’s questions, take their orders, suggest similar items of interest, provide billing and shipping information in real time and do all of this for pennies a day; 24 hours a day? With eCommerce you can have such a sales person. Granted this sales person is a collection of computer software applications designed to work together, communicate together and more importantly automate the buying and selling process. These applications are web-based and as such are available to anyone with a connection to the Internet.

There are low infrastructure and start-up costs as most hosting companies provide a basic eCommerce hosting package for less than $50 per month. PayPal is the most commonly used form of payment on the Internet and costs nothing to get a merchant account. You have a global market that you can sell to and buyers can choose the payment method that suits them best. eCommerce can also help increase sales for your physical store, commonly called a bricks-and-mortar operation, and and eCommerce website open 24-7.

So why eCommerce? Simply put it is the least expensive way to sell goods and services to people anywhere in the world at anytime of the day or night. This is because it automates and simplifies the commodity exchange process. It also provides a sinlge point of entry for clients to find all the relevent information about the products, services they are interested in and all about your company and why to buy from you. So detailed information, ease of transactions and sell to anywhere to anyone at anytime make eCommerce the most affordable business improvement tool since… well, ever.

So is eCommerce right for you?  We’ll answer that in Part 2.

Install phpCOIN

Posted on | July 7, 2005 | No Comments

In the summer of 2005 I wrote an installation guide for phpCOIN, a freeware web-based billing system.  It was mainly used by small hosting companies but could be used for any business requiring billing/invoicing and customer management.  phpCOIN was supposedly going to be a commercial product with the soon to be released version 2.0 and so I thought of this guide as being the first step to writing a full administration manual.  Well its been more than 3 years and version 2.0 is still not out so I thought I would update the install guide.  The last one took me 2 weeks to write up.  So in the interim here is an excerpt from the original guide.  You can also download a full copy from my website.

Install phpCOIN v1.2.2:

This guide is designed to help you get version 1.2.2 of phpCOIN installed and configured for simple operation of your business. You’ll find this guide is structured in a simple step-by-step fashion with emphasis placed upon necessary changes and how to make them.

Before starting there are some tools you will need and some expectations of your ability.

You must have a good text editor (pspad – http://www.pspad.com or ultraedit), some understanding of PHP & SQL, it is also assumed that you have a good knowledge of web-based applications.

The manual install is the preferred method of all as it ensures that you have the actual phpCOIN files. If you install this software from anywhere other than phpCOIN’s website it is recommended that you check the version and if necessary upgrade. You can obtain the latest version from here: http://www.phpcoin.com/auxpage.php?page=download

Although the first part of the install requires some manual intervention phpCOIN is relatively easy to install. A working install of phpCOIN requires the following process:

Prepare your MySQL Database

You will need to create one MySQL database for phpCOIN to use. If you do not have the ability to create a database, you will need to consult your hosting provider or server administrator.

You will create a database name, a database username (a user of the database) and a password. Generally people have access to phpMyAdmin or other such web-based interfaces to help them work with their MySQL server. You can also do this directly from the command line on a Linux/Unix or similar servers. With a Windows Server you can use the MySQL Administrator.

When you create the password be sure to use at least 6 characters and do not use common dictionary names. For example phpcoin is a bad password, 1q$Q76 is a better one. Be sure to write the information you enter down as you will need it for the next step.

The Y2K Problem – revisited

Posted on | October 29, 1998 | No Comments

During 1999 I was working at the WCB on their Y2K remediation efforts when a Canadian publication called “The Computer Paper” published my two part series of articles on the Y2K problem.   The publication is no longer around; its assets were bought and sold many times that so I am not sure if my articles are available any more.  So I have decided to put them online myself.

You can read the original article below or download a copy from my website.  I originally submitted the piece as one article but due to space constraints they split it and published it over two issues.  A follow-up was planned but as we all know the Year 2000 problem turned out to be far less of problem than we all expected.   Which in light of the recent financial meltdown was probably a good thing.

So without further ado…

The Practical Guide to Year 2000 Readiness

By

William Jordan

By now most of you have heard something about the “Year 2000 Problem” or the “Millennium Bug”. Some of this news have been interesting, some frightening and some down right silly. The truth is the year 2000 is a fixed date in time and some of our computer related technologies will not be able to handle the date change. Some argue that your pen won’t be able to handle the date change either. The reason for both these failures is a simple one: When we write the year, either in a program or on a cheque, we use the last two digits: 98 instead of 1998. Because of our usage of this shortcut our computers may not be able to understand what century we’re in, 1900, 1800, 2000 or 3756 BCE. No doubt you have already heard what could happen if you have a mortgage, credit card, pension, loan or any date dependent bills? You run the risk of being behind in payments, not receiving your pension cheque, having your house or farm foreclosed, your credit history marred and/or declared dead. While these are legitimate possibilities I do not prescribe to worst-case scenarios. There is something we can all do to reduce the impact the new century will have on our lives and our technologies.

Most people know their computers (PC‘s, Notebooks, Mainframes etc.) may have a problem with the year 2000. Many know their computer programs may not be Year 2000 Compliant. A few know that their Cars, Coffee Makers, VCRs and Microwave Ovens may have the same problem. Fewer still know what to do about it. The question I am often asked is, “If the problem is as simple as the use of two digits to represent the year then shouldn’t the solution be as simple?” Yes and no is the simple answer but I propose the following as a method most people can use to survive the Year 2000 problem.

In your personal life:

Think of the millennium as a huge storm or earthquake. The only difference being you know when it’s coming and where it’s going to hit. How would you prepare? What would you need?

Start keeping paper records of all your bill, loan and mortgage payments. I have found the on-line banking systems offered by many Banks and Credit Unions in Canada to be invaluable for printing account statements. I personally use VanCity‘s PC Banking Service every February to print off statements for all my business and personal accounts for the previous year. According to my tax accountant these are official receipts. Since we are on the subjects of Banks. Make sure your is doing everything it can to be ready for the date change. If you aren’t happy with the answer starting shopping for a Bank or Financial Institute that will freely discuss their Y2K efforts with you. Remember it’s your money and you pay more than enough for them to hold onto to it for you. Part of being prepared is helping others realise the necessity of preparing themselves, certainly if they provide goods and services to you.

Try to bring yourself to a zero balance on all your small loans and credit cards. Reducing your debt load is smart money management and a very good way to start the new millennium.

Don’t shy away from technology. Use your debit card and occasionally your credit card wherever possible. They both offer safe and convenient ways to spend your money and they help keep accurate records of what you spend and where. Just make sure to make your credit cards payments on-time and keep the receipts.

You may have read somewhere to have cash on-hand for the first three months of the year 2000 but I don’t recommend you do. You put yourself at risk of robbery by having cash in the house. Also a run on the banks for hard currency can create the worst of all economic catastrophes. It would be better to stock up on extra batteries, matches and canned food, water and propane. In the worst of all possible scenarios we might have a situation like the ice storm of last winter. The propane would allow you to use your BBQ to cook some meals. Do not use your BBQ to heat your home! Instead invest in a wood-burning fireplace for the living room or den, if you don’t already have one. A fireplace would be great for providing heat until gas and power are restored. Bottled water is all the range now and most Canadian cities have companies who provide home and office water cooler services. You can start getting bottled water delivered to your home anytime. Sometime before the millennium you can order extra bottles, just in case.

Ask your pension company or government agency what they are doing to make sure you get a cheque in the year 2000. Most will tell you “don’t worry, we have it under control.” Or “our lawyers have told us we can’t disclose that at this time, but don’t worry.” In truth, don’t worry but be prepared. Most levels of government I have talked to, or consulted with, have contingencies in place to deal with this problem. In fact, the Saskatchewan government is considering writing payroll cheques, and even welfare cheques, by hand if Y2K remediation efforts fail. They, like most, governments are focusing on the critical areas like providing heating, power, and emergency services. As for pension and life insurance firms a recent Gartner Group survey suggested that the financial industry was the best prepared and most likely to be ready for the year 2000. Again, demand answers but prepare for a few months of lost income.

If you or your family relies on one source of income to live then make plans to be with friends or relatives during this time. They will appreciate the extra help and pooling resources in a time of crisis, even a technological one, is what this country was built on. Sharing and co-operation brings people and nations together. Remember we are all at our best when things are at there worse. Canada has endured far greater difficulties than the one presented by the Year 2000 problem. The “Millennium Bug” will seem like a cakewalk in comparison if we prepare properly for it.

In your business life:

If you run or own a small business you are most at risk to suffer Y2K related problems. Most small businesses do not have the financial resources to fix or replace their (ageing) computers and software. Also they can’t afford the high price of bringing in a consultant or programmer to fix old software. But more critical than these computer systems is the spreadsheets and databases that reside on them.

The Y2K issue is finally getting general media attention but most large companies and government agencies, both here and around the world, have been working on this problem for several years now. I think we will see some companies and some government agencies fail to fix their Y2K problems but the fall-out of these failures won’t be as bad as is being suggested. Remember it is in everyone’s best interest to fix their Y2K problems before the Dec. 31^st, 1999 deadline

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