5 mistakes from Linux IT Managers

Five common mistakes that Linux IT managers make and tips to avoid the mistakes.

Mistake #1: Reactive, not proactive

• have disaster plans in place rather than trying to implement a disaster plan on the fly (hardware failure, natural disaster, compromised systems,...)

• plans for the future in terms of capacity planning, upgrades, and support.

Mistake #2: Failing to emphasize documentation and training

• Document, in an easy-to-find location, organization-specific information, such as passwords for servers and services, installation instructions, guidelines, firewall rules, etc..., anything that's not obvious, standard, or found in existing documentation

• Set up a central repository for documentation and policies, and make documentation a job requirement for systems administrators and programmers.

Mistake #3: Failing to assess strengths and weaknesses

• know the strengths and weaknesses of their teams.

• Instead of doing everything yourself, consider outsourcing to a contractor (ie. website hosting, samba introduction, ...)

Mistake #4: Too much, too quickly

• move cautiously when replacing existing systems.

• Don't replace working systems with new systems that have reduced functionality just to replace proprietary software with open source.

• do test deployments and have extensive discussions with users about what they need before rolling out any replacements.

Mistake #5: Security as a secondary priority

• provide a comprehensive security policy for your organization

• from the front door to the firewall, security must be a pervasive element in an organization's IT architecture.

• don't be shy about calling in a consultant to provide assistance in securing your organization's IT infrastructure.

Read the complete article at IT Manager's Journal

Have you experienced other major mistakes by Linux IT managers ?