March 2010 Too Dependent on Technology?
My kids and I took a trip to West Virginia over spring break. Unlike previous trips, in which I would pull out my trusty Road Atlas to plan my route, I used Google Maps this time. Once on our way, I relied on our Garmin GPS unit, with it’s robotic but friendly voice, to remind me how far it was to my next turn off.
On our return trip, I was so spent from our ‘vacation’ that, well, I wasn’t paying that much attention to highway signs anymore. I was content to rely on the ‘next turn’ event coming up on the GPS.
When we pulled into a Tourist Info Center in Knoxville, I got a wake-up call. I wanted to know the nearest cave or cavern tourist stop on our way. The nice lady at the desk asked if we were heading down I-40 or I-75. Embarrassed, I had to admit “… I’m just not sure….” Getting back in my car, I realized that if the GPS were to die, then we would be…well….lost.
Do you feel that YOUR business is too dependent on Technology? If something were to go wrong, would you know “where you are???”
With regards to your business computer network, Matrix Solutions has a plan to help ensure that you always know ‘where you are.’
Our Standard Recommendations help you avoid down-time:
-Redundant internet connections, to keep your office online if one of your providers goes down
-Spare workstations, to keep you functioning if one of your machines stops working.
-‘Emergency’ email system, so your email flows even if your server is down
We monitor the health of your network:
-Instant notification of critical events
-Daily and weekly review of your key computer systems
-Periodic scheduled maintenance for servers and workstations
We provide free training, awareness, and budgeting reviews
-Free Quarterly ‘lunch and learn’ seminars on the topics of your choice
-Free annual reviews to discuss technology issues, budgeting, and planning
If you are not sure where you are, or where you are going, then give us a call. We can analyze your current system and business practices and develop a plan for keeping your business on-track. Do business with us, and you’ll always know exactly where you are.
** Matrix Solutions is a leading provider of business networking services, on-site service and support, network monitoring, computer repair, and basic technology consulting to businesses in Central Mississippi. We cover Jackson, Madison, Ridgeland, Richland, Brandon, Canton, Clinton and surrounding cities. Visit our website at matrixsolutions.com**
February 2010 Persistence Pays off in New Orleans….but Barely
Well the Saints did it – they won the SuperBowl. It was a ‘sweet’ season for many reasons, but it was an especially memorable season for me, not only because they won, but because this was the first season in years in which I attended a game. Here’s how it went down….
On Wednesday, I called my best friend Danny and told him that we needed to attend the Saints-Cowboys game that Saturday. Danny, who claims to be a die-hard Cowboys fan, reminded me that we had no tickets and no place to stay. Never one to let a lack of planning stop me, I talked him into it.
First I went to Travelocity, Hotels.com, Expedia, and every other hotel search website on the net. Nothing was available. I then called every hotel in New Orleans directly. Nothing. Then, I called Shelby Sessums, brother of our client Brad Sessums, whom I had met when he evacuated to Jackson during Katrina. Shelby, who lives in the French Quarter and is in the real estate business, recommended four out-of-the-way B&Bs. On call number four, I struck gold. The Lion’s Inn had a room, and was only a short walk from the French Quarter.
Then I turned my attention to the issue of tickets. Our ‘backup plan’ was to watch the game from a French Quarter bar, but I was determined to do my best get in the Dome. A check of Craigslist revealed plenty of seats, most of which were being sold by season ticket holders. I spent hours browsing ticket sites, emailing ticket sellers, and ‘reading-up’ on ticket scalping scams. Cheap seats were selling for $250-$300 with no price listed for the best seats. I was worried but decided to wait closer to game time. Maybe someone would be desperate if they hadn’t sold their ticket close to game-time….
So, armed with a laptop and a Blackberry, we headed off Saturday morning. First stop: Middendorf’s, of course. While there, I texted a Craigslist vendor and offered $450 for 2 of his prized seats, saying we could pick them up around 2pm. To our surprise and delight he accepted and told us to call him when we made it to the French Quarter. Finally, we could relax!
We met him on the corner of Canal and Camp. Although his caller ID showed his name as John, the young black man introduced himself as Justin. ( Red Flag #1. ) He stuck the two magic tickets into the car and we examined them. They were beautiful, with high-quality, full-color images, perforated edges, and a Verizon coupon on the back. I handed him $450 in small, untraceable bills and we headed down to the Lion’s Inn to check in.
With a place to stay and tickets to the game, we were in Heaven! Sazeracs at Tujague’s, gumbo at the Gumbo Shop, shopping for trinkets on Bourbon Street, the Christmas display in the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel…Nothing could be finer!
It was now time to head on down to the Dome. After standing in line for a while with a rowdy but joyful crowd, we made our way to the door. I presented my beautiful ticket to the nice lady and…….it wouldn’t scan. ( Red Flag #2 ). She flattened it out on her thigh and tried to scan it again …no luck. With the overflow crowd pressing and pushing and getting noisier by the minute, she waved me in. I turned around and watched Danny as she tried to scan his ticket. Same thing. No luck. Maybe her scanner was malfunctioning? Thankfully, she waived him in.
As we glanced at each other nervously, some of our confidence dissipated. We weren’t flying so high any more. Still hovering..maybe. But flying high?….No.
We made our way down to our seats – 7 rows from the field on about the 20 yard line. Wow! The view was amazing! The team was warming up and we were right there with them! The place was clean, the crowd was crazy, the beer tasted great! This was going to be one helluva time!
Then, two chicks showed up and said we were in their seats. (Red Flag #3) They were season ticket holders and sat there every game. We scooted down. Then two chicks came and sat on the other side of us. Squeezed between two sets of season ticket holders, we knew that tap on our shoulder was going to come any minute. Then the game started.
Throughout the first quarter, the Saints fell apart as the Cowboys dominated the game. We kept nervously glancing over our shoulders, looking for security. They never came.
At halftime, a young man approached me. He said their friends had bought some ‘fake’ tickets with the same seat numbers as ours. (Red Flag #4) His friends had been turned away at the door because their tickets wouldn’t scan. I told him I wouldn’t know anything about that…….
Well…..the Saints lost but we enjoyed the game from some incredible seats. We squeezed through the Bourbon Street crowd, made the required stop for beignets at Café Du Monde, and headed back to the Lion’s Inn for a good night’s sleep.
Our persistence – doing all we could to find a room and then spending hours online looking for tickets – paid off. Yes we took some chances, but it all worked out in the end.
Don’t you want someone with that ‘dogged persistence’ working for you? Whether it’s tracking down a technology problem or negotiating the best rate for your internet service, we put our full resources to work for all of our clients all of the time. Give us a shot at your business and find out how tenacious we can be FOR YOU!
04-14-2010 Things to know about your Server
Standing in front of your server can be confusing, especially because you don't do it every day. Here are some things to know....
You do not have to 'log in' to your server.
It is normal for your server to have the 'Press CTL-Alt-DEL to log in' screen displayed. If this screen is showing, then your server is up and functioning just fine. You do not have to log in for the server to be operational.
It is better to do a graceful 'ShutDown' than to just turn the power off.
This is true for workstations and especially true for servers. Servers keep much information in RAM - or 'Temporary memory.' When you turn off the server, that temporary memory vanishes and can lead to problems when the server is rebooted. Doing a ShutDown from the Windows menu allows your server to save important items in the temporary memory to your server hard drive, where it can be re-accessed when the server is rebooted.
If your server's battery backup is beeping, shut down your server immediately!
A beeping battery backup means that either the A/C power has gone down or that the battery inside your unit is dead. Either way, your server could be heading for an unexpected outage. As explained earlier, a manual graceful shutdown is preferred.
Finding the 'power' button may not be so easy.
If your server locks up, you may have to manually reboot the server, and this requires knowing where the power button is. On some Dell servers, the power button is behind the front panel. Make sure you know where your server's power button is!
How to manually reboot your server
In the event of a server lock-up, you may have to manually reboot your server. People often get flustered when they hit the power button but the machine does not turn off. The secret is to hold the button down for 8-15 seconds. The server will power off. Wait about 20 seconds then press the power button again. The server should roar to life.
** Matrix Solutions is a leading provider of business networking services, on-site service and support, network monitoring, computer repair, and basic technology consulting to businesses in Central Mississippi. We cover Jackson, Madison, Ridgeland, Richland, Brandon, Canton, Clinton and surrounding cities. Visit our website at matrixsolutions.com**
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