Network Uptime Conversion Chart

Often times in network operations we're required to perform to a certain service level agreement. This is typically defined as "uptime" or "network availability" meaning that the network team will work to make sure that the network is available xx% of the time. Predominately these SLA's are in the 99% level. There are basically 4 levels of "99%" uptime levels: 99%, 99.9%, 99.99%, and the incredibly expensive 99.999% (or 5-9's).


So what does this mean to you as a network manager in terms of being able to take the network down for maintenance? I put together this little chart to show you how much time you get based on your SLA requirements:

WiFi at McDonald's

So I'm taking my son to McDonald's and saw, for the first time at this particular location, a sign in the window saying "WiFi Available Here". How cool is that? Now I live in a pretty small town in Texas, so it's not like I'm sitting at some Mickey D's in downtown New York. I'm in Kennedale, TX, a suburb of Tarrat County!

Of course none of this technology stuff is new to me. I've been doing this for a while, but it's pretty cool to think that wireless Internet access is available at my local fast food burger joint. Man I love this stuff!

It's So Hard To Say Goodbye

One of the most difficult things you have to deal with as a manager is firing employees. You do everything you can to try and get the message across, you lead by example, you try to foster an environment where your employees feel that they can be honest with you, you mentor, you beg, you plead, and you finally get to a place where you realize that it's just not working out.



So here's how I typically fire people. I give them chance, after chance, after chance and if they just refuse to get it. I call them into a room with the HR director or an attorney and I simply tell them, "There's no easy way to do this, so I'll just come out and say it, we're letting you go."



Yikes! I've been on the other end of that conversation a couple of times, and I know how it sends a person's world into a tailspin. So I try to make it as easy on them as I possibly can. This is not personal, even if I don't personally like the person I'm firing, I try to remember that they're still a person, a human being with toughts, feelings, doubts, and yes, even strengths.



Often times when I run into a problem employee, I try to remain sensitive to their issues. Most of the time, it boils down to a simple fact, they're not happy where they are, but they're too scared or too comfortable to move on. They get into a rut, a routine that's just automatic and then they accept it as their "life" and either don't know they can change it, or they don't think they can.



So I try to look at firings as helping a person to make a change and hopefully, for them, it's a change for the better. Afterall, why be stuck in a job that you don't enjoy. "If you do what you love, you'll never have to 'work' a day in your life". That's the philosophy I try to live by and, although I've only ever had one former employee thank me for helping them move on, hopefully the others will eventually come to feel the same way someday. But even if they don't, at least I know that I did everything I could to help them, even after they've moved on.



So best of luck to all of you whom I've had to let go at one time or another during my career. I sincerely wish each of you much happiness and success.