Ed Bott's Microsoft Challenge--10/12/00

Daily: Verify Last Night Backup status
properly secure the tape.
Daily: File/Disk space avaialable - don't let users run out of space.
Daily: Setup Nightly backup jobs

Weekly: System clean up (empty trash) delete TEMP files.

prepare weekly backup - full backup

MONTHLY: Full backup plus a copy for off site storage.
Monthly: Purge temp files and defrag system.
MONTHLY: Create a test vol and do a restore of the data vol from the off site copy of full backup.

This isin addtion to as needed stuff for new users, deleteing departed users, and changing rights or installing new or more software.

I am a contractor for many small to mid sized businesses and I have found many problems that they call me for have easy precautionary measures that could have been taken to keep things smooth. Here is the list of things I will recommend to them.
1.) BACKUP! I can't emphasize that enof. Many people have lost thousands and in 2 cases, millions of dollars because they didn't do this. The thought they were, so the #2 thing is:
2.) CHECK THE BACKUP! Make sure it is running and all appropriate files are backed up! This needs to be done on a dally basses
3.) Check for updates from the software companies. I recommend this on a monthly basis.
4.) Check for BIOS revs. I do this on a semi-annual basis.
5.) Check the services. Make sure that they are running smoothly. Ask around, see if any programs are lagging. I do this on a bi-monthly basis.
6.) Check the Performance Monitor. I monitor the following items: CPU, Memory, Network Utilization, HDD access. Check these things on a weekly basses. If you find that one of these starts to have problems or has a sudden high utilization of something, this is a warning that something?s not right. Use the logging function and log settings at 10-15 min intervals or even 5 ifyou have a good server that can hold the info. Check this on a weekly basses. Save the log in some sort of storage. Set the log to only log during business hours to save space. If you have a separate NT/2k system that you can use, use this so asnot to tax the server.

Check event log of every server, fix/try to fix as needed. Creating new directories, shares, and security groups, new accounts,
disabling/deleting old accounts, managing account policies. Make sure backup runs and verify the files. Plugging Security holes.
Exchange Management including DL's, users, etc. Train the training people, helpdesk people, and end users. Answer all important emails from CFO/CEO/IT-MIS Director.
Glance over DSU/TSU, switches, hubs, make sure everything is green. Check router logs.
Check firewall logs. Various calls to MS Support for things that really aren't your fault. Check for free space on all servers, for file pollution and quotas. Ensure that all server services are running. Ensure that antivirus definitions are up-to-date.
Run defrag and chkdsk on all drives. Monitor WINS replication. Monitor directory replication. Maintain performance baseline data. Monitor network traffic with sniffer or NETMON to keep performance up. Keep Service Packand Hotfixes current as per company policy. Monitor Web traffic for indications of attacks. Install software for users. Monitor user email for corporate policy violations. Check Print Queues. Keep a log of everything you have fixed or performedmaintenance on. Make sure all apps are shared. Permissions and filesystem management. Check for bad system and ini files on database server (Btrieve). Make sure load on database server is acceptable and ghosted users
are cleared as well as multiple logons.
Nightly:
Backups
(Next Applies to Terminal Server admins only)
Reboot each Citrix server.
Delete all autocreated printers stuck.
Clear out rogue local profiles. Backups
Weekly:
Clean Servers, check for .tmp files, jetdb files, etc. Implement any new policy, permission, logon script, or scheduled
script modifications. Research, Research, Research. Change any active monitoring & alerting (third party tool

I don't remember where I got these... it may have been TechRepublic!
Daily:
1.Check event log of every server, fix/try to fix as needed.
2.Creating new directories, shares, and security groups, new accounts, disabling/deleting old accounts, managing account policies.
3.Make sure backup runs and verify the files.
4.Plugging Security holes.
5.Exchange Management including DL's, users, etc.
6.Train the training people, helpdesk people, and end users.
7.Answer all-important emails from CFO/CEO/IT-MIS Director.
8.Glance over DSU/TSU, switches, hubs, make sure everything is green.
9.Check router logs.
10.Check firewall logs.
11.Various calls to MS Support for things that really aren't your fault.
12.Check for free space on all servers, for file pollution and quotas.
13.Ensure that all server services are running.
14.Ensure that antivirus definitions are up-to-date.
15.Run defrag and chkdsk on all drives as long as you can do it without a reboot.
16.Monitor WINS replication.
17.Monitor directory replication.
18.Maintain performance baseline data.
19.Monitor network traffic with sniffer or NETMON to keep performance up.
20.Keep Service Pack and Hotfixes current as per company policy.
21.Monitor Web traffic for indications of attacks.
22.Install software for users
23.Monitor user email for corporate policy violations.
24.Check Print Queues.
25.Keep a log of everything you have fixed or performed maintenance on.
26.Make sure all apps are shared.
27.Permissions and file system management.
28.Make sure load on terminal server is acceptable and ghosted users are cleared as well as multiple logons.
Nightly:
1.Backups
2.Reboot each Citrix server.
3.Delete all auto created printers stuck.
4.Clear out rogue local profiles.

Weekly:
1.Clean Servers, check for .tmp files, jetdb files, etc.
2.Implement any new policy, permission, logon script, or scheduled script modifications.
3.Research and Study
4.Change any active monitoring & alerting (third party tools) as needed.
5.Check PerfMon, NetMon, (or 3rd party tools) for OK baselines.
6.Evaluate software for System Admin purposes.
7.Performance Monitoring/Capacity Planning- Budgeting for future.
8.Uptime/Downtime reports.
9.Auditing network for unauthorized changes, inside and outside.
10.Plan for W2K migration.
Monthly:
1.Rebuild Databases as needed.
2.Gather statistics on Webservers.
3.Clean exchange mailboxes.
4.Audit Service Account and Admin Passwords.
5.Convincing your boss's boss's boss that most of this stuff _needs_ to be done.
6.Extended testing backups with restores.
8.Set System and Application priorities
9.Managing off-site storage of backup tapes
10.IT System vulnerability analysis
11.Periodically reviewing all of the above, is documentation up to date? Has the Disaster Recovery Plan been updated to reflect changes in the environment?
12.Periodically reviewing workload. Are some things no longer done?
13.Periodically review company technical environment. How can it be improved?
14.Reboot every NT server whether you think you should or not.
Initial or Occasionally.
1.Disaster Recovery to alternate site, in case of emergency.
2.Configure and maintain DNS - Internal and External, DHCP, WINS, TCP/IP, etc.
3.Document the full network.
4.Rebuild corrupt servers.
5.Test the Restore Procedure.
6.Reconfigure domain structure, again.
7.Get a performance baseline for things like %Processor Time, Pagefiling, Disk Queues.
8.Initial checklist should include status of administrative and service passwords, status of the backups, check out DHCP scope(s),
9.WINS, DNS, remove unnecessary protocols.

Here is what we have in place:
I. Daily
a. automated backup of servers, pc's
b. reported dialy ping, ftp, traceroute tests that are used for network testing and benchmark purposes

II. Weekly
a. perform a redundant backup to a local server (faster to replace lost, corrupted data)
b. automatic scandisk, defrag setup to run over the weekend.
c. weekly scan of sys.log files in router for security
d. ensure Anti-Virus software has been automatically run, and you have the latest file definition.

III. Monthly
a. Make sure maintenance log book has been updated. This is the log book that you keep on each server and PC so that you can keep an eye on problems with certain machines, or even determine if you have a problem with a user who might need additional training.

Many good ideas listed already. I would add it is important to have central monitoring of critical services & hardware.

Examples
MSSQL service
UPS's
monitor hardware failures
equipment room temp etc.
Probably the easiest way to monitor all above would be with SNMP via Linux.

Also, keep tabs on what the user experience is before it is too late.

DAILY
--> Service Monitoring - either manually, or with a script, check that all mission critical services are running.
--> Automate Alerts - find ways to automate alerting...why waste time checking backup logs if the task can be automated...
-->Hardware Monitoring - leverage any hardware monitoring tools at your disposal (Compaq's Insight Manager, for example...it's free).
WEEKLY
--> Anti-Virus Updates
--> Performance Monitoring (much of which can be automated, alerting only when defined ceilings are reached.
MONTHLY
--> Security Checks - again, automation makes this job much easier...write and save scripts that, for example, list all users in the Domain Admins group.
--> Hack Your Own System - assume the identity and mindset ofa hacker and attempt to crack your own system. You'll probably surprise yourself.
--> Disaster Recovery Day - stage a fake disaster and run through all recovery steps. Correct\Expand documentation. Test restores from tape.