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"Gray Area" between Systems and Desktop

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by dugald

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I'm the Desktop Support Manager for a mid-sized company, but have recently come from a smaller company where I was managing both Desktop and Systems. I'm now struggling constantly with the Systems Support Manager, who consistently claims all server-related tasks are the domain of his team. I've never worked anywhere that the Helpdesk couldn't reset a user's domain password, build a print queue, or create an e-mailbox for a new hire.

I've always envisioned a "Gray Area" where Systems and Desktop overlap (Venn diagrams anyone?). Depending on the technical ability of your staff, tasks in the overlap zone can be covered by both Desktop and Systems, or whoever is less busy. But what are the "industry standard" lines around that area? What do you consider the end of the Desktop domain? What do you consider the end of the Systems domain?

I think this conflict is going to come down to listing out the specific functions of each group. Where should I put my stake in the sand?

4 replies

by ghstinshll

Managers are used for two reasons, you should know this: To represent their employees from their boss, and represent their boss to their employes...

In an envirionment such as yours, you are combatting a manager who wants to draw fine lines to protect their duties... If yor company does NOT have this documented in SLA's, it way past time that they did. You're obviously large enough to where the company can't afford for it's IT depts to be running around with their heads cut off.

Meet and define, and in that process (with managers and upper managers involved) try to make your claim on the efficiencies and cost savings your dept can offer the company, etc... Plan this out in your mind ahead of time, it's obviously time for them to address this issue.

And now to really answer your question... 90% of the companies I have worked with in an enterprise level are having their helpdesk do the monotonous tasks of user accounts, print queues, and group memberships. As long as the right checks and balances are there to make sure they're doing their job correctly, it'll all work out.

by lordinfidel

And I may just be spouting off though.

In order to add/remove users from a domain (at least a NT4 domain) requires domain admin level permissions.

This may not be something that the systems guy's want to give out. I know I would'nt and don't.

All new users on the network get set up by us then the support guy's support them. They should not have domain admin level access or even know the domain admin passwords.

Now the help desk mgr *should* be allowed to have the domain admin account to do these tasks.

In an 2K domain, this task can be delegated at the OU level without comprimising enter level security.

But yes, it is politics to a point. The other part is do you really want your support staff running around with domain admin level accounts.

I know I don't.

by tbragsda

In most of the larger co I have worked with, the help desk cannot do much. They are more the route to the next level support. Take call, see if its a simple desktop problem, if so fix. Im sorry to say, but I bet that your management is no different, and you will be stuck with the most mundane tasks.

With NDS, or now with AD, some tasks can be done from a help desk that might otherwise have been the domain of next level support, but this is ground won back some time ago. One large bank I worked with had many different levels. HD simpley answered calls and dispatched to correct tech groups (desktop, LAN admin, NDS, Server, Router/wan).

by dennis_merola

Id try to some way associate a cost of the server team handling those mundane tasks and compare that cost to the $$ saved if your desktop support/help desk folks did it.

I know that where I worked before, the Help Desk did those kinds of thingscause it was just cheaper that way!

Now with Win2K, the Server Admin folks can delegate this responsibilty to help desk types by creating and distributing Management Consoles (MMC's). They can predetermine what the desktop/help desk types are allowed to do.

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