As I’ve written about, I’m in the process of rebuilding my network at home. the first major addition is a used Dell PowerEdge 2500 server, while this is an older server, it’s quite stable and reliable – and with I intend to use it for, being reliable is critical.
This server will have a couple different roles at once, here’s the basics:
- Domain Controller
- Development SQL Server
- Development IIS Server
- ‘Shared Files’ share
This will allow me to keep a stable system running for shared access to development resources, as well as centralize management for my various systems. This box may also see a few more tasks aimed its way in the next couple months as this project goes on.
The process of rebuilding the server was surprisingly painless. After setting up the RAID array (set to RAID 10), there were no real speed bumps; the Windows install went smoothly and I was quickly on to setting up more important things, like my new domain.
I choose Windows Server 2003 R2 as the OS due to its stability and flexibility. With the number of roles this system will have, along with the pounding development work will give it, those are very important traits. With the exception of a few issues while setting up the domain (like importing local accounts), the process was almost pleasant.
The server itself seems rather beefy (keeping its age in mind), and more than enough I believe for what I have planned for it. For those interested, here are the vital details:
- 1 x 933MHz Intel Pentium III CPU – A second, matching CPU has already been ordered.
- 6 x 18.9 GB 10,000 RPM SCSI Hard-drives – These are in a RAID 10 configuration giving about 50GB of fully redundant storage.
- 3 x 300W redundant power supplies
- 1 x 128MB PC100 RAM dedicated to the RAID controller
- 2 x 256MB PC133 Registered ECC RAM – This will be upgraded soon.
While clearly this isn’t a power-house by modern standards, it is a very well made server, that packs plenty of power. I hope to keep this one around for quite some time.
Over the next three months or so I plan on more-or-less rebuilding all of my computers, and the network they sit on. This is going to be a fairly time consuming process, though I expect should be well worth it. This includes the addition on a couple new computers, as well as new hardware for the existing ones. Among the various changes is the move to a rack-mount environment, away from normal tower cases.
Recently a programmer I know decided that it was time for a career change, leaving the IT field entirely. This gave me cause to think; what does it take to be a great developer. Many people go through school believing they have what it takes, only to receive a rude awaking once they enter the real world.
Before I go on, I think it’s important to define what I mean by developer, and the differences between a developer and a programmer.
To celebrate 15 years of Visual Basic, a quick glance to the past:
Microsoft Announces Visual Basic at Windows World ‘91 General-Purpose, High-Productivity Programming System for Microsoft Windows
ATLANTA — May 20, 1991 — Microsoft today announced MicrosoftR Visual BasicTM programming system at the Windows World ‘91 industry trade show. Visual Basic is a graphical application development system for Microsoft WindowsTM graphical environment version 3.0 that combines visual design tools with a powerful, general-purpose programming language and Windows .
My employer recently completed the final audit to confirm ISO 17799 compliance, the process was a real eye opener. In a process that should have been fairly short & painless, the ordeal lasted close to a year, with me joining the company just before the second, and largest audit. That made my first few weeks rather interesting, to say the least.
While 17799 does have some complex requirements, most of the issues found had more to do with the overall mentality than with the true technical issues involved.
I’m a developer, and I love what I do, it’s a great industry, and a very exciting field to be in. If you read my blog often, you’ll see I take every opportunity to mention how great this line of work can be, today I offer a somewhat different, less sugar-coated view.
The Pressure There is a constant pressure on developers to be better, to do more, to produce more, sometimes more than is possible.
