QuikNews March 2001 E-Mail Newsletter




Quality Technology Solutions, Inc. QTS QuikNews � March 2001 � Issue 2001.3 March 24, 2001 ************************************************************************ Welcome to the March edition of QTS QuikNews, our Monthly E-Mail newsletter. In this monthly e-mail, you will receive an update of what's new at QTS - new products we support, new patches and upgrades, solution ideas and promotions to save you money, and information about our company and our clients. As a QTS client, a prospective client we have had discussions with, or a �friend of QTS,� you have been automatically added to our newsletter distribution list. To unsubscribe from this mailing please see the instructions at the bottom of this page, or call your QTS Account Manager. Please do not respond to this e-mail. This is an unmonitored account. ********************************************************************** IN THIS ISSUE ********************************************************************** 1. QTS News 2. Events 3. Patches & Upgrades 4. LAN Administration Best Practices 5. Special Offers & Featured Solutions ********************************************************************** QTS NEWS ********************************************************************** QTS EXPANDS TECHNICAL STAFF Please join us in welcoming aboard Maryann Reese to our technical team. Maryann is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and joins us as a Network Engineer after several years of consulting and integration experience. She brings to QTS strong experience in Windows NT, Lotus Notes and general networking support. Maryann reports to Lou DiTommaso in the Network Services Department, and is on the project side of the QTS team. +++ FROM THE WEB +++ QTS WINS PRESTIGIOUS NOVELL SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR! 3/22/2001: QTS and Novell announced today that QTS has again won Novell�s Service Excellence Award for providing exceptional service and support to our joint clients. QTS Network Services Manager Lou DiTommaso accepted the award on behalf of QTS at Novell�s Brainshare 2001 conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Read more at http://www.qtsnet.com/stayinformed/l3_stay_pr10.htm ********************************************************************** EVENTS ************************************************************************ QTS SEMINAR SERIES QTS is continuing our Spring Seminar Series with the following upcoming morning seminars at QTS: * Windows 2000 Professional: The Power Desktop � April 11^th, 2001 * Windows 2000 Server: The Server for eBusiness � April 24^th, 2001 * Managing your Network with Novell ZENworks � May 8^th, 2001 * Upgrading to NetWare 5.1 � May 16^th, 2001 We will continue into the Summer with an Internet Security series of sessions with Checkpoint Software Technologies (makers of Firewall-1), beginning with Network Firewall Security. Sign up Now! Read more at http://www.QTSnet.com/seminars.html ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE TRAINING INC. TECHNOLOGY FORUM ON THE IT STAFFING PROBLEM QTS will continue its support of Essex County College Training Inc. by serving on a panel of computer industry experts to discuss best practices in solving the industry-wide staffing shortage for IT talent. Read more at http://www.qtsnet.com/stayinformed/l3_stay_pr8.htm. ************************************************************************ PATCHES & UPGRADES ************************************************************************ Call the Customer Support Center to have us apply QTS-standard patches and keep your systems current. The following patches have been recently released and are recommended by QTS: * Novell NetWare 5 Updated Server.EXE for TimeSync Drift Issue * Novell BorderManager Proxy & ACL Update CA InoculateIT signature files are currently at version 22.11 (3/19/2001) and McAfee VirusScan/NetShield is at version 4130 (3/21/2001). Please keep your antivirus signatures current! If you do not have your system set up to automatically distribute updates from your server to your PCs, please call your QTS Account Manager or the Customer Support Center. Some patches can cause problems, especially in combination with other software programs or patch levels. Please talk to us to verify whether we see any possible problems in your environment before patching your systems independently. We make best efforts to test patch combinations but cannot guarantee compatibility between software and hardware manufacturers� products. ************************************************************************ LAN ADMINISTRATION BEST PRACTICES ********************************************************************** This month, our focus is on Power Protection. Most networks are not completely power protected, and we have expanded our product line over the years to add more and more options from APC, our preferred partner in this area, to protect your key network components. Note that with the likelihood of power shortages across the US increasing and ultimately moving to the NorthEast later this year, this is an increasingly important issue for you to consider. Here are five things you can do to improve power protection of your network! 1. Ensure UPS Monitoring is in place and working Almost every new Network Audit we perform as we bring a new client aboard indicates that the server is on an APC UPS, but the UPS monitoring cable is not connected or PowerChute is not installed or running. PowerChute links the server and the UPS, allowing for a graceful shutdown in the event of a power failure. Without it, when power fails and your battery runs out (generally 10-30 minutes depending on load) your server will crash hard, and often cause data loss and possibly server corruption. With PowerChute installed and running properly, we have had customers have their servers shut down and restart overnight when power failure occurred, and they didn�t even know it until they checked the logs. Make sure this is in place and running on your network. 2. Check your UPS once a month A UPS� battery does not last forever � typically after 3-4 years the battery will fail and need to be replaced (at which point, replacing the whole unit is often more cost-effective). However, batteries sometimes fail more often, and power problems can suddenly manifest themselves. Review your PowerChute logs once a month to check for abnormal surges and power problems, and check the lights on the front of the UPS to ensure the UPS is operating normally. A few minutes each month can save hours of down-time! 3. Ensure servers and key equipment are on dedicated circuits Not all power outlets are created equal! A standard electrical outlet is often on the same 20 amp circuit as other outlets, and depending on your office layout could be sharing power with your photocopier, desk lamps, electric pencil sharpeners, or even refrigerator! A dedicated circuit delivers 20 amps to one outlet that is clearly market, usually with an orange receptacle. Please ensure your servers and your networking equipment is on dedicated circuits. If you are not sure what will fit onto a circuit load-wise and would like our help, contact your QTS Account Manager. 4. Ensure Internetworking Equipment and communications lines are protected We often find that new clients� file servers are on battery backups (UPS), but that hubs, switches and routers are usually not protected, and this often allows electrical surges to find their way into the wiring, which can often mask a power problem and make it look like a wiring or network problem. Ensure your internetworking equipment is properly power protected! Although most servers are on some form of battery backup, it is rare that all aspects of a network are properly protected. Phone and modem lines are a common area of vulnerability � a power surge can get into these lines and attack your mission-critical equipment even though you have a UPS. We recommend using APC�s ProtectNet line of equipment to protect your modem lines and the network interfaces of your servers. The cost is low (typically less than $15 per line). 5. Measure temperature and humidity APC has a device called a Measure-UPS that slides into the expansion slot of your Smart-UPS and measures humidity and temperature in the room. It also logs temperature and humidity variances within the PowerChute logs, which is quite useful when tracing environmental problems (and if necessary, proving them to building management). For a modest investment (roughly $150 for the hardware) this is an invaluable tool. Hopefully these LAN Administration Best Practices will help you keep your network running smoothly and Worry-Free! ********************************************************************** SPECIAL OFFERS & FEATURED SOLUTIONS ************************************************************************ WEBTRENDS FIREWALL SUITE With more and more business users on the Internet, management of your Internet connection and staff productivity is a critical issue. QTS� solution is WebTrends Firewall Suite, which allows Internet access reporting on traffic through any of the QTS-supported firewall solutions (CheckPoint Firewall-1, Cisco PIX, Novell BorderManager and Microsoft Proxy Server/ISA Server). Reports are graphical and easy to interpret, and allow you to identify patterns of use and abuse of your Internet access. The software cost for this solution, which leverages your existing firewall, is $2,499 ($2,999 with annual support contract). Call your QTS Account Manager for more details. ZENWORKS 3 FOR DESKTOPS QTS is offering customers ZENworks for Desktops 3.0 licenses at upgrade pricing for a significant savings, through April 30, 2001. Normally, you must have purchased the full ZENworks package to qualify for an upgrade, but for now we can offer you upgrade pricing, and we recommend it highly. Key features include: * Windows 2000 Support (Group Policies, other advanced features) * Disk Mirroring Technology (similar to Ghost, but NDS-integrated) * Enhanced Notebook Support (ability to work offline and cache NDS application information) * Improved Remote Control for User Support ZENworks for Desktops 3.0 requires NDS, but will run in a Windows NT/2000-only environment. Call your QTS Account Manager for more details. ************************************************************************ To Comment on this newsletter, send an email to QuikNews@QTSnet.com. ********************************************************************** To Remove yourself from this mailing list please send a reply to this message with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject field. Or call or email your QTS Account Manager. ********************************************************************** To Subscribe to this Newsletter, tell your friends and colleagues to go to http://www.qtsnet.com/contact/enews.htm. ********************************************************************** To View an archive of all QTS QuikNews editions, please visit http://www.qtsnet.com/stayinformed/QuikNews/QuikNews_Index.htm. ************************************************************************ �2001 Quality Technology Solutions, Inc. This site last updated 08/31/07 � 1999 Quality Technology Solutions, Inc. 76 South Orange Avenue Suite 302, South Orange, New Jersey 07079 telephone: 973.761.5400 fax: 973.761.1881 email: info@qtsnet.com