So for 2 1/2 days some of your office work ground to a halt.
I hope this was not time critical information as time is money in the
business world.
You should at least have a fall back server (second server).
Version management (VM) software would take care of identifying each update
to a file
when it is sent back (checked in) to the server.
Each VM software has it's own capabilities, some have the ability to send
email, other VM products will show the current status (who's using the
file), some VM packages have that and a lot more.
Don't know what it is about your IT department, they seem to be unresponsive
to your needs, could be a funding ($$$) issue or could be a poor attitude on
their part.
Now is that time of the year when planning for capital expenditures for the
next year are identified (wish list) and funds are either approved or
denied. Make your need known to management, identify the loss in
productivity in $$$ and any side effects as management thinks in term of
money coming into the business and money flowing out the door. In short you
need to come up with a good plan, identify to management their ROI (Return
On Investment) and the repercussions you and they face every time the server
goes down.
JS
http://www.pagestart.com
Hi, JS. I appreciate your help. I answered in-line below.
1) Management has decided we need to keep all our files on the server.
Not a problem - except when the server is "unavailable" and we can't
do anything!
a) How often is the server down?
Honestly, not all that often. But when it goes, it takes almost all
of our working files.
b) Is it down for maintenance or because a failure? Failure.
c) How long is typically down for, minutes, hours, all day? This time was 2 1/2 days.
2) Is "Offline Files" the best option for making Word and Excel files
available for editing when the server goes out so they can be updated
when it comes back? What happens to the stability of the file if more
than one user makes edits to the copy on their machine?
a) Is it common for more than one user to be making changes at the same
time?
Some of the files are Excel spreadsheets we use to track the progress
of an item. If several people are on the same item, it's not
unthinkable that two people would both want to indicate their progress
on a local copy of an offline file. It seemed like an issue that
needed to be brought up in case there would be problems, or to find
out there would likely be no problems.
b) If it is a common practice to do so, haven't you had problems with
inconsistencies.
No, because it's the same file, and Excel simply says the file is open
by another user and is locked for editing.
c) If more than one use makes changes to the file
(assuming they both started out with the same/identical file when they
started)
then yes you are going to have more than variation of the files and
keeping
track of who has what and where any copies of those files where sent to.
And that's what I needed to know to factor into this whole mess.
d) When the server does come back online someone has to figure how to
"merge" what was added to you have one file that contains all the changes.
If three different users, not located in the same building, change the
same file without knowing the other has made any changes, will there
be some sort of message to one or all three that the file has multiple
versions trying to update and synchronize? Would that depend on who
got back onto the server first to synchronize?
As far as the SCM/Version management software I mentioned, this would
reside
on the server and it would allow for multiple copies to be worked on and
then "merged" once the server comes back on line.
Sorry - no new software allowed here, either on the servers or the
local machines. Coroporate rules, and local people can not get around
them even for good ideas!
Ed
