Vacation Support
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This is one of those things I keep saying "I will get back to..." but I'm genuinely curious as to how other companies do it. Right now I am basically a one man shop, I do have a webdev/tier 1 person that helps out but anything higher then restarting a computer or resetting a password is probably not going to be handled. I'm looking at my schedule for this year and I see at least two "vacations" where I probably won't have cell service, maybe a third if my Finance's hinting is any indication. I don't want my company to be left high and dry... but I also want to be able to ignore my email for a couple of days and enjoy the vacation (or my wedding as is the case this year).
What do the other people here do for these occasions?
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I would like to have a vacation like that.
Sadly like you, I am a one person shop.. so it's unlikely that it happens. Even on the observed holidays I'm generally working - checking on things and following up. In some cases (like the next two weeks) it's be perfect time to catch up on things as fewer people are here to stop you in the hallway.
I think this is a case where a MSP is helpful, but if it isn't resolvable by phone, it'll just have to wait.
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Three letters...MSP.
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Vacation / Holiday support is something we do a lot of at NTG. MSPs are perfect for that.
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We do this all the time! Especially this time of year. Let me know if you want some help (and I know we are already in your system ).
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I have a local vendor back me up for things like this. I've been doing it for 6 years, worked fine so far.
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It's one thing to sign up for support from a MSP while you are away, but it is another entirely to have that go well. If your documentation is lacking it may be difficult for the MSP to be effective in helping. As long as things are in order so that access levels to the right things are handed out and some documentation of your environment is in place, it can work. If not, they will be hard pressed to be effective in covering you.
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@NetworkNerd is correct. To help with this somewhat (can't fully help bad documentation), we require a couple hours of discovery, work with you go through recent tickets etc. so we have a little bit of an idea.
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@NetworkNerd said:
It's one thing to sign up for support from a MSP while you are away, but it is another entirely to have that go well. If your documentation is lacking it may be difficult for the MSP to be effective in helping. As long as things are in order so that access levels to the right things are handed out and some documentation of your environment is in place, it can work. If not, they will be hard pressed to be effective in covering you.
This is true. Make sure if you use an MSP they have at least some idea of what their dealing with. They need to be just as prepared as you, lest you start receiving non-stop calls from both your MSP AND your employer, one asking where this is or how to get to that, and the other just plain freaking out.
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Knowing that an MSP might be working on your stuff whilst you're on holiday provides a good incentive to get your house in order and properly documented. It is for me, anyway.
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@Carnival-Boy said:
Knowing that an MSP might be working on your stuff whilst you're on holiday provides a good incentive to get your house in order and properly documented. It is for me, anyway.
Good way to look at it. Regular (even if only annual) documentation review for handover is a good self audit to do.
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Six year old daughter just fell off of a high chair and face planted onto hard tile. She has an adult tooth out of place and a bit of blood. @dominica is rushing her to an emergency dentist. She is in serious pain. Going to be a rough day.
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Ouch. Both my kids broke their front teeth after falls onto tiles - though they broke their baby teeth. It's horrible. I hope she's ok.
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Yikes @scottalanmiller, sorry to hear that! I hope it's not too serious and she feels better soon!
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Thanks, does not LOOK like her teeth are broken. But she says that it is out of place
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@scottalanmiller said:
Thanks, does not LOOK like her teeth are broken. But she says that it is out of place
Oh dear...
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They had to shave down one tooth so that she can close her mouth, but the dentist thinks that her adult teeth are going to be okay.