Re: Maintenance Window(s) Procedures

[David Gillett <gillettdavid () FHDA EDU>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Cal Frye [mailto:cjf () CALFRYE COM]
> Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2008 4:59 PM
> To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU
> Subject: Re: [SECURITY] Maintenance Window(s) Procedures
<snip>
> Most interesing was when our Facilities folks announced they
> would shut down power to several buildings, including our
> data center, for 12 hours last fall. They gave us less than
> two weeks notice. Once the dust cleared, that little project
> is formally scheduled for a time this summer, and we've
> piggybacked several other unrelated maintenance activities
> with major disruptive potential for the time following the
> restoration of power, turning the maintenance window into a
> "maintenance weekend." When life sends you lemons...

  We try not to schedule more than one thing that can go seriously
wrong during a single maintenance window.  If we're not fully
operational when the window closes, we want to be as sure as possible
where the problem is....

  About five years ago, we had our whole senior network staff
called out on a weekend because 90% of the network on one campus
had suddenly gone down.  We met at the center of the campus and
assigned quadrants to personnel, and rung up the campus cops to
get access, explaining that we needed to work on the network
equipment.
  "Can you do that while the campus power is shut down?" asked
the dispatcher.
  Facilities has been much better about giving us advance notice
since then.

David Gillett, CISSP
Senior Security Engineer
Foothill-De Anza College District