Vicissitudes

Popularity: 1% [?]

Todd M. Paterek – To view my resume please click here.
E-mail: todd@paterek.net

Networking Profile

Information Technology Manager with 15 years of successful experience building, supporting and improving multisite networks, telecommunications, and office systems. Results-orientated project manager that aligns technology to strategic objectives.  Using concepts in the ITIL and Poka Yoke models I have consistently improved processes & implemented targeted technology that increased user productivity while keeping costs down.

Technical Expertise

• IT Infrastructure Planning & Development
• Network Security Best Practices
• Virtualization: Xen, Windows, VMWare
• Microsoft, Linux & Mac Server & Desktop OS
• TCP/IP / LAN / WAN / VPN / DHCP / DNS
• Multi-site Configuration/Administration
• Microsoft IIS, ISA, and WSUS
• Microsoft SQL & Exchange Server
• Risk/Disaster Avoidance & Recovery
• Windows Mobile / Blackberry / iPhone
• Microsoft Active Directory
• VoIP/PBX Phone Systems and Wiring

Management Expertise

• Team Builder & Effective Leader
• Information Technology Infrastructure Library
• Risk/Disaster Analysis & Avoidance
• Strategic Planning of critical systems
• Flexible to Work in Any Industry
• Continual Improvement & Change Management
• Budgeting, ROI & TOC
• Network Security Best Practices
• Innovative, Analytical, & Problem Solving
• Creates Technology Vision

Career Highlights

• Working as the Project Lead for the Wilson Farms divestiture with a team of 10 professionals I successfully united all resources for a zero fault go-live date.  Performed extensive research, and planning to successfully align technology to “hand off” all business functions from Tops headquarters to the new Wilson Farms headquarters.  Developed business relationships with several technology vendors ensuring the right services and hardware were implemented.
• As the Lead Technology Consultant for the Wilson Farms divestiture I successfully built a Microsoft Windows AD Network supporting 200 + Stores and over 3000 employees.  Implemented all necessary services through internal support and external vendor integration.
• Serving as the IT Manager at TVGA Consultants I planned, coordinated, directed and designed all IT related tasks, projects, and daily IT activities. Installed, monitored, maintained, supported, and optimized all network hardware, software, and communication for HQ and branch locations. Maintained a technology budget, ensuring spending supported the business goals of the company.

Targeted Positions

• Director of Information Technology
• Information Technology Manager
• Project Manager
• IT / Technical Business Analyst

Popularity: 5% [?]

Popularity: 1% [?]

At 1:00pm EST Apple and AT&T released the carrier software necessary for all AT&T iPhones to finally send and receive MMS messages.  I just updated my iPhone, rebooted and sent my first iPhone MMS photo.  It was a photo of me to my brother.  Rather uneventful but It looks like it worked!

To update make sure your iPhone is plugged into your computer then go to:

iTunes / your iPhone.
Click the ‘Check for Update’ button.
Let it download for about two second and sync to your phone.
Be sure to power off your iPhone by holding down the top button.  Then turn it back on the same way.

When you go into Messages and either create a new message or click on an existing conversation you will see a camera on the bottom left.  Click that and enjoy!  I am sure many will be upgrading their text messaging plans to unlimited soon.

Let’s see how long it will take to stress AT&T’s network.

Popularity: 10% [?]

I mentioned before about the WordPress Mobile Pack Plugin by assembla, since then I found a new mobile plug-in that for my use is better.  Since I have an iPhone and the growing popularity of the iPhone I decided to install the WPtouch Mobile Plug-in by Brave New Code instead.  Fast and clean this mobile plug-in makes your WordPress Blog look like an iPhone App.  The mobile theme is viewable by any mobile device so those who do not have an iPhone can still enjoy the view.

Popularity: 10% [?]

I found a very interesting plug-in for WordPress today called WordPress Mobile Pack by assembla.  It automatically adjusts your WordPress site to look great on any web enabled smart phone.  I have an iPhone and even though the normal site looks great, this is far more efficient, quicker, and streamlined when viewing.  You can see from the screenshot I took how nice it really is.  The sidebar to the right is moved to the bottom and some widget are eliminated for space and speed (allowed up to 5 widget – I suggest keeping it basic).  I noticed that when viewing a post with many NextGen Gallery by Alex Rabe, photos it sorts them vertically.  I need to modify my posts to not have so many photos.  Other than that small adjustment (which I wanted to do anyway) I see no issues.

You can also login to the admin area and make a new post, edit posts, comments, and adjust setting of your blog.  By far one of the most useful plug-ins I am using.

<edit> I found one major issue.  When using Yet Another PhotoBlog plugin the layout is rearranged where the photo goes after all of the text.  I have not yet dug into the code so I am not sure where the issue lies.  So for now I deactivated YAPB and inserted the photos the old way.

<edit again> Funny thing is; my other blogs with the same plugins do not have this issue.  Maybe I should try a fresh install of Wordpress and start over, some other funny things are happening.

<final edit> It was something with the install of WordPress.  I created a new folder on the server, uploaded all the files.  Connected / replaced the new wp-conf.php with the old one and everything worked.  I then uploaded all the plug-ins again and activated them (checking the site after each activation).  I then activated the mobile pack, tested perfectly on both iPhone and computer.

Popularity: 10% [?]

I found this network utility that has become a daily tool for me at work. It is a free download at www.spiceworks.com.

“You want a network you can manage, not a network that manages you! You wish you could have it… without spending a fortune. Your wish is granted.”

The features include:

PC, Printer, router, switch, software and more discovery and inventory – It even tells you when one of your printers will need ink soon.
IT asset reporting
Network Monitoring and troubleshooting
IT help desk – with email integration, ticket submission, tech responsibility

It also offers a community of 250,000 users to help with your daily issues in any IT related subject. There is advertizing but it is in the form of reviews, comments, and each ad I saw I was interested in to some degree.

I installed this on my server and ran it as a service. Setup took maybe five minutes, my network discovery took about one hour. I know when a toner is about to run dry, I know when hard drives are running out of space, it even integrates your remote access. I setup the help desk but just to see what it can do and it is just as good as anything I used back in my early days of tech support.

Popularity: 1% [?]

I haven’t thought of my early days in Tech Support running Netscape because it was so much better than IE at the time (Way back in 1995 ish).  Over the years I switched to IE only because I didn’t really care about what browser I used, as long as I could get the information I needed.  Recently I switched to firefox it just feels better.  Yet it still doesn’t support all the function on many of the sites I visit (Microsoft.com and my Company’s Exchange Web Mail), I will still load IE for them.

Anyway enough nostalgia.  Soon anyone left using the Netscape browser will have to make a decision to switch because as of February  1, 2008 there will be no more updates and the current version will no longer be supported.  The main reasons stated are; the lack of resources available for the application and an inability to regain any of the desktop IE has taken over.  Read the full blog entry on Netscape’s blog here: http://blog.netscape.com/2007/12/28/end-of-support-for-netscape-web-browsers/

I cannot say I am disappointed or upset.  I haven’t seen or heard of Netscape since the mid 90’s when grunge was taking over and Slick Willy saxed up the world.  And it doesn’t bother me that IE just chewed up another competitor.  The web will go on.

This might be a grand opportunity to switch to Firefox! And if you must, you can get the Netscape theme.

Popularity: 1% [?]

With my frustrations of Vista getting the best of me and my curiosity of Mac OS X I decided to do the logic thing, install Linux. First step was to use VMware just to make sure it is what I am looking for in an OS, plus this way I can test out several different flavors without slowing down my work (outside of the time I spend configuring and playing).

The install of FreeSpire just completed and I am now logged into my desktop.

I’ve been playing for about 15 minutes now. Setup my email to my exchange server, tried a widget, connected to the network and a bunch of other random things to waste my time. I like what I see so far. I want an OS that will include as much of what I need without having to run a VM for XP too often. I have a few programs I need to run that I know do not support anything but XP. Time to play some more.

Not a huge deal but I like this, check out this Screen shot. That’s Terminal Services, running in Freespire, running on Vista.

Popularity: 1% [?]

I just started upgrading my Exchange 2007 server to service pack 1. A use copied the contents of her inbox to the public folders. When she couldn’t delete them she asked if I could for her. When I tried (with all admin accounts) I was denied access. Before you being to blame me, I only recently took over this position. I think the only user who had permissions was the guy I replaced, and his account was deleted before I started. So I tried assigning permission using the shell commands (I forgot what they are) with no luck. I am hoping the new tools will help me assign the proper permissions. Oh, the reason it is a big deal that I get permission (aside from the normal reasons) is that the use happens to be our Director of Finance, so you can imagine the emails she copied. I immediately took the store offline.

First attempt at the upgrade was a small bump. The server did not have at least .Net framework 2.0 sp1 installed. So I did some windows updates and I am ready to try again with .Net 3.0 sp1. Here we go… Oh yeah, gotta shutdown Backup Exec service.

Organization Prerequisites – Check
Hub Transport Role Prerequisites – Check
Client Access Role Prerequisites – Check
Mailbox Role Prerequisites – Check

Upgrade button clicked. Now I will take a quick coffee break and watch the status.

The upgrade is more of a full install going through all the same processes. It just “removed Exchange Files”, I hope I don’t have to restore everyone’s mailboxes…  So far everything has been painless to me.  It is in the finishing up stage right now.  I am a little afraid to look but even if I have a long night ahead of me, I’m good with it.  I LOVE Coffee!

All tasks are complete, now to click finish.

I figured some bells and whistles after clicking finish.  Just dumps you out to windows.  Well, either way the update worked.  Outlook Web Access now has public folders and I can see all the sensative email still there.  I will not investigate the new tools to hopefully give myself some permissions.

After all this babble, if you happen to be reading this and need to update your Exchange 2007 server to SP 1, go ahead it’s painless – even when it is removing files.  Remember to turn off your Backup Exec Remote agent service and be sure to be at .Net 2.0 sp1.  In another post I will let you know how the new tools are and if I was successful in removing the emails.

Popularity: 1% [?]