Newbie to commercial: How do you organize connections?

[pl12987]

This is gonna sound real basic, coz it is....but I have worked inside one network for many years, and now for the first time am in a commercial IT solutions shop.

Suddenly, there are remote connections to multiple boxes everywhere, FTP/RDS connections to servers, backdoors here, special logins there. It is exhausting just trying to navigate from my desktop to where I want to go. I can't keep it all straight, and I am having to learn it piecemeal. All these people have everything in their heads or their own icons, and there no manual at all.

Once I figure out where I am, ie. "I am now on the client X's own box," "I am now on development server Y" etc., I'm OK. But it takes me like 3 tries to get all the steps right, and I feel like a doofus! does anyone have tips or good work habits for organizing this stuff? How do you know when you are inside or outside? Should I draw maps with Visio....put shortcuts in folders....what works best????

 

[philote]

Maybe you can make a list of each server, what it's used for, what types of connections it accepts (FTP, RDP, Telnet...), and any special logons you can or need to use on it. Maybe even create a folder on your computer for each machine you connect to. In the folder put the information I listed above, as well as any shortcuts to the server for RDP, Telnet, Network drives, etc.

In a network this complex there really should be at least some documentation. If there's not, shame on them.

 

[bi]

I agree with philote, especially about shame on them for not having in doc. So, here's a suggestion: once you get all the info down, how about making it available to everyone. And when the next new guy comes in, give the doc to that person. Maybe the others can learn by your good example.

 

[theoxyde]

Platypus II: The Network

(refer to the Platypus Database thread if you don't get it)

 

[SQLSister]

Oh I remember that thread. Perhaps this is Chimera Network.

 

[Tarwn]

I think if we're talking networking, maybe this would be a Kudzu Network (it grows unhindered in all directions) or a Theseus Network (Maze...though I don't see where the minortaur enters into it...oh well)

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