Comments on: SA Tenets – First, Do No Harm http://www.opssa.net/2009/04/sa-tenets-first-do-no-harm/ OpsSA.net - SA wisdom and philosophy Sat, 02 Jan 2010 16:43:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: cerberus http://www.opssa.net/2009/04/sa-tenets-first-do-no-harm/comment-page-1/#comment-797 cerberus Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:32:59 +0000 http://www.opssa.net/?p=263#comment-797 Good kickoff. Two things come to mind when it comes to do no harm: 1) Document the fix! This is, IMO, more important that the original documentation that should accompany the environment in the steady state. A fix @ 3am that isn't written down, is very quickly forgotten, and may make the existing documentation wrong. Of course, if it's a simple host reboot, this may not apply. 2) Harm has been done. Own up to it! We all make mistakes (being human..ain't it great?). If the pooch is horked and you did it, own up to it, tell folks what happened, that you did it and are working on a fix, or explain what the fix is that has just been applied. If you are afraid to make a mistake, you are in the wrong profession. Making the same mistake over and over again is a different problem for a different post. Good kickoff.

Two things come to mind when it comes to do no harm:

1) Document the fix! This is, IMO, more important that the original documentation that should accompany the environment in the steady state. A fix @ 3am that isn’t written down, is very quickly forgotten, and may make the existing documentation wrong. Of course, if it’s a simple host reboot, this may not apply.

2) Harm has been done. Own up to it! We all make mistakes (being human..ain’t it great?). If the pooch is horked and you did it, own up to it, tell folks what happened, that you did it and are working on a fix, or explain what the fix is that has just been applied. If you are afraid to make a mistake, you are in the wrong profession.

Making the same mistake over and over again is a different problem for a different post.

]]> By: chet http://www.opssa.net/2009/04/sa-tenets-first-do-no-harm/comment-page-1/#comment-793 chet Thu, 23 Apr 2009 03:19:22 +0000 http://www.opssa.net/?p=263#comment-793 and this goes along with "document everything".. because when stuff is broken and you're in a panic to fix it, being able to go over previously confirmed/established steps will help to make sure you don't make a whoopsies :D then again, not everything can be documented, like in your case of dd-itis, so yeah, hehe and this goes along with “document everything”.. because when stuff is broken and you’re in a panic to fix it, being able to go over previously confirmed/established steps will help to make sure you don’t make a whoopsies :D

then again, not everything can be documented, like in your case of dd-itis, so yeah, hehe

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