Just got a directive from an outside “efficiency auditor” demanding
information on our environment (number of physical and virtual servers,
purpose, average CPU load on each, etc) – to be provided by the close
of business today. Because nothing improves efficiency like having to
drop what we’re doing to provide information to an outside party who
knows nothing of what we do or why.
Doug:
My empathies. If you need to go into the bathroom or a closet and
scream at the top of your lungs, it’s understandable. 
–
Susan
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Susan,
It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t strongly suspect that the request was
actually made days or weeks ago and sat on some middle manager’s desk
until today.
and sat on some middle manager’s desk until today
That wouldn’t surprise me in the least. Calling in efficiency experts
is the last resort of management that doesn’t know what it’s doing, and
can’t figure out why it isn’t doing it better. 
–
Susan
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I’d reply with “Your request has been placed in the priority queue.
Given the late hour of the request, we can’t give any guarantees of
meeting the deadline requested do to other high priority tasks in
progress”. Then I’d go back to playing solitare and send them the
requested data tomorrow.
–
Kim - 10/17/2013 10:42:40 AM
Susan,
[color=blue]
That wouldn’t surprise me in the least. Calling in efficiency experts
is the last resort of management that doesn’t know what it’s doing, and
can’t figure out why it isn’t doing it better.
[/color]
They’re pretty clueless, all right. They appear to believe that poor
morale can be resolved by micromanagement.
Douglas Black sounds like they ‘said’:
[color=blue]
They’re pretty clueless, all right. They appear to believe that poor
morale can be resolved by micromanagement.[/color]
So my response to Douglas’s comment is…
Wait…it can’t? Well there goes everything I’ve been
told/micromanaged by bosses previous…
–
Stevo
Micromanagement is another resort of the poor manager. Sigh. I feel for
you, Doug! : )
–
Susan
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On 17/10/2013 16:28, Douglas Black wrote:[color=blue]
Just got a directive from an outside “efficiency auditor” demanding
information on our environment (number of physical and virtual servers,
purpose, average CPU load on each, etc) – to be provided by the close
of business today. Because nothing improves efficiency like having to
drop what we’re doing to provide information to an outside party who
knows nothing of what we do or why.[/color]
“We do not currently record average CPU load; While we can of course do
so, it will take us a few weeks to gain an accurate baseline, in the
meantime, please supply written, signed confirmation from senior
management here that you are to be given what is clearly confidential
internal systems information.”
On 18/10/2013 09:23, Dave Howe wrote:[color=blue]
“We do not currently record average CPU load; While we can of course do
so, it will take us a few weeks to gain an accurate baseline, in the
meantime, please supply written, signed confirmation from senior
management here that you are to be given what is clearly confidential
internal systems information.”[/color]
Oh, and on that note, make sure it really is a company initiative. The
other options are some auditor for a customer looking for info, or even
a sales droid from a “server consolidation” company looking for info to
make a pitch…
Susan,
[color=blue]
Micromanagement is another resort of the poor manager. Sigh. I feel for
you, Doug! : )
[/color]
Oh well, at least I can laugh about it.
Dave Howe,[color=blue]
“We do not currently record average CPU load; While we can of course do
so, it will take us a few weeks to gain an accurate baseline, in the
meantime, please supply written, signed confirmation from senior
management here that you are to be given what is clearly confidential
internal systems information.”
[/color]
That’s a great idea, and I would definitely do it if I already had
another job lined up.
On 18/10/2013 13:31, Douglas Black wrote:[color=blue]
Dave Howe,[color=green]
“We do not currently record average CPU load; While we can of course do
so, it will take us a few weeks to gain an accurate baseline, in the
meantime, please supply written, signed confirmation from senior
management here that you are to be given what is clearly confidential
internal systems information.”
[/color]That’s a great idea, and I would definitely do it if I already had
another job lined up. :)[/color]
Heh, yeah. There are a fair few responses I have swallowed over the
years that would have been career-terminating
but stating that less than 24 hours is insufficient to generate
statistically meaningful data is fair enough, and you can offer them a
“rough” estimate, on the understanding that it will be corrected later
when you get a more accurate number - they give them whatever number is
least helpful for their planned “advice” (anything above 70% utilization
is a really bad candidate for virtualization, for example, but is fine
for something like a blade server)