Microcosm of Work

One little, tiny example of work-based frustration:


There's a decision to move to newer software for a notable section of the company.
Us: Well, we have this server that now isn't getting used much. Could we put the databases there?
Software Vendor: Sure.
Time passes as things are slowly figured out and worked on...
Software Vendor: We'll need to move from the SQL 2003 setup you have to SQL 2008.
Us: Well, okay. ... Done.
More time passes as things are worked on further...
Software Vendor: Y'know, some of these processes are taking a while to run. Could you get some more RAM in there?
Us: Not sure it's a RAM issue, per se, but I suppose we can look into that. ... And to see more than the 4GB there already, we'll need to update the OS as well...
RAM and OS update are ordered.
RAM arrives and is installed.
OS license arrives and... wait... this is Windows Server 2008 Standard. The Revision 2 version sees more than 4GB, but it requires a 64-bit processor, which ours isn't. The 32-bit version still only sees 4GB. *sigh*
Windows Server 2008 Enterprise is ordered.
OS license arrives and... @#%*, upgrading would take more drive space than we have on the primary drive (probably do to RAID arrangement). A fresh install won't fit on the program-dedicated drive, but would fit on the one devoted to data. But that's not ideal and will probably require reinstalling everything on the server.
Me: *headdesk*

... If I had been the one ordering (instead of the one assigned to install), would I have noticed the issue of requirements? I want to say yes, but I'm not sure of that as it's an easy thing to overlook. But stuff like this should have been addressed way the hell back when we proposed using that hardware to begin with, not now, when we're supposed to have test databases up and running already. And I understand a desire to use existing hardware and save money, but... why do we always run into crap like this?

Comments

  1. kyn_elwynnJanuary 25, 2012 at 1:13 PM

    I think you might have answered your question. Why? Because there was oversight with not having specifications checked in advance.

    ReplyDelete

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