System Admin Service Pack

More and more companies are becoming extremely reliant on a multi-user system for management of their business information assets. These systems usually require many routine administration tasks to be carried out at different times to ensure the system reliability and efficiency. Few companies are of a certain size that they can justify the fulltime employment of a systems administrator to manage the day-to-day aspects of running their system. However, many companies cannot economically justify the significant investment required to build up and retain such technical expertise in-house, and are looking to outsource this function.

Computer Research & Technology's support staff are amongst the best in the industry, and are continually kept up to date through regular training and hands on experience. With SystemAdmin, companies can focus on their core business, secure in the knowledge that Computer Research & Technology's experts are pro-actively looking after and caring for their computer system. Customers who take up the SystemAdmin Pack enjoy this peace of mind at a fraction of the cost of maintaining such expertise in-house.

SystemAdmin involves a number of regular system checks, proactive diagnostics and routine maintenance activities designed to ensure that systems continue to operate reliably, and at their peak efficiency. Computer Research and Technology's Systems Administrators use both dial-up access and onsite visits to regularly assess the system's status. Management reports on technical issues or eminent problems are provided along with corrective recommendations so that any detrimental effects to the system are minimised.

The SystemAdmin service can be customised to meet the individual requirements of each customer and their business. Depending on the level of support you may need, your SystemAdmin services may include some or all of the following:

• System Backup and verification logs
• Process Monitoring
• System Benchmarking
• Review of system messages and log files
• System security maintenance
• Monitoring of disk space and file systems
• System integrity diagnostics and reports
• Scheduled servicing of peripheral components
• Memory usage - both physical and virtual
• Local data cabling scanning and maintenance
• Wide Area Network Checks and reporting
• Fault diagnosis and troubleshooting.
• Service review meetings with clients

The SystemAdmin service pack is comprised of three separate components that are charged individually.

1. SystemAdmin Initialisation Investment: This is a once-only fee (but would be incorporated in the installation/configuration cost) that covers the establishment of the service activities such as:

• Establish backup regime and perform full system backup
• Creation of master system rescue/repair disks
• Installation and configuration of diagnostic tools
• Supply, installation and configuration of remote access modem (telephone line, call charges and rental not included)
• Comprehensive system audit and creation of documentation and reporting files. This includes recording all system components and their corresponding serial numbers.
• Performance Benchmarking
• Familiarisation with site and key contacts

2. Monthly Service Investment: This is a fixed amount for the term of the agreement. It covers the routine administrative and management activities, which are performed at various intervals:

• Remote system monitoring: checking status of system processes, memory usage and disk space levels (fortnightly, more frequently if requested)
• Security Management: adding and deleting users, changing passwords (fortnightly, or when requested)
• Management of System and Error Logs - with the investigation of any anomalies (fortnightly)
• Execute custom diagnostics / contingency scripts (monthly)
• Network / Communications verifications (fortnightly)
• Examining and configuring anti-virus updates
• Routine Power testing of UPS status and functionality
• Management controlled system reboot
• File system check (monthly)
• Physically clean server inside and out, vacuum dust (annually)
• Physically clean and service system printer and peripheral components (annually)
• Client service review meetings (every 6 months)
• System Report (every 6 months)
• Investigate / diagnose reported problems (as required)

3. Support Contract Investment: This is a block of prepaid support/service hours, which can be used to address any problems found identified during the course of the monthly service activities, or in response to a fault or action request. This is general a 20-hour pre-paid support contract, which must be renewed when remaining credits reach 5 hours. This depletion and renewal occurs as necessary for the term of the SystemAdmin service contract. The 20-hour pre-paid support is an investment of $1870. The procedure for using these hours is as follows.

When a problem is reported or identified it is prioritised in discussions with Site contact and/or MD according to:

Priority 1. Critical:

• System Down and requires immediate attention

Priority 2. Urgent:

• Problem requiring 4 Hour response time

Priority 3. Important:

• 48 Hour response time

Priority 4. Required:

• Response within the week

The above mentioned priority system would also apply to work requests such as setting up new users, printers or installing new PCs. These types of activities are all outside the scope of the basic SystemAdmin service, and so can be covered from the credits available in the support contract.