1.12. What Tools Should Every SA Team Member Have?

• A laptop with network diagnostic tools, such as network sniffer, DHCP client in verbose mode, encrypted TELNET/SSH client, TFTP server, and so on, as well as both wired and wireless Ethernet.

• Terminal emulator software and a serial cable. The laptop can be an emergency serial console if the console server dies or the data center console breaks or a rogue server outside the data center needs console access.

• A spare PC or server for experimenting with new configurations—Section 19.2.1.

• A portable label printer—Section 6.1.12.

• A PDA or nonelectronic organizer—Section 32.1.2.

• A set of screwdrivers in all the sizes computers use.

• A cable tester.

• A pair of splicing scissors.

• Access to patch cables of various lengths. Include one or two 100-foot (30-meter) cables. These come in handy in the strangest emergencies.

• A small digital camera. (Sending a snapshot to technical support can be useful for deciphering strange console messages, identifying model numbers, and proving damage.)

• A portable (USB)/firewire hard drive.

• Radios or walkie-talkies for communicating inside the building—Chapter 6 and Section 20.1.7.3.

• A cabinet stocked with tools and spare parts—Section 6.1.12.

• High-speed connectivity to team members’ home and the necessary tools for telecommuting.

• A library of the standard reference books for the technologies the team members are involved in—Sections 33.1.1, 34.1.7, and bibliography.

• Membership to professional societies such as USENIX and LOPSA—Section 32.1.4.

• A variety of headache medicines. It’s really difficult to solve big problems when you have a headache.

• Printed, framed, copies of the SA Code of Ethics—Section 12.1.2.

• Shelf-stable emergency-only snacky bits.

• A copy of this book!