12
Jul


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Interview with Kris (Spiceworks)

Unofficial Spiceworks managed to corner Kris (Spiceworks) for long enough to ask him some questions about the Spiceworks network and himself:

image503 Interview with Kris (Spiceworks)What state was the network in when you first started?

Ha! A single flat network defined by an unmanaged managed (meaning they were not actually managing it) Layer 2 switch with a Linksys router attached to it. They had tried to get an Asterisk-based PBX system to work, but were having a lot of problems.

What’s the infrastructure like now?

I have a hierarchical network with a core/distribution layer and an access layer. I have a mix of Cisco, Dell, and HP ProCurve switches providing access, and a Cisco core. The edge network is made up of a Cisco ASA 5505 firewall and a Celestix MSA VPN appliance. Wireless is provided by Cisco 1130AG access points. We are running multiple LAN segments, divided by function. Telephony is provided by an NEC IPKII PBX/Voicemail system, which is a hybrid VoIP/TDM system. We use Active Directory for central user and object management and I connect as many of our devices as possible (Windows, Mac, and Linux) into AD.

How do you cope with having to have lots of versions of Microsoft, Linux and Mac products for developers to test the Spiceworks Scanner with?

It can be complex. Many of our users prefer to use Mac, so we have integrated them pretty well. We have MSDN developer licenses, so we have access to MSDN versions of Microsoft products. Most of our test servers and workstations are run in a virtual environment hosted by VMWare ESXi. As far as Linux/UNIX goes, I am a real Linux geek, so I enjoy being able to play with different versions. We have Fedora, CentOS, Ubuntu, OpenSolaris, and even a FreeBSD (I think) in our environment.

image506 Interview with Kris (Spiceworks) We all have a server go down and ruin your day, what’s been your worst outage?

Probably the one on Saturday. That was the first time we actually had anything in production fall down hard and not automatically come back up. At my prior gig, I had a really bad Sunday where the building suffered a major water leak which drained into the central telecom room, destroying all of the edge routers and telecom equipment.

If there was one thing that would make your day easier what would it be?

Honestly? To have me-clones. Although I think (and others may agree) that one of me is enough for the world.

If you weren’t in IT, what would you be doing and why?

Well, I originally started out wanting to be a helicopter pilot in the Army. However, I found out that I get terribly airsick in those vibrating death machines, so I ditched that pretty quick. Ever since, I have really only worked with computers (and really, since I was 8 and my parents got a TI 994/A, computers is all I have been about). So, I am not sure. However, if Iron Maiden needs another guitarist, I am available.

When you’re not keeping the peppers alive, what do you do with your free time?

I have two kids and am in IT. I have no free time. However, I do find time to play my various guitars.

And of course the all important question, how do you like your bacon?

And now for the most unpopular reply in the history of the Spiceworks Community….. I don’t really like bacon. Too salty and crispy.

Hopefully over the next few months we will be able to corner some more Spiceworks staff and ask them similar questions.

This entry was written by akp982 and posted on 12/07/2010 at 8:37 pm and filed under Spiceworks Employee Interviews.
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