Me: Ring! Ring! IT Department, this is Daniel. How can I help you, today?
Caller: We need you to come cover right away! The storms last night, they knocked everything out and we have orders to deliver, today!
Me: Last night’s storms disrupted power to most of the city. Are you certain that you have power to the building?
Caller: Yes, we have power to the G*& d*&^%ed building! Are you going to get over here, or not?
Me: Sure. I will be right over. I’m maybe 15 minutes away on a normal day. Given the storm last night, it may take a little longer, depending upon flooding and such.
Caller: I don’t care! Just get over here, now! My people are here and they have work to do!
So … I pack up my usual kit, a few extra pieces of hardware like power supplies and even a large battery backup pickedup the week before from an office that closed and am on the road in about 15 minutes. Another 25 minutes and I’m on site, as there were detours, because of flooding.
Upon arriving, I find the parking lot is flooded at least 4 inches deep in water. The door to enter the building is open and below the level of the parking lot. A maintenance person is there, with a portable gas powered pump trying to clear the first floor of several inches of water.
Taking the stairs I get to the office where I am needed.
Me: I was called to bring your computers back on line? Where can I find the person in charge? I ask the first person I see when entering the office.
Staffer: Tommy is in his office. Far back corner. And he is very upset. We have a big order to get out, today and there is no way it will happen, unless they can fix the power in the next hour.
Me: Thanks. I will talk with him and maybe help calm this down.
Staffer: Good luck with that.
Knock. Knock.
Tommy: Enter!
Me: Hello, Tommy. I’m Daniel. You called me to fix your computer problems.
Tommy: About time you got here! Let me show you where the servers are. I need this office back online, now, or we lose the biggest deal we have ever had. And I will NOT let a little rain ruin my company!
Me: I will do all I can, sir.
Tommy shows me to a closet that has a lot of VERY old computer equipment in it. The walls are wet, as is the floor, where the ‘newest’ server is laying on it’s side.
Tommy: That bottom server. That is the one we need running, NOW!
Me: Sir? You do realize it’s laying on it’s side, in water, right?
Tommy: That should not matter! That data is still in there, get it running!
Me: OK. And with the power out to the entire neighborhood, what can I use to power it up?
Tommy: The building has a backup power generator. It should be running!
Me: I noticed the maintenance man, on the first floor pumping out water. If the generator is in the basement, it likely is not available, either.
Tommy, struggling to remain as calm as possible: I DO NOT CARE! I did not call you to tell me what can not be done. I called you to make it work! You are here! Fix it or I swear I will …
Me: STOP! I do not take kindly to threats, so don’t make one. I will find a way to get your business back up and running, just as quickly as I can. But it will NOT be in this office. Do you have a Business Continuity Plan?
Tommy: A what?
Me: Never mind. What about backups? Do you have this server backed up, just in case?
Tommy: No. I cancelled Carbonite two months ago. It was not doing anything but costing me money. We never used it.
Me: Tommy, this is exactly why you have a backup service or solution. If that server is dead, as it looks like it very well could be, then your data may be gone.
Tommy: If you can’t fix it, just say so and leave! I will found someone who can fix it and get my company back online.
Me: Tommy, I can fix it. But to be honest with you, I think you need to find someone else to work with. I would recommend you call one of those companies in the pyramids, here in town.
Tommy: Those guys are expensive!
Me: Yes, they are. But you have painted yourself into a corner. Your office is dead. And it may not be revived. With this much water damage, it may not be worth fixing the building. Then what are you going to do?
Tommy: I want you out of here. You have done nothing to help me, so just leave. I will find someone to do this on Craiglist.