Chapter 9
Users
This chapter is devoted to the treatment given and received by
users--how administrators treat users and how users treat administrators. Every
administrator's user environment is unique, but over time you will find
that no matter what the user environment is like, users are the same in all
of them. In almost all environments, administrators are considered overhead,
meaning that if there are no computers or no users to support, administrators
are no longer needed or can be outsourced. We exist because they exist.
Users come in all shapes, sizes, attitudes, and personalities.
Some will be your best friends and others will learn to hate you. Sometimes
all it takes is one little slip-up on your part as an administrator. You will
not be able to make everyone happy all the time. If you can provide users with
a level of support that will allow them to function, perform their daily work,
and fulfill their responsibilities, you might gain their respect when it comes
to support.
There are two main goals to UNIX system administration. The first
is keep the system up and running. The second is keep the user happy. The best
way to keep a user happy is to make sure the system stays up and running. Users
are customers, and administrators have to follow that age-old adage, "The
customer is always right."
There often is a third goal, and that is to keep the user away
from management: your management to be exact. This may work closely with the
second goal mentioned above--keeping the user happy. Management deals with politics
within the organization and managers don't have time to deal with a user
griping and whining over something you did or didn't do. Always attempt
to work directly with users and don't give them the feeling you're
working against them. There are many instances where working with the user's
manager can go a long way toward keeping you in the user's good graces.
If the manager is on your side, then users can fight it out with their manager
and not you. When users don't get their way, the manager looks like the
bad guy, not you.
The bottom line is that you must have patience. You can scream,
yell, shout, and call users all the names you want; just hang up the phone or
leave the room first. You must expect that they will frustrate you from time
to time. They can also make you laugh with the unintentional and sometimes bizarre
things they do with a computer. Remember too that for some administrators, taking
care of users means getting taken care of themselves. Be nice to them and they
will be nice to you.
9.1 Six Types of Users
I have had the opportunity to work in various environments and
have been able to identify six types of users. Although there may be more types
working in UNIX, the following are those that I feel most every UNIX administrator
will end up working with regularly. There are things you have to watch for in
each type of user: what they do when something breaks, how they deal with outages,
when they need a favor, and how they will make you feel. You should be able
to identify some of these types and recognize which users you will enjoy working
with, which you'll be sorry to see go, and those for whom you will be counting
the days until they leave the company.
These six include the following types of users:
Every environment is unique. Some administrators follow strict
textbook administration methods and are able to force users to stay away from
system-level commands. Users only use the system and nothing more. There
is a but to this. You may find yourself in a position where there never
was an administrator and users administrated their own system and have always
had root access. There are other instances, as with programmers and engineers,
who can only perform their job function by having root access to write code
that deals with sockets, permissions, system tuning, and, unfortunately, possibly
kernel-level programming.
After users have had the power, getting them to give up their
power is difficult. They are usually able to get their management on their side.
Some users are extremely dangerous with root privileges, whereas others will
not abuse it.
You may be able to convince the user and
management that you can provide the user with specific root-level commands with
a piece of public domain software that will allow this functionality. There
are different types of programs that perform this functionality, so check out
your favorite software depot on the Internet. The most popular version is called
sudo and can be found at ftp://ftp.cs.colorado.edu/pub/sudo.
Included in the following descriptions of the six types of users
are my recommendations about who should get root privileges and who you should
fight to keep away from the root.
9.1.1 The Apologetic User
Who they are: The
apologetic user will apologize for almost anything that takes place on or to
the system. They tend to be not-so computer literate when it comes to UNIX and
are often intimidated by the operating system. The apologetic user will typically
just want to log in, do their job, and log out. They don't want to know
anything more or less about the system than necessary. Their main concern is
using the application loaded on the system to perform their job function.
Root privileges: No.
An apologetic user should never be in possession of root privileges. They will
not know when and where root privileges should be applied. Some will not understand
the concept and can be extremely dangerous with it. If they were granted access
to the root and they understood the abilities that they had, in most cases,
they would not want the power for fear of breaking something.
When something breaks : Whenever an apologetic user has
a problem with their account or workstation, the phone call usually begins with,
"I'm sorry to trouble you. I think I did something wrong." Even
if you, as the administrator, were in the system through the network making
changes to it. When there is a problem that cannot be fixed, they will be open
to using a workaround, until the problem is resolved. They usually feel really
bad about not being able to do their work on the computer when something goes
wrong and feel terrible for having to take up your time to fix the problem.
They often feel this way even after you admit that it was your fault.
Notification of an outage: When an apologetic user is notified
of changes that need to be made to the system, the first response is usually,
"I'm sorry, was it something I did?" or "Oh my gosh, did
I do something? I'm sorry!" They have to be reassured that the change
is needed as a necessary step in preventative maintenance on the system. Then
sometimes they will believe you when you tell them they did not cause the problem.
Needing a favor: They do not ask for a lot of favors,
but when they do, a favor to an apologetic user is simple, such as helping them
change their password, or showing them how to resize the font in a window. When
they ask you for a favor, you will feel guilty when you don't have the
time to do some simple tasks for them, or you will want to go out of your way
to help them. If you cannot do the favor that second, ask them if you can be
back at a specific time. Don't ask them if you can just come back later.
They will think you are brushing them off and are never coming back.
How they will make you feel: These users come close to
the being the perfect users. The only problem is they make you feel guilty when
something goes wrong. Their simple problems that we take for granted help lighten
the day or put a smile on your face. They see you as the ultimate GURU and the
only one who can fix the problem. After they latch onto you, they will want
only your help. They trust and respect what you say. The apologetic user is
one you won't want to see leave the company. They often rank high as being
a favorite user.
9.1.2 The Not Acceptable User
Who they are: If
users have been with the company you are working at longer than you have, they
can sometimes take on a unique personality. These are users that do not, under
any circumstance, enjoy change. They are not open to new ideas or techniques
that may affect their accounts, systems, work environment, or the way they function
in their job. If anything differs from what they are used to, it is simply "Not
Acceptable" and must be fixed, put back the way it was, or done in a manner
that meets with the users approval. In many cases, these users are intelligent
and work with computers regularly. They may try to convince you that their way
is the right way and your way is not acceptable.
Root privileges: No.
As much as you try or fight they will find a way to justify having root privileges.
When they do have root access they will occasionally abuse it. In most cases
they will use the privilege for simple tasks, but given the chance they will
use it for software installs or system changes when you are not around or not
looking. When the procedure they are trying to accomplish fails or doesn't
work the way they had anticipated, it is only then that they will contact you.
After you have looked over what they attempted and informed them that they might
not be able to achieve what they want without changes to the current configuration
of the system or the environment, expect them to say that it is just not acceptable.
When something breaks: If something breaks, and you cannot
fix it exactly the way it was, you can expect to hear the user say, "That's
not acceptable." The words may be a little different, but the meaning is
the same. The users will rarely have a technical reason why they cannot change;
they just want everything to stay the same--always. You must make every possible
attempt to work one-on-one with these users to resolve any open issues. The
chance that they will contact management is greatly increased when problems
are not resolved to their satisfaction. As much as I hate to say this, sometimes
you have to give in to their expectations and demands.
Notification of an outage: These are often the users that
will not allow the systems to be taken offline, or they will want lengthy technical
reasons to justify the outage. They can usually find the littlest and most irrelevant
issue to justify the outage not taking place, and debate you on the issue. In
such instances, you have to work with the user and reach a compromise so everyone
is satisfied.
Needing a favor: You probably will not want to go out
of your way to help these users. Many times you will help them so they will
leave you alone. You will find that when these users need a favor, they will
usually turn what should be a question asked in a polite manner, into a demanding
statement, such as "I need a favor from you. I know that you have a spare
drive and I need to borrow it." When these users need a favor, you are
in control and have the ability to do one of two things. You can refuse everything
they ask for because there are never enough UNIX resources to go around and
you cannot spare anything, or you can help them out because the administrator
in you is saying that the customer needs help. If you do, however, try to use
it to your future advantage. You already know that such users will be difficult
in the future. If you can remind them that you were considerate enough to help
them, they might feel that they owe you a favor in the future. A favor might
be enough to gain their approval for things you may need, like rebooting the
system, updating patches, or loading a new version of the operating system.
How they will make you feel: The user who believes that
every little thing you do is not acceptable will leave you frustrated and sometimes
questioning your abilities as a UNIX administrator. It doesn't matter whether
you are junior-level administrator or a senior-level administrator. You shouldn't
believe any of this. You will be supporting so many other users that will be
looking up to you for your support and knowledge in UNIX administration. When
you get the word that this user is leaving the company you will likely be happy
and grateful that someone up above was listening and answered your prayers.
9.1.3 The Nothing Works User
Who they are: These
users believe that nothing ever works in their favor--or at all. Whether it
is an email or a voice message, they say the same thing, "I need your help,
nothing works here. Thanks, goodbye." They often are not to technologically
advanced, but ask a lot of questions about why things went wrong. It almost
seems like they are testing you to see whether you are lying to them. All they
want is for things to work the same way all the time. If something is not working
the same way, the message is always, "Nothing Works."
Root privileges: No. The
only benefit to giving these users root access is that they will reboot the
system gracefully rather than hit the power switch if there is a problem. These
users are dangerous. They must be kept away from the system commands and the
operating system level as much as possible. Try to convey to them that you are
there for them and want to make things work for them. They should not be concerned
with the technical side of the system or the operating system.
When something breaks: As soon as something on the system
breaks, freezes, or crashes, their first reaction is that a reboot will cure
it. And they will find the button to reboot or power cycle the system. After
the second reboot, they will make the phone call. You can ask as many questions
as you want over the phone but it will be difficult to get a reasonable answer
out of the user. In the eyes of this type of user, all they see is that the
system isn't working the way they are used to seeing it work and you have
to be there to fix the problem. It isn't that it isn't acceptable.
They just want their system to work as it did before the problems began. If
there are changes to the environment that force a workaround, they are typically
understanding because they know that you will get the system back the way it
was.
Notification of an outage: You
will find that these users are pretty lenient towards outages. The only problem
with these users is that they constantly want to know how long the outage will
take. If they see you during the outage they will repeatedly ask, "How
much longer?" They can't cope with the fact that nothing is working
during the outage and that they cannot work.
Needing a favor: The favors these users ask are typically
for faster systems, faster networks, faster throughput because nothing works
well enough for them to do their job successfully. They want to hear that you
will give them what you don't have or doesn't exist in the environment.
All you can do is let them know that when something will work better, it will
be made available to them. If you have the authority to make purchasing recommendations,
you can tell these users that you can recommend a better system to their management.
Although your recommendation might not come about, it may be enough to keep
them off the subject. The odds are against the user ever getting anything, but
you can at least say you tried and it's out of your hands.
How they will make you feel: These are the users similar
to that annoying little fly that just won't go away. The whining that relates
to nothing working will eventually get to you, but try not to let it. You will
regret picking up the phone every time you discover it is this type of user
on the other end. In almost all cases, you will try to get to the point on the
phone without having to go see the user. Most of all, you will be glad when
you are off the phone and the problem is fixed. They are usually skeptical of
your actions and you will find yourself explaining a lot of what you are doing
to fix their problems. When it is time for this type of user to leave the company,
you will not dance for joy, but you sigh with relief when they are gone.
9.1.4 The Beta User
Who they are: The
beta users are usually programmers, engineers, and technologically advanced
people who enjoy computers. They like being the first to have everything, be
tested on, and test new software and hardware. They are eager to have the latest
versions of the operating system and the latest beta version of software loaded
and working as soon as possible. They like to load software without informing
the rest of the environment and sometimes break things unintentionally. They
are generally familiar with the programming level, not system administration.
They don't mean to cause any harm, but they will find ways to work around
the system when you are not available to support them. You have to keep your
eyes on these users because you may find tools and applications mysteriously
appearing on the system sometimes.
Root privileges: Yes. A
beta user has just enough knowledge of UNIX to be dangerous. Typically they
know when they are over-stepping their boundaries, but will occasionally try
to see how far they can go without you saying anything. As much as they may
try to deny it with a smile, they know what they are doing. They just get impatient
sometimes and don't ask you to take care of simple tasks they know they
can try and do.
When something breaks: Depending on the nature of the problems,
beta users will make an initial attempt to solve the problem. They might reboot
the system without knowing what the consequences are. When you are finally contacted,
they will explain the various things they tried to do and provide more detail
than most other types of users. If there is a problem with the system, they
are one of the only types of users that will really understand what is involved
in the troubleshooting process and working with vendors. You have to be careful
when working on their systems though; the beta users tend to make changes to
their machines and run software without your knowledge. Your changes might disrupt
or break something critical to these users. If something looks unique to that
system and you have had no experience with it, contact the users before you
do anything drastic.
Notification of an outage: The beta users are pretty good
about getting kicked off, taking down, or rebooting their system. Because these
users often play with new software and sometimes other various nonwork related
toys, they make up the lost time in the late hours of the night or on the weekends.
Taking the system down doesn't bother them. In some cases, it will allow
them to use the time to play with something else that interests them. They are
really good to work with during outages and will make every attempt to work
with you rather than against you. These users often load freeware and public
domain software, applications that only they are aware of that will affect the
system. Work with them, and ask them what repercussions will result from your
work on the system, even if it is a reboot.
Needing a favor: When one of these users asks for a favor,
you generally don't mind and will find a way to make it happen. These users
will often take care of recompiling public domain software updates and simple
routines such as changing the permissions or ownership for another user. These
are tasks that are your responsibility even though you know that there is no
harm in these users executing these processes that are generally shared by everyone.
How they will make you feel: Many
administrators swear that they will want nothing to do with any users outside
their own department. If you were to befriend any, it would be this type of
user. These users generally will like UNIX as much as you do and want to carry
on normal UNIX conversations. All the other types of users will want to bash
UNIX or test your knowledge of UNIX. The beta user will just want to talk on
an even level, peer to peer. You will generally be most comfortable working
with these users. There will be some occasions when they cause you frustration,
but you will ordinarily get over it quickly. When these users leave, they are
the ones that you will want to stay in touch with. In many instances, they will
be going on to other positions that are UNIX-based environments and if they
like you, they may be able to help you in the future if and when you are looking
for a new job.
9.1.5 The UNIX System Administrator User
Who they are: The
user that attempts to play the role of UNIX system administrator when they are
not busy doing their own work, is your worst nightmare and you can consider
them to the be the user from hell! When there is a slow point in the day or
they stumble across something they don't feel is right, expect phone calls
questioning the systems configurations and suggestions on how you, the administrator,
can improve the environment. Learn quickly who these users are. You can try
to set them straight and let them know that you don't want them to waste
their precious time doing your job. Let them know that if a previous administrator
they worked with didn't treat them right or give them the support they
needed, you will. Although this is unlikely to work, it is worth a try.
Root privileges: Yes. If
you are new to the organization, then these users already have root privileges.
If they are new, they will find a way or reason to get root privileges. Their
biggest claim is that they know how to administer a system and can take care
of themselves. They will want to configure, tweak, and tune their workstation.
After they are done with their workstation, they will move onto servers. Control
them in the beginning or they will get out of control.
When something breaks: As soon as something goes wrong,
these users will try to fix the problem themselves and if you're lucky,
they will tell you about everything that transpired. When they cannot fix the
problem, you will then get the call and a detailed explanation of what they
did. In some cases, you will find that while trying to fix one problem, the
user will create new problems, and even ones that can affect the relationship
of their system to the rest of the environment.
Notification of an outage: Scheduling outages usually
will not be a problem for this type of user as long as everything is spelled
out technically to them. They will either agree with your reason for the outage
or they will try to make some alternative suggestions. Whether or not you want
to listen is entirely up to you. Normally, you will have already considered
their possible suggestions and dismissed them for your own plan.
Needing a favor: When these users are in need of a favor,
they become your best friends. They treat you like they are one of your own,
a true administrator. Some of them will believe that they are, except that they
enjoy designing, programming, engineering, or whatever their actual position
entails more. If you do them a favor, don't expect anything in return.
You will probably end up doing the favor because you know if it has anything
to do with the system or the operating system, they will probably take it upon
themselves to take care of it first.
How they will make you feel: You can expect one or two
headaches to be caused by these users. When in a conversation with them, they
will try to make their technical administrator skills appear superior to yours.
What makes it worse is that often management will back them up, not you. This
only makes it more frustrating for you to perform your functions and can sometimes
interfere with you and keep you from doing the job you do best. If you have
caller ID on your phone and don't need anymore advice from this user, let
them go to voice mail and return the call via email. By responding through email,
you can give yourself time to deal with their issue at a slower pace, which
won't drive you as crazy. When these users leave the company, you will
be celebrating. Whatever you do though, don't forget that history is doomed
to repeat itself, and there usually is another similar user ready to start.
9.1.6 The Perfect User
Who they are: The
perfect user does exist. You may contend that nothing is perfect, and definitely
no user is perfect. However, there are those who make our lives as administrators
easier. I call these users perfect in comparison to the others we have to deal
with. Many administrators know that such users are out there; they just don't
want to see them. I'm talking about the users who sit in their cubicles
every day. They mind their own business and do their work. They are considerate,
kind, and rarely ask much from you. They will never demand anything from you
or disagree with you on UNIX issues. The perfect user can be anything from a
technical wizard to a user who is completely computer illiterate. Their only
concern is doing their job. They trust and respect that you will do your job
and help them when they are in need of your assistance.
Root privileges: Yes
and No. You will be able to tell the level of experience that a perfect user
has in working with UNIX. If you do decide to provide these users with root
access, they will not abuse the privilege. They will use it only for what they
have told you they wish to have it for and will not try to push the limits.
Those who do not have root privileges generally feel they do not need them.
On some occasions, a perfect user will surprise you and will execute the wrong
command without thinking about the repercussions. When you discover the action
that occurred and approach the users about it, they are very apologetic and
you can usually believe that it will not happen again.
When something breaks: With the perfect user, the only
time your phone rings is when there is a true system problem that is preventing
them from performing their necessary duties. Their version of troubleshooting
is to visually examine what is happening on their screen. They will give a shout
to others in the area to see if anyone else is experiencing similar problems,
or if there was an outage scheduled that they weren't aware of, before
they call you. If these users discover a problem that becomes an inconvenience
but doesn't severely impact their job performance, they will typically
wait until they see you walking by before they say anything about it. They usually
pose a question such as, "When you get a moment, I have been having the
problem for a couple weeks where I cannot..."
Notification of an outage: These
users will really never respond negatively to an outage. Most of them feel that
it is taking place for the best and so if it must happen, it must happen. If
you do hear from them, it will be to ask simple questions about how long the
outage will last. This is often so they can plan the rest of their day to be
productive. If an outage runs over the designated time, they will ask another
user what is happening before they ask you. They would much rather let you go
about your job so they will be able to do theirs when the time comes.
Needing a favor: Perfect
users will mainly ask for simple favors. When they hear about a new product
or public domain software that someone else in the department is using, they
will ask you for access to the files. When they do ask for a favor, you will
want to help them. If you don't have any time at that moment, you generally
will keep your word for that user and return to help them out or grant their
request. These users have the potential for becoming valuable users to you in
the future because they will be open to returning a favor.
How they will make you feel: Having
these perfect users helps to balance the insanity of the other users that you
have to deal with. The biggest problem is that sometimes you forget that they
are there. Don't forget these users. They ordinarily have unforeseen little
problems that they are suffering through and they will not tell you unless they
see you. They respect you and believe that you can fix their problems as small
or as large as they may be. When a perfect user leaves, you should try to make
the effort to say goodbye. Their understanding of the problems you have to work
with on their system and applications that they run, is more than you could
get from other types of users. If possible stay in touch with these people.
In the future, they may be able to pass a word to the administrator at the company
they plan to work at if you are ever in need of another job.
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Note - Beware of the user who
is a combination of two or three types. Depending on the types, the good
can balance out the evil or the evil can balance out the good and you
could wind up with a prefect user or the worst possible user. For four
years, I have had perfect apologetic users who claimed that nothing worked
right. The truth is, there isn't a computer that exists yet that
can satisfy the needs of these particular users.
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