Networker

[Networker] Admin privileges?

2004-11-03 11:08:08
Subject: [Networker] Admin privileges?
From: George Sinclair <George.Sinclair AT NOAA DOT GOV>
To: NETWORKER AT LISTMAIL.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 2004 11:10:11 -0500
We have one operator who will be leaving (retiring). Currently, he has
admin privileges but not root access. It was just easier to give him
admin access so he could set the schedules (ours vary) from one month to
the next, unmount tapes before loading new ones, stop and restart
backups if necessary and label tapes, etc. I never bothered to set up
SUDO scripts to do some of this stuff. We have two people we'd like to
train to take over a lot of this. Much of what they will be doing will
be loading/unloading tapes, sorting them for off site/on-site, labeling
new tapes, etc. I can certainly write some scripts and SUDO them to
allow them to be able to unmount all tapes, etc. but a lot of this get's
tricky and would be much easier if they had admin privileges. Also, at
some point, I would like them to be able to do more advanced things like
re-run failed backups, add new clients, create groups, etc. -- basically
take over much of the stuff I do which will require admin access. They
will not be given root access, but they will be given user accounts on
the machines, and I may write some scripts to allow them to be able to
SUDO some root commands like nsrjb so they can inventory multiple tapes
simultaneously and/or label them, etc.

It's been so long since I trained our current operator that I don't
remember at what point I added him to the admin list. Does anyone have
any personal experience or advice with this kind of training, or do you
just adhoc it? We do not have money to send them to training, and
personally, I think I could train them better hands on, anyway, and no
one expects them to learn all this stuff in one week. There's plenty of
time and no hurry.

Here are some questions:

1. At what point do you give them admin access? How do you determine
when you should? Whenever you feel comfortable and they do, too?

2. These users do not have Unix desktops, only Windows PCs. Our backup
server and storage node are Unix. I would prefer them to learn the Unix
GUI and/or commands, but the Windows GUI does have some nice features.
Would it be better to just give them an Xwindows software client to run
under Windows or install the Windows NetWorker client software and have
them use that? The client will not be backed up, so this will not
consume a license. They just need a way to be able to see what's going
on and/or perform their functions without having to go into the computer
room to log into the console every time.

Thanks.

George

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