Ask Slashdot: IT Staff Handovers -- How To Take Over From an Outgoing Sys Admin? 195
Solar1ze writes "I've just started a role in an IT services firm. I'm required to take over from an incumbent who has been in the position for three years. What are some of the best practices for knowledge transfer you have used when you've taken over from another IT staff member? How do you digest the thousands of hosts, networks and associated software systems in a week, especially when some documentation exists, but much of it is still in the mind of the former worker?"
Start with Foundational Systems: Network, DNS, (Score:2, Informative)
Did this recently. Started with core network topology documentation, moved on to DNS. Foundational stuff. Documenting subnets, figuring out what documentation and systems should be deprecated. Made lots of diagrams. Reviewed monitoring tools. Prioritized systems by importance to review for best practices. Got a network security audit to find holes. Bam.
Create your own documentation (Score:4, Informative)
happend to me this year (Score:3, Informative)
2) Require exiting person to produce network diagram. Make it their last duty if one doesn't exist.
3) Now starts the pain... audit devices and systems for rogue accounts.
4) document as you go.
5) turn in passwords to supervisor.
Good Luck
Get most important stuff first. (Score:4, Informative)
The first thing is to figure out what are the Most Mission Critical systems, and cover them in order of priority, really try to press the criticalcality of the system.
Top Priority: Systems where there is a Downtime has an immediate impact. There is NO Work Around, it needs to run
High Priority: Systems where there is downtime work around and they can tolerate it down for a few hours while you mess with it
Medium Priority: Systems that can be down for a Day
Low Priority: Systems that can be down longer then a day
Try to get the passwords, or make sure you have a passwords and rights to all the systems work in order of priorities.
Create a network map, inventory every system, switch and router... Make sure you have access to them.
Find the Power Users in the area, they may be able to help you out later on, they may not know everything the sysadmin does but they know their little section and sometimes has tips and tricks that don't get passed on. If there is an issue after he leaves you have contacts.
Get the vendor support numbers if available.
Working in order or priority find the custom stuff programs/scripts etc... Do an overview on what they do, what language affect what systems...
On the second to last day, shadow the old admin, on the Last day do everything, he should only mentor.
After he leaves. CHANGE ALL THE PASSWORDS he knows, and check for back doors in the network to prevent him from entering the system.
Due to short time of transition you will probably stumble a bit, but you should have enough to hit the ground running.