icad3025a -...

ICAD3025ARun standard

diagnostic tests

Study Guide

Reading: Maintain a systems support log 12005

Use system diagnostic tools

Standard diagnostic programs 2Using diagnostic tools 2

Booting the computer 3Power On Self Test (POST) diagnostic tool 3

Loading the operating system 6Log files and OS booting tools 6

Manually checking the system 8Device management tools 8Management of hard disk drives 9Checking the file system 10Checking the drive 10Defragging the drive 10

Summary 12Check your progress 12


12


Standard diagnostic programs

Using diagnostic toolsEach computer system has built into it a range of tools to help the user determine its ‘status’. By ‘status’ we mean that they help determine if the system is working correctly or not. If a system is not working correctly, diagnostic tools can provide information vital to solving the problem. The most common types of computer problems will be found during these processes:

booting the computer

loading the operating system

manually checking the system.

Diagnostic tools are available at each of these stages and are outlined in the following sections. These tools provide the foundation of any troubleshooting that involves the malfunctioning of a computer.

IMPORTANT: You will be directed to use a number of diagnostic and configuration tools to gather information about your system. Changing any of the settings using these tools may cause your computer to malfunction. If you are in any doubt about the use of a particular tool, contact your supervising teacher.

You may also be required to make system changes to solve problems identified by the diagnostics. Again, the types of changes required, if incorrectly applied, may cause your computer to malfunction. If you are in doubt about how to proceed with system modifications, consult your supervisor.


Booting the computer

Booting a computer system involves turning the machine on, checking that power LEDs come on and that the screen reflects the expected activity of the system start up procedure. In a PC system, part of this procedure is the Power On Self Test or POST diagnostic tool. The POST diagnostic tool is built in to the system and starts automatically when the system is turned on.

Any failure related to a major component, such as motherboard, video, keyboard or drive failures, will be detected during the POST phase of a computer system. The total failure of a major hardware component is easily detected. Less crucial devices that fail will normally be detected by the operating system as it loads and are dealt with in the next section.

Most hardware systems such as computers and printers have a POST tool to check that their major components are working properly.

Power On Self Test (POST) diagnostic toolDuring the PC computer system’s loading phase, each of the main components are tested. The failure of any one of these systems would impair the computer’s ability to operate. Such critical devices include the graphics card, motherboard resources, drives and Input/Output (I/O) interfaces such as keyboard and graphics (video cards).

Figure 1: Power On Self Test (POST) diagnostic tool

On a PC based system, this provides feedback on the screen about the type of video card detected, the type and speed of the processor detected, the type and number of drives detected, as well as the amount of Random Access Memory (RAM) detected. It checks the presence of peripheral devices such as keyboard and mouse devices. It also internally tests the correct performance of many motherboard components.


Any failures at this level may result in an error message on the screen, or may be heard as a series of coded ‘beeps’. The beep codes are often unique to a motherboard model and should be interpreted by information found on the motherboard manufacturer’s website.

The POST screen will only briefly appear at the start of the booting process. The CPU’s type and speed will be listed here with other device information. On many systems, pressing the Pause key during this process will freeze the screen, and the space bar key releases it. If you cannot pause the screen, check with your supervisor or teacher as it may take several restarts to view the information fully. If you must reset the computer, be careful to do so by pressing the reset button before the operating system begins to load, as this will prevent it from recording failed loading attempts.

To view the systems detected configuration more fully, examine the system Setup or CMOS tool. Some references may prefer to use the term BIOS in place of the term CMOS. They refer to the same tool. To enter this tool, users are normally required to press a key or key combination such as the DEL (Delete) key or Shift + F10 during the POST sequence. Because these settings effect the operation of the PC, many companies password protect this tool so unauthorised users cannot access this area.

The Setup or CMOS tool for your PC holds the configuration of your computer. It lists how much memory the system has, how many drives are detected and which drive it should load the operating system from. It will also have configuration options for a range of other items such as power management and I/O interfaces, just to name a few.

The motherboard manual that came with the PC holds information about the CMOS tool and its use.

At this level, the tool is simply used to determine that the system has detected its elementary components such as RAM, HDDs, FDD, etc. The CMOS settings should reflect the known configuration of the PC. Normally the IDE drives should be set to ‘AUTO’ which stands for Automatic Detection. Any errors such as RAM or drives not being recognised by the system should be recorded and reported to a supervising technical support person.

The default or factory settings can normally be restored by choosing the relevant menu option. When you exit the CMOS, exit without saving your changes, unless you have deliberately changed a setting. This prevents accidental changes from occurring.

For a MacIntosh system, when you boot the PC will either show a happy face and load, or show a sad face and refuse to load.

Fixing faults detected here, on either a PC or Mac system, may require the case to be opened and can effect the warranty of the computer. It must be authorised by your manager who will refer it to an appropriate technical person.


Loading the operating system

Once the POST sequence has been completed, the system then looks for a boot device as the CMOS configuration dictates. From here the computer begins to load the series of services or programs that together form what is called the operating system (OS). Normally the operating system’s name and version (or service pack number) will be displayed during this process.

Log files and OS booting toolsCommon failures at this point may relate to the failure of minor hardware devices or incorrect configuration of devices that are physically OK. Any services or devices that fail to load are usually noted in a log file by the operating system. This file can then be examined at a later time to help determine what went wrong. Most Windows and Unix systems create log files during the loading process. These log files provide details that will alert you to errors. Many of the system log entries are fully explained in the operating system’s documentation or the support section of their Internet site.

ExerciseThe following screen is from the system log of a Windows XP system.

Figure 2: System Log of a Windows XP system

Examine entries in the log to determine which (if any) represent possible errors in the booting process. Each entry has an Event ID number that can be searched for in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. Search the Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com for Event ID 1007 and determine the nature of the event warning.

If the system failure is so bad that the operating system fails before it loading process is complete, most systems provide tools that allow the computer to boot in restricted or ‘Safe’ modes, or alternatively provide emergency recovery disks. Using these options, the system then boots with a reduced set of services, allowing you to examine boot logs or device management tools to help detect problems.


http://support.microsoft.com/

Entries in the system log may require further research to explain their full meaning. Most operating system companies provide documentation on their website to assist in the interpretation of log file messages. For Windows 2000/XP, Microsoft’s Knowledge Base website has many articles about different Event Viewer messages.


Manually checking the system

Device management toolsMost operating systems now work with the concept of ‘Plug and Play’ devices. This simply means that when a new device is installed, the system will automatically detect it and install the most appropriate software drivers for it.

A driver is a small piece of software written for a specific device. To make life simpler, many standard drivers are built into operating systems so they automatically work when installed. However, special features of that particular device model may only be available if the manufacturer’s device driver is installed.

All current PC and Mac operating systems provide you with tools to look at the devices installed on your computer. In this context, a ‘tool’ is a small program that is designed to perform a limited, specialised role — such as providing information about a hardware device.

In a graphical user interface (GUI), which Windows, MacIntosh and most Unix-based operating systems have, the tool may be represented by an icon. It may also form the properties of an object represented on the desktop, such as ‘My Computer’.

In a text-based system, which Unix and Windows based systems also have, the tool may be in the form of a specific command related to a specific device.

Examples of tools are shown in the following screen shot.

Figure 3: Configuration tools


Device Management tools provide you with information and configuration options for devices attached to your system. They should provide you with a list of devices attached to your system and information about their status.

In a PC system these tools should also list the resources that devices use, such as an Interrupt (IRQ), Input/Output (I/O) memory range and Direct Memory Access (DMA) channel, etc. In a Mac system, the resource allocation for devices is automatic. Device Management tools may provide information about the software driver that was installed to manage the device.

In some operating systems, many different tools may be required to find this information. In other operating systems, this information may all be available from one tool.

Management of hard disk drivesHard disk drives are a vital part of any computer system. They retain data saved as files and can have a directory or folder system to organise files into a logical system. The constant writing, modifying and deleting files may cause errors from time to time. These errors often relate to file processes, such as saving a file that has been interrupted before it could be completed. This interruption could be caused by a power outage, application crash or shutting down a system incorrectly.


Checking the file systemEach operating system provides you with standard tools to check the integrity of the file system. While different operating systems may support a range of different file systems, the basics remain the same. There is some master record of what files are on a drive and where those files can be found. This is called the File Allocation Table (FAT). The FAT holds the list of files contained on the drive and the address of the first block where that file is stored. It is effectively a ‘table of contents’ to the disk drive.

Checking the integrity of the file system involves matching the FAT against the drive’s contents. Should this become damaged, or incorrect, the results for your data could be devastating.

Checking the driveYour operating system may also provide you with an option, or separate tool, to check the actual integrity of the drive. By this we are referring to a process where the actual data blocks on the drive are checked to ensure that they store data correctly. Originally this is also done when you format the drive, which is why it can take so long to format large hard disk drives.

Defragging the driveIt is also possible that your drive becomes ‘messy’ which is known as fragmentation.

Imagine your drive as a book, where information (or data) saved as files is written on the first available page (or block). When saving is complete, the file name and the page it starts on are entered into the ‘Contents’ page (or File allocation Table) of the book. The next file saved will take the next available page and so on.

However, when we wish to add more data to the first file we may require more than one page to hold the additional information. It can’t be stored on the next page as it is already used by another file. So the next available blank page is used and we must link the first page of the file to the page number that is the second page of the file.

Having a file spread over a series of ‘non-contiguous’ blocks slows the reading and writing processes. The term ‘non-contiguous blocks’ simply means a series of blocks which are not stored next to one another. This is called fragmentation.

The process of de-fragmentation refers to a tool which tries to rearrange files into contiguous blocks to improve the performance of the file system. It can be dangerous as any interruption to this process may result in data loss and corruption. Always ensure that a backup exists for a drive before running a tool to de-fragment your disk.


Summary

We have covered the three basic areas in which standard diagnostic tools are available: during the booting phase (when the operating system loads), then when using the user interface once the system is running, or manually checking the system.

Some of the diagnostic tools you have examined have been built into the hardware, such as the CMOS setup program that is located on a chip on the motherboard. Others have been log files tracing the execution of a process. Others have been executable programs run within the operating system you are using.

Whatever type of diagnostic is run, the results need to be interpreted and used to decide if any action needs to be taken to improve the system or fix identified problems.

It is important that you closely examine your operating system to find these features within it.

Check your progressNow you should try and do the Practice activities in this topic. If you’ve already tried them, have another go and see if you can improve your responses.

When you feel ready, try the ‘Check your understanding’ activity in the Preview section of this topic. This will help you decide if you’re ready for assessment.


Determine and carry out preventative maintenance

What is maintenance? 3Types of maintenance 3

Preventative maintenance 5Protecting critical hardware 6Protection from environmental conditions 7Protection of data — backup 8Protection of data from threats 9Keeping software updated 10Checking integrity and performance 11

Determining your organisation’s maintenance requirements 12

Organisational policies 12External service level agreements 13Equipment documentation 14Procedures for internal clients 14

Preventative maintenance tasks 15Safety first 15

Common hardware maintenance tasks 16Cleaning 16Whole system maintenance 16Hard disk maintenance 17Printers 18Tape backup systems 18Low maintenance devices 18

Scheduling maintenance 19Developing a preventative maintenance schedule 19When should tasks be scheduled? 20


How often should tasks be scheduled? 21What should be recorded? 21Reporting problems 21



What is maintenance?

When we talk about maintenance, our aims are to:

preserve our IT systems in optimal condition

fix problems that occur

upgrade the existing systems to minimise future risks to the business.

This will require maintenance of hardware, software and data.

Types of maintenanceMaintenance falls into two broad categories:

preventative (or routine maintenance), and

reactive (or non-routine).

Preventative maintenanceFor example, you periodically have your car serviced, which involves changing the engine oil, air filter, spark plugs and so on. If you don’t do this, chances are at some later time your car’s performance will suffer, and you may even be stranded at a great inconvenience to you! This is preventative maintenance, and the situation is really quite similar with IT equipment. We need to carry out preventative maintenance on a periodic basis to prevent problems occurring in the future that may interrupt business continuity.

A simple example of IT preventative maintenance is changing the drum in a laser printer.

Reactive maintenanceReactive maintenance refers to actions taken to fix problems after they have occurred. To continue with the car example, when you get a flat tyre and have to replace it, this is a simple example of reactive maintenance. You can probably think of many IT examples. Replacing a broken cable is one.

Apart from preventative and reactive maintenance, there is another type of maintenance that deals with upgrading the organisation’s infrastructure to minimise the level of risk to business continuity.

Maintenance of softwareIt’s not only the hardware in an organisation that needs to be maintained — software maintenance is also required. An organisation that has custom-built software needs programmers to maintain it. This will include:


preventative maintenance to detect and correct code that may cause future errors (eg to validate input data)

adaptive maintenance to adapt the software in line with changes to business requirements (eg to make it run on an Intranet)

perfective maintenance to simply improve the performance of the software

reactive maintenance to fix software bugs.

But apart from custom-built software, organisations need to maintain other software. There may be patches, version updates, driver updates, etc to be installed. Upgrading packaged software across an organisation to standardise software versions is a good way of helping to reduce the level of support and maintenance required.

Maintenance of a hard disk is really a form of software/data maintenance. A variety of tools are available for ‘cleaning up’ a disk, removing unwanted programs and data, backing up data and so on. Protecting the system from viruses and malware is also part of this sort of maintenance.


Preventative maintenance

Specific devices require different preventative maintenance procedures. However, there are a few broad areas that can be considered which require preventative maintenance practices. These include:

Protection of equipment due to changes in electrical supply: Surges and ‘brownouts’ cause major damage to computer devices. Un-interruptible power supplies (UPS), power conditioners and surge protection devices are all valuable preventative maintenance tools for any computerised device.

Protection from environmental conditions: Humidity, temperature variation and dust are major causes of computer device failures. Actions taken to limit these factors in the workplace are valuable preventative maintenance tasks.

Protection of data using backups: It is vital that backups of both user data and system configurations are done regularly.

Protection of data from threats: Data needs to be protected from viruses, malware, hackers and so on, through the use of both hardware and software security measures.

Keeping software updated through service packs, patches and driver upgrades

Checking integrity and performance by using diagnostic tools: Routine running of any in-built diagnostics and/or checking for display of maintenance messages generated by the device.

Next we’ll look in more detail at some strategies for dealing with these.


Protecting critical hardware

Facility protectionStrategies must be in place to protect IT equipment from water damage, fire, contamination, power failure and theft. Some of these strategies include:

the implementation of early warning systems to detect water leaks, fire and air-borne contaminants

devices to continue power supply should there be a power failure such as a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) as well as on-site power generation

security access to computer facilities such as swipe cards or entry of a security number

recording serial numbers, asset numbers, location and allocation details of workstations.

RedundancyIf part of a network is interrupted, critical business processes need to be stored as soon as possible. One way of doing this is by implementing and maintaining full or partially redundant systems.

This means having an identical hardware infrastructure that can be activated should the main hardware infrastructure fail. Redundant systems can range from the duplication of entire networks to the duplication of cabling runs. Where entire networks are duplicated, system backup facilities are not required. However, full network redundancy is extremely expensive and, as such, not a commonly used option.

Partial redundancy is a common option for critical IT hardware.

An organisation’s disaster recovery plan will include such procedures for recovering network systems.

Protection from environmental conditions

TemperatureThe tolerance of computer components for extremes in temperature is limited — subjecting them to temperatures outside this range is likely to reduce their life. The room environment as well as cooling and ventilation systems are, therefore, important in maintaining computer equipment in optimum operational condition.

HumidityComputers are also sensitive to humidity and should be kept dry. Protective measures would include keeping them away from windows, and avoiding food and drinks spills. Ventilation systems also help prevent problems with humidity.


Dirt and dustComputers should be kept in a clean environment. Dust build-up around fans and on electrical components becomes a problem because it tends to prevent heat dissipation, and interferes with the fan’s cooling function. Regular cleaning is, therefore, important. If the equipment is kept in an industrial environment, additional measures must be put in place to protect it — use of air cleaners is one useful strategy.

Cigarette smokeThe particles from cigarette smoke have the same effect as dust — they build up on the surface of equipment, causing the same sorts of problems.

Electromagnetic interferenceAll electronic devices are capable of producing electromagnetic interference that can cause data to be lost, problems with picture quality on monitors, and other problems.


Protection of data — backupAll organisations need strategies in place to:

backup critical data, and

ensure that data backup is being undertaken according to organisational policies.

This will involve both server backup and workstation backup.

Server backup options

Backup option Benefits Limitations

Backup to tape using backup/restore software such as Windows: the tape backups from the server can be sent to an off-site backup storage facility for restoration if backup files on-site are destroyed.

Simple; software readily available in Windows

Additional risks in transportation and storage; time to restore in the event of loss of data, ie time to data, can be too long and very costly

Backup server data to a remote tape unit via a WAN

Time to data much shorter; risks reduced due to less manual handling

Can be expensive

Backup data to a remote mirrored disk via a WAN

Time to data instantaneous; risks lowered further

Costs are high

Workstation backupWorkstations in an organisation are often standardised with respect to operating system and common applications. An ‘image’ or ‘build’ is created, making it much easier to restore the workstation to a re-usable state. There is usually an IT policy that specifies a ‘Standard Operating Environment’ for workplace PCs. Uncommon, or specific, applications are usually installed separately after the standard image is loaded.

However, users tend to customise their PCs with shortcuts, background images and screensavers, taskbar options, mouse speed and a variety of other options. Also, though it may be against company policy, there may be company data lurking on a user’s PC. Therefore, before any changes are made to a workstation PC, the hard disk should be backed up.

As mentioned, staff in a client/server organisation are generally encouraged not to store data on their own hard drives. However, where an organisation’s data is stored on a workstation hard drive, there must be some procedure in place for regularly backing it up.

Types of backup An organisation will have policies that relate to:

the frequency of backups (daily, weekly, monthly)


the time of day backups are done

how long backups are kept

where backups should be stored.

Also, there are different types of backup. You may not need to back up all files every time you back up. Different options include:

backup of selected directories

incremental backup – backup of only files that have been created or changed since the last full or incremental backup

differential backup – backup of files that have been created or changed since the last full backup.

Backup scheduling is an important part of any preventative maintenance plan. Windows provides a backup and restore tool, and this type of software is also provided by third parties.

Protection of data from threatsBecause of the widespread interconnectivity of computers today, and the potential for intrusion, theft, damage, and so on, organisations need to have clear policies and procedures to be followed to minimise these threats. Central to this will be a number of preventative maintenance procedures, as outlined below.

Service packs, patches and operating system updatesIt has become obvious in recent years that when operating systems are released, they are not finished products. Because they are so complex, even after a period of rigorous testing, security flaws are often discovered after distribution. Anti-virus and other security tools cannot protect the system from operating system holes.

For critical security holes, as soon as the flaw is discovered, the software manufacturer quickly develops and releases a patch, which is a small software update to eliminate the hole. A group of patches is sometimes released as a major update, or service pack.

Microsoft makes these updates available for free.

Anti-malware softwareMalware has increased in significance over recent years. Included in this category are:

Trojans, which appear to be harmless programs, are actually designed to either do damage or carry out a range of malicious activities

Dialers, programs that change the number you use for a dial-up modem, causing increases in charges

Worms, generally spread as email attachments


Spyware, adware and browser hijackers collect information from your computer or change the Internet options in the browser.

Anti-malware software helps to prevent a computer from these attacks. However, installing it and forgetting about it provides insufficient protection. Regular updates need to be carried out.

Antivirus softwareViruses have been around for a long while, and have been overtaken somewhat by other types of threat. However, using antivirus software which is regularly updated is still an important preventative maintenance measure for computer systems.

FirewallsThere are two types of firewalls — hardware and software firewalls. Hardware firewalls offer the best protection against intrusion, but they are expensive for small companies. Desktop or a software firewall is useful, but malicious software may find ways to bypass it.

Keeping software updatedToday’s IT equipment is complex, and so is the software that supports it. Often a device is purchased with a projected life of several years, but in the mean time, other equipment and operating systems that it is used with are updated. Sometimes this means that a perfectly good piece of equipment no longer works, or works unsatisfactorily.

So new software for these devices (drivers) is developed and released. Keeping abreast of these various driver updates is also important in preventing problems before they arise.

Checking integrity and performanceComputer operating systems are generally provided with an array of diagnostic tools that can be used to check whether there are either hardware or software problems with the machine, or whether steps can be taken to improve its performance.

For example, Disk Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup are tools available in Windows operating systems. A whole range of other utilities is also available from other software manufacturers. Visit a website like download.com (http://www.download.com) and browse the range of software available.


http://www.download.com/

Determining your organisation’s maintenance requirements

We have so far discussed some broad areas of preventative maintenance. From the point of view of an IT Support person, how do you determine exactly what maintenance should be done, and how often it should be done? What information should you refer to?

To start with, your organisation will have specific procedures that deal with maintenance and how it is scheduled. These procedures will be either as a result of, or in conjunction, with the following:

Organisational policies, for example, a particular procedure may be in place because of your organisation’s policy on the management of risk.

Equipment, in particular specialised equipment, is covered by warranties and maintenance contracts. These will often involve an agreed level of support for the equipment, also called a service level agreement (SLA).

Both equipment and software are provided with documentation regarding their handling and maintenance requirements.

Support is also often provided by phone or website, and may even involve the provision of training.

If you work in IT Support within your own organisation, the service you provide to your internal clients will also be governed by a service level agreement.

Organisational policiesThe maintenance procedures in an organisation will be determined by a number of factors, including:

how critical the IT components and/or software are

cost constraints

the risk to business continuity

pre-existing commitments

expectations of service by the organisation’s business units.


External service level agreementsMaintenance agreements are a way of ensuring that the business is supported to an agreed level at a known cost.

As a result, the business may enter into an agreement with an IT support organisation. All critical hardware components and software should be covered by either a warranty or maintenance agreement. There are a number of things to consider:

1 New purchases. A warranty agreement comes automatically with the purchase of hardware components and software. You usually have the option of extending the warranty when you purchase the item.

2 Extension of warranty. You can enter into a maintenance agreement when the initial warranty expires rather than extending the warranty.

3 Type of cover. A maintenance agreement is an agreement negotiated between the organisation and the supplier to maintain the hardware or software. Maintenance agreements can be on a fixed service basis, eg 24 hours a day, 7 days per week (24/7); 8 hours a day, 5 days a week (8/5); 12 hours a day, 5 days a week (12/5) or on a per-call basis.

Fixed service versus per-call coverThe benefit of the fixed service type of maintenance agreement is that you receive a dedicated and, typically, faster response. Depending on the terms of the agreement, your maintenance costs are also likely to be covered.

A per-call basis means you receive maintenance services from the supplier as required. The problem with this type of agreement is that you have to wait until a technician is available and you are charged for labour and parts. A benefit is this cost can often be less expensive than a maintenance contract.

Software warranties and maintenance agreementsSoftware should also be covered by a warranty or maintenance agreement. Software warranty only lasts for a short period of time, so a maintenance agreement for critical software should be in place. If customised software has been developed in-house, a maintenance agreement will not be necessary because it will be maintained internally.

A software maintenance agreement may include, for example, a free or discounted upgrade of packaged software.

Equipment documentationEach item of IT equipment should be accompanied by documentation. This may be provided in hard copy, as a manual, on CD, or on a support website. If original documentation provided as hard copy is missing, it can usually also be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website. IT Support staff need to be able to read and interpret all such technical documentation.


Documentation for a system should outline the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance procedures for the unit. The procedures should state:

how often maintenance procedures should be done

any equipment/material/consumables that are required

the actual steps to complete the maintenance task, including all relevant safety precautions for the task.

The system’s documentation should also identify any components of a system that should not have any preventative maintenance applied to it for safety reasons. Generally speaking, hardware manufacturers will include instructions for:

cleaning

care

consumables — handling, installing and disposing

making adjustments

troubleshooting.

Apart from documentation, the supplier’s website will supply software patches and driver updates as they become available.

Procedures for internal clientsSince your external suppliers and internal clients involve different service level agreements, procedures for handling them are usually different, but one may depend on the other. Some of these procedures detail:

the way service requests are reported

how fast you can respond to requests — how fast you respond to an internal client will depend on the agreed response time with an external supplier. For example, let’s say a workstation monitor needs replacing. If your external supplier says it will be done within two days, then you can’t do it any faster for your client!

how requests are escalated — an external supplier will have specific, agreed escalation procedures, and these may be different from your own internal ones.


Preventative maintenance tasks

Having discussed the organisational factors and reference documents that help to determine an organisation’s maintenance procedures, we’ll now concentrate on those tasks that would be included in most preventative maintenance programs.

Don’t forget that highly specialised equipment will need specialised maintenance procedures and may require independent technical qualifications and personnel to maintain it. As you are now aware, this will involve an external maintenance agreement.

Safety firstRemember that ALL preventative maintenance must be carried out within the regulations associated with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 2000 and relevant government licensing frameworks. Your own safety is far more important than the preventative maintenance of any device.


Common hardware maintenance tasks

While it is beyond this topic to identify all types of maintenance across the range of devices available in the IT workplace, the following devices and preventative maintenance tasks are included here as common tasks.

CleaningThe following table gives suggestions for cleaning the parts of a computer.

Device Type of maintenance Resources

Keyboard Keyboard covers; regular ‘dusting’ with compressed air

Original system documentation will recommend cleaning material instructions

Mouse Cleaning mouse ball and rollers; replacing ball mice with optical mice will solve most problems

Original system documentation will recommend cleaning materials

Monitor Wiping of screen — be careful of the cleaning products used as some may damage the screen. Consult the manufacturer’s instructions for the monitor.

Original documentation will recommend cleaning materials

CD/DVD drives

Cleaning drives with CD/DVD cleaning kit CD/DVD cleaning kit documentation

Floppy disk drives

Cleaning drives with FDD cleaning kit FDD cleaning kit documentation

Whole system maintenanceMaintenance of a computer system will also involve:

checking system event logs regularly

viewing POST results

routine checking using system monitoring utilities that track system temperatures, voltages and fan speeds

checking for dust accumulation, particularly around fans and vents

updating drivers for printers, modems, soundcards, video cards and so on, as needed


updating operating system and application software with the latest service packs; eg later versions of Windows allow updates to be automatically downloaded and installed, but this can be disabled

updating anti-virus software and virus definitions.

Hard disk maintenanceSoftware for carrying out hard disk maintenance is provided by the operating system utilities, as well as by third party software. Typical maintenance will include:

removal of unwanted files — this can include old files, temporary files, downloaded files, corrupt files, Internet cookies, and browser history

removal (uninstalling) of unwanted software

backup — this may be by means of standard backup/restore software, or through imaging software such as Norton Ghost

cleaning up the registry

defragmenting files

creating system restore/boot disks

scanning for viruses, spyware, adware, malware, and so on

disk checking using standard diagnostic tests.

Many of these activities can be scheduled to occur automatically. We’ll discuss scheduling in the next section.


PrintersMost maintenance on printers relates to print quality and paper handling. Maintenance on printers may include the following.

Component Type of maintenance Resources

Laser printer drum

Cleaning/replacement. Some printer replacement cartridges include the drum, requiring less maintenance. Others may require a separate maintenance procedure for the drum. Consult the manufacturer’s instructions.

Printer documentation

Ink print heads

Cleaning/replacement. Some printer replacement cartridges include the ink print heads, requiring less maintenance. Others may require a separate maintenance procedure. Some print heads also require alignment. Consult the manufacturer’s instructions.

Printer documentation, in-built printer cleaning utilities

Paper rollers and feed path

Purchasing quality paper, ensuring a dust free environment and regular cleaning. Consult the manufacturer’s instructions.

Printer documentation

Tape backup systemsTape backup systems are listed as a separate item here due to their importance in the IT workplace.


Tape drive Cleaning drive heads. This should be done regularly. Consult the manufacturer’s instructions.

Head cleaning kit and original tape drive documentation

Backup software

Regular viewing of backup logs for errors Backup software documentation

Tape media Checking media for errors and tape age against the recommended tape life. Perform test restores to confirm reliability of media and backup process.

Backup software documentation and media specifications

Low maintenance devicesMany devices such as hubs/switches, scanners and USB devices are normally considered ‘maintenance free’. However, these units may benefit from the following types of maintenance.


Hub/switch Checking systems log and port statistics for large error counts

Original manufacturer’s documentation

Scanner Glass cleaning with recommended products; ensuring a dust free environment

Viewing POST diagnostics test results

Other devices Viewing POST diagnostics test results; running regular tasks to ensure the device is functional

Viewing POST diagnostics test results


Scheduling maintenance

Many organisations with a preventative maintenance program will have maintenance tasks organised on a schedule. The goal of a schedule is to ensure that regular maintenance occurs. Given the time pressures of working as an IT Support person, a schedule will assist you in organising your workload to ensure that the best possible service is provided to the client.

If a maintenance schedule does not exist, consider designing one. A schedule should simply include:

1 each preventative maintenance task that should be completed

2 how often the task should be repeated

3 an estimate of the time required to complete the task.

These tasks can then be allocated time in your schedule at the required intervals.

Developing a preventative maintenance scheduleIn developing a preventative maintenance schedule, it is important that as an IT Support person you are aware of the main aims of preventative maintenance. They are:

to meet the needs of the business

to extend the working life of equipment

to reduce the amount of emergency downtime caused by faults that can be prevented

to be practical

to make the IT system more cost effective.

Cost effectivenessIt is important that any preventative maintenance be cost effective. It is possible to spend significant amounts of time cleaning and testing devices such as keyboards and mice to extend their life. However, the replacement cost of those devices, including the cost of having an inventory of such items on hand, may mean that it is cheaper to purchase new devices rather than extend the life of the existing devices.

Every maintenance issue must be examined from a cost point of view.

Minimise downtimeIt is important that preventative maintenance focuses on items that may cause significant downtime and cost to the business if they were to fail. Such items may include hard disk drives (HDD) of servers. Should they fail,


emergency downtime may occur at a significant cost to the business. As a result, such devices should be considered high priority in a maintenance schedule.

PracticalityPreventative maintenance must be practical within the working of a business. If the process of preventative maintenance causes a major interruption to the daily working of a business, the maintenance program will fail. Always try to consider the impact on the users of the computers when considering a preventative maintenance program.

Meet business needsAny maintenance program must meet the needs of the business if it is going to be successful. While this should have been considered when an SLA was written, the maintenance work must be carried out within the organisation’s guidelines and requirements.

When should tasks be scheduled?Scheduled maintenance should obviously impact as little as possible on normal business operations, and should therefore be carried out at periods of low activity, such as during the night, at weekends or holiday periods. It is possible to carry out many tasks with very little client awareness or involvement.

If client involvement is required, they should be informed in advance of when they will be affected, for how long, and how it will impact them. You may need to give them instructions, such as logging out of their PC, leaving it on, rebooting, and so on.

There are some useful operating system or third-party tools which allow maintenance tasks to be automatically scheduled. This is the case with later versions of Windows.

How often should tasks be scheduled?To determine how frequently maintenance tasks should be done, you should first refer to the types of documentation mentioned earlier in this topic. The preventative maintenance strategies in place would also help determine the frequency of tasks. You should also bear in mind the principles listed above. However, if your organisation is small and you are in the process of developing your own schedule, you’ll need carry out research and then make these decisions yourself.

For example, how often should a hard disk be defragmented? You’ll find opinion divided on this one, as it depends on a number of different factors such as hard disk size, how much space is on the disk, and how much disk and file activity there is. Suggestions range from daily, to three monthly! If it can be scheduled to run automatically during a period of non-activity, a more frequent schedule can do no harm.


Similar decisions need to be made with respect to the scheduling of backups.

What should be recorded?Scheduling can be a formal process, where preventative maintenance is carefully scheduled for various business units within the organisation and formally documented and signed off. It can also be an informal process.

The following should be documented in a preventative maintenance schedule:

1 dates for maintenance to occur

2 business unit/floor/building/computer facilities where the maintenance will occur

3 the IT staff member responsible for completing the maintenance

4 dates for completion

5 notification that maintenance has been completed

6 comments or notes where problems are detected.

Reporting problemsYour preventative maintenance schedule will occasionally alert you to potential problems. When this happens, you should be aware of the appropriate person to inform. Your organisational guidelines and/or service level agreements should indicate who this is. It may be your supervisor, authorised business representative, external supplier, or client.


Summary

Preventative maintenance is an important component of many IT Support positions. A preventative maintenance program should be a commonsense schedule that aims to provide the regular maintenance required for devices in an IT installation.




Detect and remove viruses

What is a virus? 2Types of viruses 2

Detecting and removing a virus 4How does anti-virus software work? 4Scanning for viruses 5Reporting the virus infection 6Removing viruses 7

Data mining software 8



What is a virus?

A virus is basically a computer program that has been written to perform a specific set of tasks. Unfortunately, those tasks are often not the sort of things we would allow if we had a choice. A virus may do any of the following:

install itself on a computer in a way that makes it difficult to detect and remove

replicate itself from the infected computer to other computers

perform routine system file management processes such as file deletion and boot record modification

copy information across a network link

carry out its activities without any regard for the system or network resources it is utilizing.

Types of virusesThere are many types of viruses found in the IT workplace. They are divided into different categories related to how they infect a computer.

Hard disk based viruses These viruses infect the boot or partition sectors of a hard disk drive. They can be particularly damaging, as they are capable of changing information about the logical drive structure of your computer. They become active before your operating system as they form part of the first area read on a drive when a computer is booted. Boot sector viruses are based upon the weaknesses of a particular drive format such as FAT, HFS, EXT2, or NTFS.

Executable file based virusesA virus can also attach itself to an executable file. An executable file is a program that is designed to have instructions for the computer to follow. By adding itself to the code of such files, a virus is easily activated every time that particular program is run. Executable files in the Microsoft world normally have a ‘.exe’ file extension. A common target for a virus designed to infect an executable file is the anti-virus software itself.

Document file-based virusesNormally a computer does not execute a data file. Rather, it is read and the contents of that file are opened by another program for editing. However, a number of data files, such as those made by word processors or


spreadsheets, do have executable code in the form of macros as part of their standard format. Macros are executed by the host program when the data file is read. By attaching itself to a data file, in the form of a macro, the virus is then executed every time the infected data file is opened.

Web-based virusesThe increased access to the Internet combined with the increasing complexity of website scripting has allowed many new areas for viruses. An Internet browser is designed to read and execute scripts saved on websites. These scripts provide the content of web pages. However, if a website script includes a virus script as part of the page, infections can occur. This type of script is often in the form of a Java script, VB script or even an applet. Simply visiting a site using a browser with low security settings will lead to virus infections.

Email-based virusesEmail viruses often appear in the form of an attachment. The simple act of opening an attachment or even viewing an infected email may be sufficient to execute the virus code. Email is quickly growing as one of the fastest transmission methods of viruses. When installed on a computer, one of the first targets of an email-based virus is the address book of the email client software. Viruses are capable of emailing themselves to every contact in the address book of the computer.


Detecting and removing a virus

Unfortunately, the most common way of detecting the presence of a virus is through its effects on an infected computer. While computers can never be completely protected by viruses, most infections occur on computers that either have no anti-virus software or anti-virus software which has not been kept up-to-date.

The use of anti-virus software, and the procedures to be followed if a virus is discovered, will usually be covered by policies and procedures developed by your organisation. It is important to become familiar with these procedures so that you will know what to do, and what not to do, in the event of a virus attack.

How does anti-virus software work?The three basic ways in which anti-virus software works are:

1 scans for viruses

2 removes viruses

3 offers limited protection against the installation of new viruses.

All of these tasks are limited to the anti-virus software being programmed to identify the virus. The latest virus will always be ahead of the anti-virus software. Anti-virus software requires the user to download updates that list known viruses. This information is stored in a data file, sometimes known as the Virus Definition File. This file contains a list of known virus signatures.


Figure 1: AntiVirus software

Virus packages provide information about the version or date of the Virus Definition File. It is vital that anti-virus software be kept up-to-date to maximise the computer’s protection against a virus threat.

Scanning for virusesTypically, an anti-virus program checks a number of items when it does a scan for new viruses. It checks that the software itself has not been altered by a virus. It will also check the computer’s Random Access Memory (RAM), hard disk drive (HDD) boot sector and each file on the drive.

Figure 2: Scanning for viruses in Windows

When your anti-virus program scans for viruses, it is looking for signs that a file has become infected. Symptoms may be that a file has changed size unexpectedly or that the date may have changed without user intervention.


The anti-virus program will also scan for patterns of bits, called signatures, which are known to match the program code of a virus.

These ‘bit patterns’ are stored in a database called a Virus Definition File. Since new viruses are detected each day, it is important to keep your virus program up-to-date by obtaining the latest versions of these definitions.

Some anti-virus software will check for viruses as you work. This means that when a file or document is accessed, the anti-virus program will automatically scan it.

It is important for you to become familiar with the virus scanning software available on your computer or used in your organisation.

Reporting the virus infectionYour organisation will usually have procedures in place to control what actions are to be taken in the event of a virus being discovered.

The first action will normally be to report the results of the virus scan to the appropriate person, usually a Systems Administrator or member of the Information Technology Support section. This person will initiate the appropriate response to the virus, which may include quarantining the machine by disconnecting it from the network, as well as attempting to remove the virus, or at least stopping it from spreading.

The job of removing the virus may come back to you, but by following procedures and reporting the virus you will assist in maintaining the organisation’s virus protection.

The Administrator may also log the virus details, and conduct an investigation into the likely source of the virus and the method of infection. This is particularly important if the organisation has anti-virus protection systems installed, as it may indicate that either the anti-virus systems are faulty, or that some member of staff is doing something that breaches the security of the organisation and allows a virus to bypass the anti-virus systems. In either case, the Administrator may be able to identify the cause of the infection and take action to stop it happening again.


Removing virusesMethods for removing viruses vary greatly. Many virus programs come equipped with procedures to remove common viruses from the system. If they cannot remove a virus, the next step taken by the anti-virus software is to quarantine the infected file for action at a later date.

The support site of the anti-virus software company will also provide tools, such as documents, detailing virus cleaning procedures or utility programs that can be downloaded to the infected computer to clean it.

The type of actions required to remove a virus is different for each version of a virus. There are too many variations of viruses to even start to describe every removal procedure here. However, the most common methods of virus removal are:

1 removal by the anti-virus program that detected it

2 removal by a software utility from the anti-virus software support site

3 manual removal following a written procedure.

The support site should be your first point of contact if the anti-virus software on the computer fails to clean the identified virus.

However, when all else fails and a virus damages the computer there is no substitute for accurate backups. Any system installed should have a backup of the original state of the computer system as well as backups of data.


Data mining software

Viruses represent one of the most immediate and dangerous threats to your computer system. There are, however, other threats to computer systems that are connected to the Internet or commonly have ‘shareware’ programs installed on them.

Data mining software are programs that are not commonly recognised as viruses. Many types of anti-virus software will not detect them. Data mining software is often installed on a computer without the user’s consent as part of another action, such as visiting a website. Such software remains on a computer undetected and transmits information about the computer over the Internet to a pre-configured network address.

Information gathered by data mining software may be harmless, but it may also contain confidential information that has been gathered from data files on the computer.

Products such as ‘Ad-Aware’ and ‘Spyware’ are programs that can be purchased to detect the presence of data mining software. They work in a similar way to anti-virus software. They scan the computer, detect the presence of suspect software and will attempt to remove it. They also have identification updates that should be downloaded on a regular basis.


Summary

As an IT Support person, it is important that you should understand the threat posed by viruses and the range of anti-virus software and virus prevention measures available to you.

In particular, you should be able to:

Scan a device for the presence of viruses.

Follow organisational procedures regarding virus attacks, including reporting the virus information to an appropriate person for action.

Visit the support site for the anti-virus software installed on your computer.

Download updates from the anti-virus software support site.

Download virus removal tools from the anti-virus software support site.




Maintain a systems support log

What is a systems support log? 2Types of systems support logs 2Uses for systems support logs 3

What should a systems support log include? 4

How systems support logs are maintained 5



What is a systems support log?

A systems support log, at its most basic, is a document that identifies each maintenance task that has been completed on a particular system. Many of these maintenance tasks are a direct result of a problem being identified on the system. Other tasks, however, may simply be a part of a preventative maintenance schedule or may involve system modifications. The terms ‘systems support log’ and ‘systems maintenance log’ are interchangeable and refer to the same document.

Types of systems support logsSome systems support logs may be reactive in nature. This means that they detail the maintenance procedures used to solve a particular problem or incident. Other systems support logs may be preventative in nature. This means that they contain a list of maintenance tasks completed as part of a preventative maintenance program. Many systems support logs will contain elements of both of these types of logs.

While some computer systems may require individual maintenance logs, others may share a common log with other maintained computer systems in an organisation.

The media in which logs are stored on may also vary. Some logs may be paper based while others may be in electronic form. There are many commercial software packages that provide sophisticated and comprehensive system logs. Such packages provide the ability to sort or query log entries. Some even allow the business to associate costs with systems maintenance, provide system inventories, and project management features. Many will print out detailed reports, calculate the ‘Total Cost of Ownership’ per system or even the efficiency of individual support staff. Packages providing such details are beyond the scope of this module.


Uses for systems support logsThe success of a systems support log will depend on the quality of the information stored in them rather than the way the information is stored. Information may be recorded in table format or simply in a ‘diary’ style. It may be recorded by a professionally designed database, or kept in a folder next to the device. At this level we are more interested in the quality of the information.

The information recorded in a systems support log can be used in a variety of ways. It may be used to identify:

the level of support that a particular systems requires

frequently occurring maintenance tasks

which modifications are best dealt with by preventative maintenance tasks and which should be dealt with by reactive maintenance tasks

common maintenance procedures which can be incorporated into the training of support staff.


What should a systems support log include?

A systems support log contains information. The information should relate to maintenance tasks performed on a system. Many maintenance tasks are performed in response to a specific situation or problem. The maintenance task that is carried out on a system will also involve a procedure that was followed in solving the problem and also may require specific resources.

The information must be organised in such a way to allow support staff to identify similar situations at some future time as well as the procedures and resources used to solve the problem in the past.

Any systems support log is best designed by the staff responsible for supporting the system in question. It is also important that any design meet the requirements of the parent business. The required format of a systems support log may be based on such things as:

the design components required to meet the internal business document standards,

proof that authority to perform maintenance procedures was given

the need to record time taken to perform the task

proof that the procedures used in maintenance tasks and their results were referred to appropriate staff

the contents of a support level agreement which may specify the level of detail required in maintenance log documentation

the need to collate and analyse information from logs of similar devices

the requirement to record that specific maintenance tasks were performed on devices according to a maintenance schedule.

It is vital that the design of any maintenance log be useable and structured in such a way that vital information cannot be overlooked. Systems support log designs that are too strict may limit the recording of detailed information. Systems support log designs that are too free may allow vital information to be missed.


How systems support logs are maintained

Four examples of systems support logs are described here. They are meant to provide a foundation that can be altered to meet the needs of a specific system’s installation and should not be implemented without modification.

Different business situations, types of systems and systems maintenance contracts are just some of the factors that can affect the format of a systems support log. It is also important that you recognise that the data used here may be stored on paper or in an electronic form such as a database.

Example 1 is a simple paper based system where users record computer problems and the computer support person acts on each problem identified. The logs are stored at each computer.

Example 2 is from a computer system where users report calls to a centralised helpdesk which allocates work. The log may be electronic on a corporate data share or on a laptop. It is completed when the support person attends the computer and solves the problem.

Example 3 is a maintenance log for a specific type of process. The purpose of including this example is to demonstrate that logs are designed to meet the needs of a situation — rather than trying to make a situation fit a maintenance log. It is stored with the backup media and is completed each day by the backup operator.

Example 4 is a diary style systems support log. This type of log allows the maintenance staff to freely record text, diagrams and references into a single maintenance record. This has the advantage of not being limited to a pre-conceived format that may not apply in all situations. It has the disadvantage of being harder to collate and analyse.


Example 1For standard computer systems in a small office environment the follow example of a support log may be used. At this location, users record problems with their PC in the log listed below. This log is regularly checked by a Computer Support Officer (CSO) who attempts to resolve problems.

Date: Comp. ID: Description of problem: Reported by: Description of resolution: CSO Sig. & date:

25/4/2005 PC102 Computer would not print from word J. Smith Checked cables, Re-booted printer, re-booted

computer, checked printer queue to find queue

paused. Tested printer OK.

H Hedley 27/4/2005

Example 2This log is based on a computer network that uses a Help Desk. The Help Desk is available for users to ring up and report problems that need attention. Each problem is allocated a reference number. The purpose of the maintenance log below is to provide a more detailed information of the resolution to a problem. The centralised recording of all the Help Desk resolutions may then form a Knowledgebase resource for future reference. The problem itself is not described here as it is recorded under the Help Desk system.

Date Computer ID Help desk ID Ref No Brief description of procedure followed Resources required Time taken Signature

14/7/20

05

PC312 ID1423 Virus scan of c:\ revealed presence of

‘myDoom.32’. Used removal tool and procedure

from NAV web site. Rebooted computer, re-

scanned C:\ to verify removal.

http://website address.com 1:20 min H Hedley 27/4/2005

Example 3The log shown here relates to a specific process, in this case Backup Procedure. This log is modified each day by the backup operator who records the status of the previous night’s backup.


BACKUP LOG: SERVER PSF5

Date: Tape ID Type Backup Software Completion Message: Action required and referred to:

1-2-2005 Red#6 Full No: 102 Operation completed successfully N/A

2-2-2005 Red#7 Incremental No: 102 Operation completed successfully N/A

3-2-2005 Red#8 Incremental No: 55 Data verification Failed Help desk: Id 14232




Example 4The log shown here relates to a single device such as a File server. This log is modified each day by the server administrator who regularly performs a variety of maintenance tasks, most of which are related to entries in the system log.

SERVER PSF5 MAINTENANCE LOG

Date: 25/4/04

Viewed the event log of the previous day. As noted before, there appears to be multiple login attempts to the administrator account. These attempts are listed as login failures in the Security section of the event log. Will recommend to team leader that we being a network traffic trace to determine the origin of these logs. There were also a 15 application errors in the event log for the new CAD package installed last week. Will refer this to application support team.

Date: 26/4/04

Viewed the event log of the previous day. More failed attempts to log into administrator account. I am still awaiting a reply from the support team leader about a network trace. Time server errors were listed, but these relate to the ADSL link being unavailable for part of yesterday. Print queue PSF5-PR1 unexpectedly went offline twice yesterday.

Date: 27/4/04

Have just finished installing network trace software to track the failed login attempts. More print queue errors on PSF5-PR1. I have emailed all printer users to let me know if they are having problem with print jobs not printing.


Summary

In this reading you should have learnt that a systems support log is simply a mechanism for recording details about maintenance work performed on computer systems.

This information may be useful in many ways. It may be used to identify common problems over time. It may be used create a list of preventative maintenance procedures on systems. It may be used to support the funding of appropriate levels of computer support based on past needs. It may also be used as a knowledge base of known problems with resolutions.

You have also learnt that a systems support log must be structured to meet the needs of the system. As long as the log provides a structure which encourages the recording of accurate information in a way that is clear and simple, then the log has a good chance of being effective.



Reading: Maintain a systems support log2005

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