Ops engineer who built half our automation just gave notice. Nobody understands the system
Ok so our operations engineer just gave his notice a few days ago, and I just realized how much of our mid-size startup relies on what he built over the years. He wrote tons of automations that move data between systems, generate reports, trigger approval, and all the other QOL stuff.
I mean everything still technically works and we had a good chat. (He got a better offer and I completely understand his decision, we still keep in touch from time to time, especially when I have questions.) But the thing is, nobody unedrstands how things work except him.
There are some resources that he left behind, although they're pretty outdated, so now upper managemetn it scrambling asking if we can still keep things running. For those of you who have dealt with this, how do you recover when everythging is basically locked inside the automation stack of an employee who just left?
https://redd.it/1rp42rx
@r_systemadmin
Ok so our operations engineer just gave his notice a few days ago, and I just realized how much of our mid-size startup relies on what he built over the years. He wrote tons of automations that move data between systems, generate reports, trigger approval, and all the other QOL stuff.
I mean everything still technically works and we had a good chat. (He got a better offer and I completely understand his decision, we still keep in touch from time to time, especially when I have questions.) But the thing is, nobody unedrstands how things work except him.
There are some resources that he left behind, although they're pretty outdated, so now upper managemetn it scrambling asking if we can still keep things running. For those of you who have dealt with this, how do you recover when everythging is basically locked inside the automation stack of an employee who just left?
https://redd.it/1rp42rx
@r_systemadmin
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PSA: Abble Business Manager can remove personal activation locks.
The last time I was reprovisioning old (pre-ABM/MDM) devices, I had to fire off a support ticket to remove activation locks. Did the same thing recently. But haven't heard back for a while, so I went poking around.
Devices -> select a device -> ellipsis (3 dots) top right -> Turn Off Activation Lock
Option is available for devices with Activation Lock status "On (User)" and "On (Organization)"
This is news to me, so I thought I'd share that in case anyone else was unaware and/or had an ABM-enrolled device they were unable to unlock for whatever reason. I wonder if the timing coincided with the terms update last year? (These last few phones were deployed for awhile before our ABM/MDM setup was fully configured)
edit: how did I typo B's and P's? I don't know. Apparently, I also need to go switch my auto insurance to Biberty.
Apple Business Manager.
https://redd.it/1rp7i95
@r_systemadmin
The last time I was reprovisioning old (pre-ABM/MDM) devices, I had to fire off a support ticket to remove activation locks. Did the same thing recently. But haven't heard back for a while, so I went poking around.
Devices -> select a device -> ellipsis (3 dots) top right -> Turn Off Activation Lock
Option is available for devices with Activation Lock status "On (User)" and "On (Organization)"
This is news to me, so I thought I'd share that in case anyone else was unaware and/or had an ABM-enrolled device they were unable to unlock for whatever reason. I wonder if the timing coincided with the terms update last year? (These last few phones were deployed for awhile before our ABM/MDM setup was fully configured)
edit: how did I typo B's and P's? I don't know. Apparently, I also need to go switch my auto insurance to Biberty.
Apple Business Manager.
https://redd.it/1rp7i95
@r_systemadmin
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Patch Tuesday Megathread - March 10, 2026
Hello r/sysadmin, I'm u/automoderator and welcome to this month's Patch Megathread!
This is the (mostly) safe location to talk about the latest patches, updates, and releases. We put this thread into place to help gather all the information about this month's updates: What is fixed, what broke, what got released and should have been caught in QA, etc. We do this both to keep clutter out of the subreddit, and provide you, the dear reader, a singular resource to read.
For those of you who wish to review prior Megathreads, you can do so here.
While this thread is timed to coincide with Microsoft's Patch Tuesday, feel free to discuss any patches, updates, and releases, regardless of the company or product.
NOTE: This thread is usually posted before the release of Microsoft's updates, which are scheduled to come out at 5:00PM UTC.
Remember the rules of safe patching:
Deploy to a test/dev environment before prod.
Deploy to a pilot/test group before the whole org.
Have a plan to roll back if something doesn't work.
Test, test, and test!
https://redd.it/1rpzab4
@r_systemadmin
Hello r/sysadmin, I'm u/automoderator and welcome to this month's Patch Megathread!
This is the (mostly) safe location to talk about the latest patches, updates, and releases. We put this thread into place to help gather all the information about this month's updates: What is fixed, what broke, what got released and should have been caught in QA, etc. We do this both to keep clutter out of the subreddit, and provide you, the dear reader, a singular resource to read.
For those of you who wish to review prior Megathreads, you can do so here.
While this thread is timed to coincide with Microsoft's Patch Tuesday, feel free to discuss any patches, updates, and releases, regardless of the company or product.
NOTE: This thread is usually posted before the release of Microsoft's updates, which are scheduled to come out at 5:00PM UTC.
Remember the rules of safe patching:
Deploy to a test/dev environment before prod.
Deploy to a pilot/test group before the whole org.
Have a plan to roll back if something doesn't work.
Test, test, and test!
https://redd.it/1rpzab4
@r_systemadmin
Medical Company Styker attacked by Iranian backed hackers - all data deleted
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/stryker-live-iran-cyber-attack-36850867
Work devices including mobile phones 'wiped' by hackers
Around the world, Stryker operates in 61 countries and has more than 56,000 employees and its Cork base is the biggest site outside of the US.
Most work devices, including personal phones that had a Stryker work profile, have been wiped by cybercriminals.
https://redd.it/1rqye6u
@r_systemadmin
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/stryker-live-iran-cyber-attack-36850867
Work devices including mobile phones 'wiped' by hackers
Around the world, Stryker operates in 61 countries and has more than 56,000 employees and its Cork base is the biggest site outside of the US.
Most work devices, including personal phones that had a Stryker work profile, have been wiped by cybercriminals.
https://redd.it/1rqye6u
@r_systemadmin
The Mirror
Donald Trump claims Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei might be dead
Donald Trump claimed Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei might be dead - it comes after he begged the UK and other countries to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz
Irans Hack
With the recent cyberattack against Stryker reportedly linked to an Iranian-aligned hacker group, it looks like thousands of systems and devices were disrupted globally after attackers targeted their network environment. 
It got me wondering something about the current job market.
Over the past couple years a lot of IT roles seem to have been cut or consolidated, with companies expecting smaller teams to handle infrastructure, security, cloud, endpoints, etc. all at once. At the same time there’s been a big push toward automation and AI tools replacing parts of traditional IT work.
But when something like this happens especially a destructive attack (wipers, data destruction, etc.) it highlights how critical experienced infrastructure and security teams are.
For those of you working in enterprise environments:
• Do events like this actually push leadership to reinvest in IT/security staffing?
• Or do companies just treat it as a one-off incident and move on?
• Have you ever seen a major breach directly lead to more hiring?
Curious what people in the field are seeing right now.
https://redd.it/1rribwu
@r_systemadmin
With the recent cyberattack against Stryker reportedly linked to an Iranian-aligned hacker group, it looks like thousands of systems and devices were disrupted globally after attackers targeted their network environment. 
It got me wondering something about the current job market.
Over the past couple years a lot of IT roles seem to have been cut or consolidated, with companies expecting smaller teams to handle infrastructure, security, cloud, endpoints, etc. all at once. At the same time there’s been a big push toward automation and AI tools replacing parts of traditional IT work.
But when something like this happens especially a destructive attack (wipers, data destruction, etc.) it highlights how critical experienced infrastructure and security teams are.
For those of you working in enterprise environments:
• Do events like this actually push leadership to reinvest in IT/security staffing?
• Or do companies just treat it as a one-off incident and move on?
• Have you ever seen a major breach directly lead to more hiring?
Curious what people in the field are seeing right now.
https://redd.it/1rribwu
@r_systemadmin
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Absolutely and totally checked out
Hello my fellow burnouts! I'm in my 20th year of IT work. I have been a sysadmin at my current job for about 5 years. I am the sole IT guy for this company that has grown since I got here, from about 200 to almost 300 people. My raises have been minimal and just had my yearly review and was bumped from 70k to 71k. I work almost every weekend. I get told there is no money, for a larger raise, but I know its a lie as at least 15 people take home more than 20k for a bonus from the previous year. I can see everything, I know what people's salaries and bonuses and see how low on the totem pole I am as I am run through the wringer daily.
I wish I could just quit, lockout the MSP account, and watch them all squirm. I apply for other jobs, had interviews, but nothing has lined up yet for me to jump ship. I feel disrespected at my current job and just miserable - sorry for the rant.
https://redd.it/1rqvpzy
@r_systemadmin
Hello my fellow burnouts! I'm in my 20th year of IT work. I have been a sysadmin at my current job for about 5 years. I am the sole IT guy for this company that has grown since I got here, from about 200 to almost 300 people. My raises have been minimal and just had my yearly review and was bumped from 70k to 71k. I work almost every weekend. I get told there is no money, for a larger raise, but I know its a lie as at least 15 people take home more than 20k for a bonus from the previous year. I can see everything, I know what people's salaries and bonuses and see how low on the totem pole I am as I am run through the wringer daily.
I wish I could just quit, lockout the MSP account, and watch them all squirm. I apply for other jobs, had interviews, but nothing has lined up yet for me to jump ship. I feel disrespected at my current job and just miserable - sorry for the rant.
https://redd.it/1rqvpzy
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Thickheaded Thursday - March 12, 2026
Howdy, /r/sysadmin!
It's that time of the week, Thickheaded Thursday! This is a safe (mostly) judgement-free environment for all of your questions and stories, no matter how silly you think they are. Anybody can answer questions! My name is AutoModerator and I've taken over responsibility for posting these weekly threads so you don't have to worry about anything except your comments!
https://redd.it/1rrmla6
@r_systemadmin
Howdy, /r/sysadmin!
It's that time of the week, Thickheaded Thursday! This is a safe (mostly) judgement-free environment for all of your questions and stories, no matter how silly you think they are. Anybody can answer questions! My name is AutoModerator and I've taken over responsibility for posting these weekly threads so you don't have to worry about anything except your comments!
https://redd.it/1rrmla6
@r_systemadmin
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When will the job market not suck?
Ive been seeing it mentioned on this sub reddit for like 5 years that the job market sucks for sysadmin.
So when will it not suck? What needs to happen? How will it happen?
At this point it seems like a career change would suit most people better than waiting for the job market to not suck. Could've became a cpa in those 5 years we waited for the job market to not suck.
https://redd.it/1rrbbba
@r_systemadmin
Ive been seeing it mentioned on this sub reddit for like 5 years that the job market sucks for sysadmin.
So when will it not suck? What needs to happen? How will it happen?
At this point it seems like a career change would suit most people better than waiting for the job market to not suck. Could've became a cpa in those 5 years we waited for the job market to not suck.
https://redd.it/1rrbbba
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Funny User Requests
So this one blew my mind and I had to share it in case anyone else needs a chuckle like I did. I work in a school and a little while back the headteacher came to us asking for a quote for a printer at home. She ended up getting it of course (out of the school's budget, god forbid she buy her own, being by far the highest paid member of staff in the school) and my manager bought her a Epson WorkForce Pro WF-C579R. (Which is probably a bit overkill to be honest but it's the same model we use for most of the school.)
Anyway, it finally ran out of ink last week so we ordered replacements to her house. She walks into our office a few days later and said she was getting an error when putting in the new cartridges. These aren't hard to install, literally just take it out of the box, peel a sticker off the back and slot it into the front of the printer. I think there are even instructions on the box. But alas, she's getting an error and can't elaborate much more than that. The printer isn't that old and we've not had any problems with the rest of the fleet so we tell her that the cartridge is probably just not installed correctly.
Then, I shit you not, with a straight face she asks: Can you install the cartridge remotely?
I choked down the laughter. I wanted to ask her so badly how she thinks that would work. But I held back and instead sent her a video of the whole process of installing a cartridge. I haven't heard back in almost a week so I assume the plastic sticker on the back of the cartridge was just not removed and she's too embarrassed to continue the email chain.
Short of us buying some sort of bomb disposal robot (which I don't think would have the range and is also probably not in the budget) I can't think of another way that cartridge could have been installed remotely.
Educators man, I tell you, they're a different beast.
Feel free to share your own mind blowing requests below. I think we could all use a laugh now and again. 😅
https://redd.it/1rqrhiz
@r_systemadmin
So this one blew my mind and I had to share it in case anyone else needs a chuckle like I did. I work in a school and a little while back the headteacher came to us asking for a quote for a printer at home. She ended up getting it of course (out of the school's budget, god forbid she buy her own, being by far the highest paid member of staff in the school) and my manager bought her a Epson WorkForce Pro WF-C579R. (Which is probably a bit overkill to be honest but it's the same model we use for most of the school.)
Anyway, it finally ran out of ink last week so we ordered replacements to her house. She walks into our office a few days later and said she was getting an error when putting in the new cartridges. These aren't hard to install, literally just take it out of the box, peel a sticker off the back and slot it into the front of the printer. I think there are even instructions on the box. But alas, she's getting an error and can't elaborate much more than that. The printer isn't that old and we've not had any problems with the rest of the fleet so we tell her that the cartridge is probably just not installed correctly.
Then, I shit you not, with a straight face she asks: Can you install the cartridge remotely?
I choked down the laughter. I wanted to ask her so badly how she thinks that would work. But I held back and instead sent her a video of the whole process of installing a cartridge. I haven't heard back in almost a week so I assume the plastic sticker on the back of the cartridge was just not removed and she's too embarrassed to continue the email chain.
Short of us buying some sort of bomb disposal robot (which I don't think would have the range and is also probably not in the budget) I can't think of another way that cartridge could have been installed remotely.
Educators man, I tell you, they're a different beast.
Feel free to share your own mind blowing requests below. I think we could all use a laugh now and again. 😅
https://redd.it/1rqrhiz
@r_systemadmin
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Playing Detective
Why do I always have to play detective? Trying to figure out what the fuck users are talking about. Trying to figure out wtf my fellow techs are talking about.
Never given context.
I provide specialized support for scientific labs that mostly do genome sequencing of diseases.
My user is complaining he can’t remote into his freezer. We have a platform where they can see their devices and click connect to remote in. I would have had to set this up and I can assure him and everyone here I have never setup a freezer for remote access. Even if I did I did not remove or change anything. So now I need to figure out wtf he is talking about.
https://redd.it/1rrpewq
@r_systemadmin
Why do I always have to play detective? Trying to figure out what the fuck users are talking about. Trying to figure out wtf my fellow techs are talking about.
Never given context.
I provide specialized support for scientific labs that mostly do genome sequencing of diseases.
My user is complaining he can’t remote into his freezer. We have a platform where they can see their devices and click connect to remote in. I would have had to set this up and I can assure him and everyone here I have never setup a freezer for remote access. Even if I did I did not remove or change anything. So now I need to figure out wtf he is talking about.
https://redd.it/1rrpewq
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Heads Up: New 9.9 CVE's in Veeam 12 and 13
Just incase anyone here doesn't subscribe to Veeams automated email alerts there are multiple 9.x rated CVE's that Veeam announced today in both versions 12 and 13:
Veeam 12 - https://www.veeam.com/kb4830
Veeam 12 release notes and patch links - https://www.veeam.com/kb4696
Veeam 13 - https://www.veeam.com/kb4831
Veeam 13 release notes and patch links - https://www.veeam.com/kb4738
The full installers also have the latest update in the Updates folder in the ISO (although the version numbers and dates haven't been updated in the downloads page in My Account).
https://redd.it/1rrrc3u
@r_systemadmin
Just incase anyone here doesn't subscribe to Veeams automated email alerts there are multiple 9.x rated CVE's that Veeam announced today in both versions 12 and 13:
Veeam 12 - https://www.veeam.com/kb4830
Veeam 12 release notes and patch links - https://www.veeam.com/kb4696
Veeam 13 - https://www.veeam.com/kb4831
Veeam 13 release notes and patch links - https://www.veeam.com/kb4738
The full installers also have the latest update in the Updates folder in the ISO (although the version numbers and dates haven't been updated in the downloads page in My Account).
https://redd.it/1rrrc3u
@r_systemadmin
Veeam Software
KB4830: Vulnerabilities Resolved in Veeam Backup & Replication 12.3.2.4465
Windows Server Automation Tools that focus mainly on powershell
The purpose of this post is to find out what others are using for Windows Automation with a focus on PowerShell. I am currently using 2 different tools (I'll get into this) that are "free" because of other licensing we have at our org. But I think i am ready to ask if we can purchase 1 tool to move everything to a single platform.
What I also need is a tool that has a GUI/ Web frontend that I can build forms with predefined drop downs so end users can consume some of the backend automations (mostly for server builds and defining specifics on servers). A tool that would allow for modules to be imported locally would be great (can't do this with Aria Automation).
Tools currently in use are...
\#1. VMWare Aria Automation. We use this for our server provisioning. It works great and has PowerShell as an option but lacks when you need certain modules. So, i have VRO workflows that basically take some of the variables our engineer's input on the build web form and invoke a PowerShell script that is on an existing Windows Server that has those modules installed. If there are tools that you can import modules would be great.
\#2 System Center Orchestrator. I actually really like this product, but Microsoft hasn't put a ton towards it since owning it and there are always rumors that it is going away. Also the web portal allows you to set up for inputs...but no dynamic drop downs or anything. I use this for AD cleanup, Microsoft Configuration Manager automations, creating SNOW tickets via API, ingesting our LogicMonitor alerts and if any of the alerts meet certain criteria, kicking off a runbook to remediate the alert....etc...
If you have any questions, please ask...and if you have any suggestions, I really appreciate it.
https://redd.it/1rrq5rn
@r_systemadmin
The purpose of this post is to find out what others are using for Windows Automation with a focus on PowerShell. I am currently using 2 different tools (I'll get into this) that are "free" because of other licensing we have at our org. But I think i am ready to ask if we can purchase 1 tool to move everything to a single platform.
What I also need is a tool that has a GUI/ Web frontend that I can build forms with predefined drop downs so end users can consume some of the backend automations (mostly for server builds and defining specifics on servers). A tool that would allow for modules to be imported locally would be great (can't do this with Aria Automation).
Tools currently in use are...
\#1. VMWare Aria Automation. We use this for our server provisioning. It works great and has PowerShell as an option but lacks when you need certain modules. So, i have VRO workflows that basically take some of the variables our engineer's input on the build web form and invoke a PowerShell script that is on an existing Windows Server that has those modules installed. If there are tools that you can import modules would be great.
\#2 System Center Orchestrator. I actually really like this product, but Microsoft hasn't put a ton towards it since owning it and there are always rumors that it is going away. Also the web portal allows you to set up for inputs...but no dynamic drop downs or anything. I use this for AD cleanup, Microsoft Configuration Manager automations, creating SNOW tickets via API, ingesting our LogicMonitor alerts and if any of the alerts meet certain criteria, kicking off a runbook to remediate the alert....etc...
If you have any questions, please ask...and if you have any suggestions, I really appreciate it.
https://redd.it/1rrq5rn
@r_systemadmin
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Has anyone successfully reduced helpdesk tickets with in-app support?
We're exploring ways to deflect repetitive helpdesk tickets for basic usage questions in our enterprise apps, which we've identified as recurring issues. Most of what we're seeing is users getting stuck mid-task because onboarding didn't stick or the SOPs live outside the application.
We're evaluating more contextual in-app guidance and self-service support as a form of performance support and learning in the flow of work, rather than pushing more documentation or live training. The goal is better user adoption and fewer tickets for routine how do I do this?
For those who've implemented a digital adoption platform or something similar, did you actually see measurable ticket deflection? Were you able to connect adoption metrics or user behavior tracking to changes in support volume, or did it mostly shift the burden elsewhere?
https://redd.it/1rrr7c8
@r_systemadmin
We're exploring ways to deflect repetitive helpdesk tickets for basic usage questions in our enterprise apps, which we've identified as recurring issues. Most of what we're seeing is users getting stuck mid-task because onboarding didn't stick or the SOPs live outside the application.
We're evaluating more contextual in-app guidance and self-service support as a form of performance support and learning in the flow of work, rather than pushing more documentation or live training. The goal is better user adoption and fewer tickets for routine how do I do this?
For those who've implemented a digital adoption platform or something similar, did you actually see measurable ticket deflection? Were you able to connect adoption metrics or user behavior tracking to changes in support volume, or did it mostly shift the burden elsewhere?
https://redd.it/1rrr7c8
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Intermittent mail delivery to wrong user despite correct "To" address
The Problem:
We migrated to hosted exchange platform after experiencing the same issue on the previous service provider.
We are experiencing a critical but intermittent issue where emails intended for a specific recipient are being delivered to the wrong user’s mailbox, despite the "To" field showing the correct email address.
Key Symptoms:
• Intermittency: Most emails deliver correctly, but a small percentage "cross wires" and land in an unrelated user's inbox.
• Correct Metadata: The headers and "To" field on the received mail show the intended recipient, not the actual recipient who received it.
• Inconsistent Trigger: There is no clear pattern (e.g., specific sender or time of day) for when these misroutings occur.
No rules setup on outlook
Any ideas?
https://redd.it/1rru1zt
@r_systemadmin
The Problem:
We migrated to hosted exchange platform after experiencing the same issue on the previous service provider.
We are experiencing a critical but intermittent issue where emails intended for a specific recipient are being delivered to the wrong user’s mailbox, despite the "To" field showing the correct email address.
Key Symptoms:
• Intermittency: Most emails deliver correctly, but a small percentage "cross wires" and land in an unrelated user's inbox.
• Correct Metadata: The headers and "To" field on the received mail show the intended recipient, not the actual recipient who received it.
• Inconsistent Trigger: There is no clear pattern (e.g., specific sender or time of day) for when these misroutings occur.
No rules setup on outlook
Any ideas?
https://redd.it/1rru1zt
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Is it normal that the effort/salary ratio is that bad for IT-Managers and for other departments?
Hi everyone,
for context, I am now at 6 YoE and live in Europe. I started as an intern, then as a helpdesk tech, sysadmin and for a year now I'm a cloud admin focused on M365/Azure. I am always looking a bit into the future regarding my career and such and I noticed there are sorta 2 ways: senior technician or management.
But what I noticed looking around, not just IT-Managers but majority of managers in general in other departments, that the amount of effort they have to put into their work and the responsibility they have, is so astronomically higher than what they are paid for, that its just not worth it. My current boss for example has 20x the emails, the calls and the responsibility than I do, yet I am 99% sure he earns 50% more than me tops. Even if double, it wouldn't be worth it for me considering even if he cloned himself twice it wouldnt be enough. So far the only proper path I have seen is going towards being a senior cloud dude.
Am I just seeing bad examples around, or am I seeing the whole thing wrong? I mean, I am passionate about technology in general and love my job and would be even interested in more managerial roles, but I also dont want to get squeezed dry for not much more money as the majority of the people I know that went into burnout were managers of some sort.
https://redd.it/1rrtb8b
@r_systemadmin
Hi everyone,
for context, I am now at 6 YoE and live in Europe. I started as an intern, then as a helpdesk tech, sysadmin and for a year now I'm a cloud admin focused on M365/Azure. I am always looking a bit into the future regarding my career and such and I noticed there are sorta 2 ways: senior technician or management.
But what I noticed looking around, not just IT-Managers but majority of managers in general in other departments, that the amount of effort they have to put into their work and the responsibility they have, is so astronomically higher than what they are paid for, that its just not worth it. My current boss for example has 20x the emails, the calls and the responsibility than I do, yet I am 99% sure he earns 50% more than me tops. Even if double, it wouldn't be worth it for me considering even if he cloned himself twice it wouldnt be enough. So far the only proper path I have seen is going towards being a senior cloud dude.
Am I just seeing bad examples around, or am I seeing the whole thing wrong? I mean, I am passionate about technology in general and love my job and would be even interested in more managerial roles, but I also dont want to get squeezed dry for not much more money as the majority of the people I know that went into burnout were managers of some sort.
https://redd.it/1rrtb8b
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Looking for good UPS replacement for Dell 3750W
Ever since I started at my present place of employment in 2014, we have had two Dell 3750W UPS units, which now are in need of replacing. Up until now, they have been reliable, but I have never been impressed with the event notifications, which are always vague and non-helpful.
Looking for input on similar 5000VA units from Eaton, APC, etc.
Thanks in advance!
https://redd.it/1rrz8dg
@r_systemadmin
Ever since I started at my present place of employment in 2014, we have had two Dell 3750W UPS units, which now are in need of replacing. Up until now, they have been reliable, but I have never been impressed with the event notifications, which are always vague and non-helpful.
Looking for input on similar 5000VA units from Eaton, APC, etc.
Thanks in advance!
https://redd.it/1rrz8dg
@r_systemadmin
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Thickheaded Thursday - March 19, 2026
Howdy, /r/sysadmin!
It's that time of the week, Thickheaded Thursday! This is a safe (mostly) judgement-free environment for all of your questions and stories, no matter how silly you think they are. Anybody can answer questions! My name is AutoModerator and I've taken over responsibility for posting these weekly threads so you don't have to worry about anything except your comments!
https://redd.it/1rxwalk
@r_systemadmin
Howdy, /r/sysadmin!
It's that time of the week, Thickheaded Thursday! This is a safe (mostly) judgement-free environment for all of your questions and stories, no matter how silly you think they are. Anybody can answer questions! My name is AutoModerator and I've taken over responsibility for posting these weekly threads so you don't have to worry about anything except your comments!
https://redd.it/1rxwalk
@r_systemadmin
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Patch your gear - Max severity Ubiquiti UniFi flaw may allow account takeover
For the UniFi folks https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ubiquiti-warns-of-unifi-flaw-that-may-enable-account-takeover/
https://redd.it/1ry39us
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For the UniFi folks https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ubiquiti-warns-of-unifi-flaw-that-may-enable-account-takeover/
https://redd.it/1ry39us
@r_systemadmin
BleepingComputer
Max severity Ubiquiti UniFi flaw may allow account takeover
Ubiquiti has patched two vulnerabilities in the UniFi Network Application, including a maximum-severity flaw that may allow attackers to take over user accounts.
First UniFi With a 10.0 CVE, Now ScreenConnect 9.0 CVE
UniFi: 10.0 NVD - CVE-2026-22557
ScreenConnect: 9.0 NVD - CVE-2026-3564
Nobody has said it yet (not that I've heard), but this would be how I assume adversarial AI systems enter the arena. Hopefully these were security researchers using tools to bug hunt & claim bounties, but two major players in the same week - makes me wonder.
As I've been telling friends and clients, the rate of small intrusion to network takeover is accelerating. The window to respond is closing. Historically, a foothold gave enough time to detect, triage, & remediate, at attack team/human operation cycles. Humans vs humans, you've got (some) time.
My hypothesis/assumption here, but that rate is probably thrown out the window. A small breach + rapidly iterating attacks against all internal services will turn up the next weakness in the chain, until full access is accomplished.
These AI systems are like a 50-Cal Rifle, you use them to punch a hole into the network, and the attack pours through that hole.
For defenders, you can't be constantly on guard, can't be constantly ready to "fire back" or deploy time/energy chasing down everything that makes the system throw an alert.
Maybe I'm just a bit burned out, but two days in a row my evenings have gone to shit, as I'm digging through logs and reading up on the next problem to tackle tomorrow - and meanwhile keeping clients advised of what's going on, and still trying to leverage remote support via tools that are BROKEN because of the PATCH - effing ScreenConnect - no notice no comms - not a care in the world to share it with PAYING CUSTOMERS.
https://redd.it/1ryipfs
@r_systemadmin
UniFi: 10.0 NVD - CVE-2026-22557
ScreenConnect: 9.0 NVD - CVE-2026-3564
Nobody has said it yet (not that I've heard), but this would be how I assume adversarial AI systems enter the arena. Hopefully these were security researchers using tools to bug hunt & claim bounties, but two major players in the same week - makes me wonder.
As I've been telling friends and clients, the rate of small intrusion to network takeover is accelerating. The window to respond is closing. Historically, a foothold gave enough time to detect, triage, & remediate, at attack team/human operation cycles. Humans vs humans, you've got (some) time.
My hypothesis/assumption here, but that rate is probably thrown out the window. A small breach + rapidly iterating attacks against all internal services will turn up the next weakness in the chain, until full access is accomplished.
These AI systems are like a 50-Cal Rifle, you use them to punch a hole into the network, and the attack pours through that hole.
For defenders, you can't be constantly on guard, can't be constantly ready to "fire back" or deploy time/energy chasing down everything that makes the system throw an alert.
Maybe I'm just a bit burned out, but two days in a row my evenings have gone to shit, as I'm digging through logs and reading up on the next problem to tackle tomorrow - and meanwhile keeping clients advised of what's going on, and still trying to leverage remote support via tools that are BROKEN because of the PATCH - effing ScreenConnect - no notice no comms - not a care in the world to share it with PAYING CUSTOMERS.
https://redd.it/1ryipfs
@r_systemadmin
Reddit
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Weekly 'I made a useful thing' Thread - March 20, 2026
There is a great deal of user-generated content out there, from scripts and software to tutorials and videos, but we've generally tried to keep that off of the front page due to the volume and as a result of community feedback. There's also a great deal of content out there that violates our advertising/promotion rule, from scripts and software to tutorials and videos.
We have received a number of requests for exemptions to the rule, and rather than allowing the front page to get consumed, we thought we'd try a weekly thread that allows for that kind of content. We don't have a catchy name for it yet, so please let us know if you have any ideas!
In this thread, feel free to show us your pet project, YouTube videos, blog posts, or whatever else you may have and share it with the community. Commercial advertisements, affiliate links, or links that appear to be monetization-grabs will still be removed.
https://redd.it/1ryq9z5
@r_systemadmin
There is a great deal of user-generated content out there, from scripts and software to tutorials and videos, but we've generally tried to keep that off of the front page due to the volume and as a result of community feedback. There's also a great deal of content out there that violates our advertising/promotion rule, from scripts and software to tutorials and videos.
We have received a number of requests for exemptions to the rule, and rather than allowing the front page to get consumed, we thought we'd try a weekly thread that allows for that kind of content. We don't have a catchy name for it yet, so please let us know if you have any ideas!
In this thread, feel free to show us your pet project, YouTube videos, blog posts, or whatever else you may have and share it with the community. Commercial advertisements, affiliate links, or links that appear to be monetization-grabs will still be removed.
https://redd.it/1ryq9z5
@r_systemadmin
Reddit
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When directed to ignore compliance and\or stop asking for written change request. How\Have you handled it?
When operating at a director or manager level in an institution and you have your CFO or President or CFO backed by the President\\CEO, come to you directly and tell you to elevate a user to an elevated privilege, or remove endpoint protection, or some other crazy directive.
I'm sure most of us would say we need the directive in writing, explaining we need this for audit\\change logging, and this is established best practice, and hope that would put an end to it.
However I experienced a first today, I was told that when I ask for the directives in writing it makes it look like I'm trying to shelter myself from any legal or business repercussions if their decisions\\request result in a disaster. I was told bluntly "that is not the case, as the sole IT Director I would shoulder 100% of the responsibility legally and professionally I would be destroyed". They then followed up with that I need to stop asking and just do when directed. I pushed back I made it clear I have to have logs, I need to make sure we can audit if something breaks and that without written directives if I get audited it might go from "they made a mistake" to "they are trying to steal or hurt the company"
Yes I know red flag GTFO, I'm trying, but can anyone actually confirm if that statement is legit? I'm reaching out to an employment lawyer but there has to be someone here that can see this or know someone that could weigh in with expert level views and either confirm or deny.
Thanks in advance and yes this is real, it happened, and I've been in the business for decades, never saw this
https://redd.it/1ryjc2r
@r_systemadmin
When operating at a director or manager level in an institution and you have your CFO or President or CFO backed by the President\\CEO, come to you directly and tell you to elevate a user to an elevated privilege, or remove endpoint protection, or some other crazy directive.
I'm sure most of us would say we need the directive in writing, explaining we need this for audit\\change logging, and this is established best practice, and hope that would put an end to it.
However I experienced a first today, I was told that when I ask for the directives in writing it makes it look like I'm trying to shelter myself from any legal or business repercussions if their decisions\\request result in a disaster. I was told bluntly "that is not the case, as the sole IT Director I would shoulder 100% of the responsibility legally and professionally I would be destroyed". They then followed up with that I need to stop asking and just do when directed. I pushed back I made it clear I have to have logs, I need to make sure we can audit if something breaks and that without written directives if I get audited it might go from "they made a mistake" to "they are trying to steal or hurt the company"
Yes I know red flag GTFO, I'm trying, but can anyone actually confirm if that statement is legit? I'm reaching out to an employment lawyer but there has to be someone here that can see this or know someone that could weigh in with expert level views and either confirm or deny.
Thanks in advance and yes this is real, it happened, and I've been in the business for decades, never saw this
https://redd.it/1ryjc2r
@r_systemadmin
Reddit
From the sysadmin community on Reddit
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