Have you ever needed to SSH to a server from the pub? I have. Sysadmins and devops are widely expected to be ‘always-on’, and until recently that meant carrying a laptop or netbook around with you. However, the iPhone is a powerful pocket sysadmin tool. We look at the ten essential iPhone sysadmin apps that should be available on your hip at all times. Read more »

Do you know where your servers are right now? Good sysadmins and devops use automation and monitoring, but good sysadmins don’t rely on them. The problem with automated monitoring, as we know from the movie Jurassic Park, is that you only find what you’re looking for.

In this article I’ll explain why paranoia, suspicion and snooping are essential items in your sysadmin toolbox, and give you a few hints on how to find trouble you didn’t know you had.

Jurassic Park: when monitoring isn’t enough.