Tag: computers

What is Virtualization and why Do you need to know it?

Paul

Virtualization In the Cloud Illustration

Virtualization

Virtualization, what does it really mean?  Let’s walk through what the word means and then we can talk about it some more.   Virtual is like you are attending a class remotely because there is no real materials or even books that you can use to feel or see.   Let’s talk about realization, This is the part that people sometimes do not understand when they hear the word virtualization that the system that is doing this will need to also realize that the system.  It’ll need to create a motherboard, CPU, memory, display, ports, and USB ports, and even hard drives and peripherals.   It however isn’t really anything that can be touch or even seen by us the user.  It is all inside a computer being made by the computer to fool the operating system that is being created by the virtual machine.

Cloud computing

What is that word and what does that have to do with virtualization?   I am sure everyone has asked that at one point or time and they might want to know about it even more.   Cloud computing is basically a lone server or it could even be a service for companies to use somewhere around the world to create an operating system for the business to use such as Windows 365 which lets you create a Windows desktop virtually on a server to be able to do everything you can do on physical system as if you had one there right now.   Play games, edit documents, write emails, and so on are what it is called to be cloud computing.  Just think of it as being a computer on the internet and you will start to realize that it is not a real computer.

Do we need virtualization?

In all we do now, virtualization is going to be more and more used in now than in the old days.  It allows corporation to manage desktops around the world and not have them physically there.  The cost of having a desktop will not be overhead and they can have a server have several people on it and cutting the cost of have having to buy the computer parts or even the computer for the employees.  They can then buy really cheap computers that don’t take up as much space and these cheap computers will most likely be underpowered.   In the process, they can use that to do what might need to be done on the virtual machine.   It can seem like a lot but in the end the computer they bought isn’t as expensive as buying a system that can do  what a cloud computer and is far more manageable to the IT staff.  They can keep it running and if something happens they can call the company and get someone there to fix the problem that they can’t do.

Benefits Vs Cost

Here’s where it get even better, because if you really think about this as being a virtualization as service, you’ll see that the benefits verses the cost of using one is probably going to be less than you think.   Let’s break it down in further for you and explain why in so many ways.   Virtualization is basically meaning several computers can be on a really beefy server.   It can be a beast and can be used to utilize the CPU processing when it is need to do something like graphics or even just programs that might need the processing power.   It could in theory also be used to mine bitcoins or even Ethereum but I really don’t know if it is actually be done like that on a server because you’d only want one system on the server to maximize the chance to mine a bitcoin or an Ethereum coin as they say.   Because the more people on that server the more processing power will be divided to the the people equally so that’s one thing to consider.  We could look at cost of buying a server or even renting a server but in reality what we need to look at is the idea that the server can host several employees or people on the server to do tasks that remotely or even at the office that will far out way the cost of buying a bulky computer and having the employee’s be in the office all the time.

This is all the definition of what a computer is in the cloud, we just have to think of it as a way to illustrate what it is and why we need it.   Do you agree or disagree, do you think I did a good job describing it?   Why not leave a comment and tell me what you thoughts or if you think I could of talked about something more.   I’d love to hear you thoughts on this matter and others.

 

Some advice for new computer technicians

Paul

Computer network technician training offered in Vancouver

We can’t do this alone!

This is the most important idea that you should understand. Most computer technicians think that they have to do it alone when it comes to problem solving an issue.  It is because  no one can ever know how to fix every possible problems that may arise.   Those are the times we should ask question and ask for help from other technicians.   This will help you even more than you might imagine because some other technician might know how to solve the issue or problem that you are having.    We might never really understand what someone else might know.   This also includes customers, because what one customer might not know another one might.

Research is everything

Sometimes even other technicians might not know what is causing the problem.  So use everything at your fingertips.   Don’t underestimate the power of word search in Google, Bing, and Yahoo.  It isn’t like one search engine is better than another.  Each search engine has some information that some others might not have.  Don’t just use one but should always use all of them.   Sometimes one search engine will not have the answers, so I will always go and check out two or more search engines for a possible fix for the issues.

You will have angry customers!

No one tells you this but no matter how nice or good you are, you’ll have those angry customers. You should be prepared to deal with them. I say this with some experience, no matter what you’ll do for a customer there will always be those who know nothing about computers and then get mad at you for some reason or another. You’ll need to learn to be patient with an angry customer. Learn to come up with ways to alleviate the stress or anger from the customer. My go to phrase when a customer is angry or stressed is “Here’s what I can do for you . . . “.   If you tell the customer that you can do something for the customer even if it is something small, it helps with making the customer feel like they are being heard.   Also learn to active listen to the customer and make sure you hear what they say by repeating back to them the problems they are having.   Also sometimes the customer is going to just need to vent and be angry.  Technicians should learn to just be there for the customers.

Computers will break!

This is the next thing you will learn being a technician, that no matter how careful you are going to be with a computer, You’ll break a system just by doing something you’ve done a billion times.   If it can be broken, it will be broken.  Murphy just likes to make people’s life harder, and we will always have those days.   I can say with certainty that no one will ever be perfect at solving problems or fixing the issues.   I’ve seen motherboards break or CMOS fail at the most unusual times.  So you should be prepared to always apologize to the customers or say your sorry and make it right, even if it’s not your fault.   Sometimes customers will want to feel like they are important to you and that helps keeps the customers coming back.

No technical jargon

No matter how much you know or think you know, keep the technical jargon to a minimum with customers.   Most of them aren’t even going to know what you are talking about if you don’t relate the problem to the customer.  I can remember several times when I heard someone tell a customers about a command or hardware and the customers eyes just glaze over because they just don’t understand.   Only tell the customer what they need to know, if it’s a customer error, teach the customer and try to prevent them from creating the problem again.

I’ve been in the computer world a long time and I am sure the old and new a like will agree that these are some valuable tips for those who might be interested in being a technician.  Nothing I’ve said here will stop angry customers but it might help.   What’s some things you’ve learned to help with customers not getting angry or make the customer happy?  I’d love to here what helped you with customers and I am sure others will too.